Research interests
We work on the development, the evolution and the functional anatomy of the nervous system, using as a model system the autonomic or visceral nervous system (VNS). The VNS controls vital functions and bodily homeostasis by regulating respiratory, cardiovascular and digestive functions. Its core component is a series of reflex arcs travelling through the medulla, represented in the figure below.
Simplified schematic of the VNS circuits.
In the 90’s, we uncovered a highly unusual developmental property of these circuits, namely that the vast majority of their component neurons (depicted in red in the figure) depend on the same dedicated master gene: the homeodomain transcription factor Phox2b. The system-wide (or circuit specific) developmental role of Phox2b informs the current work of the lab on three main themes: The development of the VNS Its evolution on a large phylogenetic scale The functional anatomy —at the cellular level— of some of its less understood parts, notably those involved in the regulation of breathing.
Last update : 23 March 2012