 Parallel fiber/Purkinje cell synapses labelled using an anti-vGluT1 antibody (red) |  Climbing fiber/Purkinje cell synapses labelled using an anti-vGluT2 antibody (red) |  Reconstructed Purkinje cell from a juvenile mouse cerebellum |
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The goal of our team is to understand the molecular mechanisms that control the development and maturation of a functional brain. Answering this fundamental question will help increase our knowledge of the mechanisms that could be deficient in neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism or schizophrenia.
The brain is composed of many different types of neuronal populations that form functional networks by establishing specific synapses. Indeed, synapses are complex macromolecular structures with different morphological and functional characteristics, depending on the types of neurons that they connect. Our team's aim is to identify the molecular determinants of synapse diversity and understand how these determinants contribute to normal network formation and function in the mammalian brain.
