CV Science

Fabrice Duprat PhD Molecular and Cellular Physiology

Course and current status

- INSERM Researcher, team of Dr Massimo Mantegazza, (IPMC, since july 2014). Study of the consequences of epilepsy on cerebral autoregulation.

- INSERM Researcher, team of Dr Eric Honoré, (IPMC, february 2007- july 2014). Study of the role of polycystins and piezo in the mechanoperception of arteries and in the kidney.

- INSERM Researcher, team of Pr Michel Lazdunski, (IPMC, may 2000 - january 2007). Study of the role and the pharmacology of potassium channels in neurons.

- Postdoctoral fellow University of Bristol (Great Britain), MRC Center for Synaptic Plasticity, adviser Dr John Isaac (september 1998 - may 2000). Study of the role of AMPA receptor recycling in long term depression.

- PhD student and Postdoctoral fellow, IPMC laboratory of Pr Michel Lazdunski (december 1993 - september 1998).

- Deputy Scientific Attache, Science and Technology Department of the French Embassy in London (National Service, september 1992 - december 1993).

- PhD in Life Sciences, "Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire" (9^th  january 1998). Adviser: Pr Lazdunski. Study of the role and the pharmacology of cloned potassium channels.

- Postgraduate Degree in Physiology (French "D.E.A.") at the University of Poitiers, France (September 1992). Field : Biomembranes, Electrophysiology and Cellular Pharmacology. Study of the pharmacology of connexins 43 in cardiomyocytes.

- Masters degree in Physiology (French "Maitrise") at the University of Tours, France (September 1991).

Scientific summary

During my PhD I (Michel Lazdunski's lab) studied the pharmacological and biophysical properties of cloned potassium channels using electrophysiological tools. I worked on inward rectifiers, we described the need for heteromultimer formation (GIRKs). I worked mostly on the new background K+ channels (K2Ps) that were cloned in our lab. I described the striking biophysical properties of these background channels, the activation effects of fatty acids on TREK channels, their sensitivity to proton, reactive oxygen species, and found some openers (ex: riluzole).

During my postdoctoral project (John Isaac's lab) I described the NSF-dependent recycling of AMPA subunit, GluR2, and its involvement in long term depression in murine brain slices.

When I got my INSERM (french health and medical research institute) researcher position (Michel Lazdunski's lab), I firstly worked on the role of TREK channels in the nervous system and described their neuroprotective role.

I then worked on mechanoperception in the vascular system (Eric Honore's lab). We demonstrated the role of polycystins in myogenic tone, the role of piezo 1 in arterial remodeling, and the protective role of TREK2 in the kidney.

I am now currently working in Massimo Mantegazza's lab. I am developping a new project to study the defect of cerebral autoregulation and blood brain barrier breakdown in seizure murine models.