CV Science

vanessa ribes PhD in developmental biology

Course and current status

From 2015 ATIP/Avenir Team. “Transcriptional Networks & neural differentiation”, IJM, Paris

2011- 2014  Post-doctoral fellow then research staff scientist at Institute of Myology U787, Paris

2006-2011   Post-doctoral fellow then research staff scientist at National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR), London

2002-2006   PhD at Institut de Génétique de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Strasbourg

Scientific summary

Deciphering the mechanisms underlying cellular diversity is expected to reveal novel therapeutic opportunities for severe and multiple human conditions, including spina bifida and Rhabdomyosarcoma. It has long been recognized that transcription factors (TFs) by their ability to modulate the transcriptional landscape of cells play a pivotal role modulating the phenotypic traits of cells. Yet, for most factors two important questions remain: i) how TFs mediated differential gene expression leads to dynamics in the cellular features and behaviour and ii) how differential gene expression influences the sequence and the stability of cellular states. The high-dimensionality set in cross-regulations between the multiple cues, including secreted signalling molecules, transcription factors and mechanical signals, driving cells state dynamics have precluded addressing these questions, let alone in animal models where creating variable phenotypic traits and monitoring features of cells embedded in complex tissues is challenging. We propose to tackle this issue by using physiological models we have established allowing the fine-tuning of cellular states via the modulation of PAX transcription factors transcriptional activity, that of their partners or downstream effectors, in several model systems, including pluripotent stem cells derived organoids and the chicken neural tubes. By associating transcriptomic analyses, biophysical approaches, human genetics and classical genetic and chemical manipulations, we expect to identify the interplays between regulations operating at distinct biological scales. Finally, we will be able to provide novel views into the plasticity of cell states that capture normal and pathological organogenesis.