CV Science

Michaël DEMARQUE PhD

Course and current status

Since 2012

Researcher (CR1) at INSERM

2010-2011

Postdoctoral associate in Dr C.Wyart team, ICM, Paris, France.

2004-2010

Postdoctoral associate in Dr N.C. Spitzer laboratory, UCSD, La Jolla, USA.

Using a multidisciplinary approach, immunocytochemistry, molecular biology, calcium imaging, extracellular recordings and focal electroporation,    I studied the functional consequences of the activity-dependent specification of serotonin in the brain of the African clawed toad Xenopus Laevis

Education

2004  PhD in Neurosciences - Aix-Marseille University, France

Scientific summary

My resesarch interests are focused on activity-dependent developmental mechanisms. I have been using a combination of physiological approaches (patch-clamp, extracellular recordings, calcium imaging), basic morphology and molecular biology techniques to study the contribution of electrical activity on different aspects of nervous system  maturation. I am currently working on the develoment of the dopaminergic neurons in the zebrafish brain.

How do neurons acquire their identity, how do they integrate functionally into a network and how do neuronal activity and genetic programs interact to fine tune these developmental steps are few of the questions I'm interested in. The answers would contribute to a better understanding of neuronal network assembly and would open new perspectives for activity-based therapies. I believe increased knowledge on how new networks develop would also help understand how mature networks function.