Research

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and Chronic Pain

Responsable : Pierrick POISBEAU
Unité de Recherche : Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives (LNCA) UMR 7364

 The laboratory’s project investigates the impact of adverse childhood events on health trajectories, with a particular focus on chronic pain. This pain, which becomes a disease when it persists, affects sensory, emotional, and cognitive dimensions. The goal is to understand the links between such events and the onset of chronic pain. A multidimensional approach is adopted, involving both human and animal studies, across neurological development and adulthood. In vulnerable adults who have experienced trauma, innovative strategies — such as hypnosis, virtual reality, and physical activity — are explored to enhance non-pharmacological treatment options.

Cognition, Sociality and Memory (CoSoMem)

Responsables : Jean-Christophe CASSEL & Sébastien BALLESTA
Unité de Recherche : Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives (LNCA) UMR 7364

Our team studies social and physical cognition, including decision-making and memory, in non-human primates and rats through ethological, cognitive, and neuroscientific approaches. We explore the effects of social factors (hierarchy, affiliative bonds, tolerance) on cognitive performance, learning, theory of mind, hierarchy representation, and conflict management. The neuroanatomical foundations of social tolerance and the mechanisms of social learning are also investigated. In rats, our research focuses on the role of the reuniens and rhomboid thalamic nuclei in memory and cognitive flexibility, as well as the impact of 5G exposure on cognitive and reproductive functions.
 

Behaviors, Incentives, Coordination, Interactions

Responsables : Nathalie PICARD & Philippe DELACOTE
Unité de Recherche : Bureau d'Economie Théorique et Appliquée (BETA) UMR 7522

Researchers in economics and management involved in the “Time in Perception and Action” theme aim to understand the behavior of economic agents, taking into account their interactions (both within and outside markets) and the risky and/or uncertain contexts in which they operate. Economists are particularly attentive to concepts such as behavioral patterns, biases, and noise that influence individual decision-making and actions. This work builds on the theories developed by Nobel Prize laureates Richard Thaler, Daniel Kahneman, and Vernon L. Smith. 

Researchers at BETA notably employ experimental economics methods in their studies. The concept of time is applied in research on evolutionary economics and management, organizational change, individual routines and learning effects, as well as the ideation and diffusion of innovations.

Peptidergic control of emotions

Responsable : Alexandre CHARLET
Unité de Recherche : Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives (INCI) UPR 3212

Our research focuses on understanding the cellular mechanisms underlying emotion regulation, from social interaction to pain and anxiety. We investigate how central neuropeptides modulate the neuroglial network within emotion-related structures, such as the amygdala. To this end, we combine ex vivo and in vivo approaches in electrophysiology, calcium imaging, and behavior with genetic tools.

Pain and Psychopathology

Responsable : Ipek YALCIN
Unité de Recherche : Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives (INCI) UPR 3212

Our research focuses on chronic pain, particularly neuropathic pain resulting from injury or disease of the nervous system. We investigate treatment strategies, especially the use of antidepressants, as well as the affective, anxiety-related, and depressive consequences of such pain. We also have strong expertise in neuroanatomy, studying the neural circuits underlying various components of pain, emotion, and the regulation of aminergic systems.

Pain an Ageing

Responsable : André DUFOUR
Unité de Recherche : Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives (LNCA) UMR 7364

Our team investigates pain and aging through two main approaches:

1. Chronic pain and cognition in aging – exploring why older adults with mild cognitive impairment appear more vulnerable to chronic pain.
2. Changes in pain perception with age – studying the mechanisms underlying increased pain thresholds, particularly for thermal stimuli, in elderly individuals.

All our studies combine electrophysiological approaches (evoked potentials) with quantitative sensory testing (QST).

Functional systems dynamics

Responsables : Demian BATTAGLIA & Romain GOUTAGNY
Unité de Recherche : Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives (LNCA) UMR 7364

We aim to understand how coordinated neuronal dynamics mediate the processing of information related to behavior, memory, attention, decision-making, and sensorimotor coordination functions — with a particular focus on hippocampal, cortical, and basal ganglia networks. We also seek to identify how alterations in these dynamics lead either to functional improvements (e.g., during learning and task development) or to functional deficits (e.g., in neurodegenerative diseases or other brain disorders). Our ultimate goal is to design interventions that preserve or restore function by “repairing the dynamics” and functional connectivity.

Hedonic dysfunction and neuroadaptation

Responsable : Katia BEFORT
Unité de Recherche : Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives (LNCA) UMR 7364
https://researchoutreach.org/articles/unravelling-links-substance-use-binge-like-eating-disorders/ 

Binge eating disorder is a common eating disorder affecting both men and women, characterized by episodes of excessive food consumption within a short period of time. Its origins remain unclear, but neurobiological mechanisms similar to those involved in drug addiction are thought to play a role. The endocannabinoid and opioid systems are key players in reward and food intake. This disorder is often associated with obesity, depression, anxiety disorders, and memory impairments. It may also contribute to chronic pain through neuroinflammatory mechanisms. We use animal models to investigate these biological and behavioral factors.

Integrative Multimodal Imaging in Health

Responsable : Laura HARSAN
Unité de Recherche : équipe Imagerie Multimodale Intégrative en Santé (IMIS) au sein du Laboratoire des sciences de l'ingénieur, de l'informatique et de l'imagerie (iCube) UMR 7357

The team’s project aims to identify and validate new MRI and metabolomics markers to better understand, predict, diagnose, and treat neurological disorders associated with aging (such as Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body disorders), psychiatric conditions (depression, catatonic disorders), neurocognitive and eating-related disorders (childhood obesity), and certain oncological pathologies. It is structured around three main axes:

1. Metabolic phenotyping and characterization of brain tumor tissues for neurosurgical applications.
2. Investigation of brain connectivity in developmental and aging neurology as well as in psychiatry.
3. Development of quantitative multimodal imaging for preclinical mouse models.

This project integrates small-animal research with translational studies between murine models and humans, fostering an interdisciplinary approach across neurology, neuroscience, radiology, and biophysics, and promoting rapid translation of preclinical findings to clinical applications and vice versa.

Ion Channel Engineering

Responsable : Thomas GRUTTER
Unité de Recherche : Laboratoire de Chémo-Biologie Synthétique & Thérapeutique | CBST UMR 7199

We study ion channels (Piezo) and receptor channels (P2X) involved in numerous neurophysiological processes, including pain, neurotransmission, and sensory pathways. Our research focuses on structure-function relationships and biophysical properties, and we design novel molecular and chemical tools to better understand their mechanisms of action. These tools also allow orthogonal control of channel activity in vivo. Dysfunction of these channels or receptor channels can lead to chronic pain or contribute to neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease.

Laboratory of medical genetics

Responsable : Hélène DOLLFUS
Unité de Recherche : Laboratoire de génétique médicale (LGM) - UMR_S 1112

Our team starts from the clinical observation of patients with rare genetic diseases (Bardet-Biedl syndrome, Alström syndrome, ciliopathies, rare and ultra-rare sensory disorders—particularly ophthalmologic—Cockayne syndrome and related DNA repair disorders, hereditary rare dental diseases, etc.). We aim to identify the genetic cause(s) of their conditions and study the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms at both the cellular level and in model organisms, with the goal of generating therapeutic hypotheses that can lead to preclinical therapy projects and ultimately return benefits to the patient. The team, composed of both clinicians and scientists, is deeply motivated by the desire to develop truly translational research.

Laboratory of Neurocardiovascular Pharmacology and Toxicology

Responsable : Laurent MONASSIER
Unité de Recherche : Laboratoire de Pharmacologie et de Toxicologie Neurocardiovasculaire (LPTNC) UR 7296

Our laboratory specializes in pharmacological approaches targeting the serotonergic system for various pathologies, such as valvular heart degeneration, as well as the development of analytical systems for detecting diverse synthetic substances, including serotonergic agonists from the synthetic cathinone family, used as hallucinogens.

In the context of neurodegenerative diseases, our work focuses on the role of the serotonergic system in regulating blood–brain barrier permeability and exploring how its modulation can promote the clearance of beta-amyloid from the central nervous system while limiting its entry from the periphery. This approach highlights a novel facet of treating neurodegenerative diseases by targeting vascular permeability in the critical capillary network that supplies the brain.

Light, vision and brain

Responsable : Marie-Paule FELDER-SCHMITTBUHL et Frank PFRIEGER
Unité de Recherche : Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives (INCI) UPR 3212

Our team studies the importance of light in synchronizing daily physiological functions, both in the brain and at the level of the eye, as well as the role the retina plays in these processes. In the context of modern society, which is often subject to chronic circadian disruption (“social jet lag,” shift work, etc.), we focus particularly on the health impacts of repeated exposure to abnormal light cycles: effects on the retina, feeding behavior and metabolism, and addictive or aggressive behaviors.

Epigenetic modulation of neurodegenerative process

Responsable : Anne-Laurence BOUTILLIER & Karine MERIENNE
Unité de Recherche : Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives (LNCA) UMR 7364

The team’s research focuses on the dynamics of memory trace consolidation and the molecular—particularly epigenetic—mechanisms responsible for memory deficits in neurodegenerative diseases (Alzheimer’s, Lewy body dementias, frontotemporal dementias, Huntington’s). They investigate epigenetic and transcriptomic signatures associated with these pathologies using high-throughput sequencing techniques (RNA-seq, ChIP-seq, ATAC-seq, etc.) in transgenic animal models. The goal is to understand how these signatures evolve with learning, genetic factors (e.g., ApoE3/4) or environmental influences (e.g., radiofrequency exposure), as well as environmental enrichment (social, physical, novelty). Since these diseases are currently incurable and many clinical trials have failed, the team’s neuro-epigenetic research aims to decipher fundamental mechanisms underlying these pathologies, offering potential new therapeutic avenues. Their studies span scales from molecular to behavioral.

Neuroprotection and Remyelination

Responsable : Jérôme DE SEZE
Unité de Recherche : Centre d’investigation clinique (Inserm CIC 1434)

NeuroRem was created in 2024 and brings together, in a single laboratory, researchers and clinicians/neurologists who, through their joint affiliation with the Clinical Investigation Center (CIC) at the University Hospital of Strasbourg (CHU), are deeply involved in clinical research. This environment offers a unique and highly conducive opportunity for effective translational research. The main scientific goal of NeuroRem is to develop translational research within a continuum that optimizes interactions between preclinical and clinical research activities by testing promising molecules on animal models mimicking human neurological diseases (multiple sclerosis; dysimmune neuropathies, etc.), and then advancing them to early-phase clinical trials in humans. Our work also aims at the characterization of new relevant biomarkers using non-invasive approaches to facilitate diagnosis and monitor treatment response or effectiveness in clinical trials or PHRC studies conducted by CIC 1434.

Strasbourg Translational Neuroscience & Psychiatry - Team Addictions

Responsables : Laurence LALANNE et Emmanuel DARCQ
Unité de Recherche : Strasbourg Translational Neuroscience & Psychiatry (STEP) | UMR 1329

The team investigates the mechanisms underlying addictive disorders related to opioids, alcohol, and cannabis, as well as their psychiatric comorbidities. Research is conducted on two fronts: preclinical and clinical. Under the leadership of Emmanuel Darcq and in collaboration with Prof. Brigitte Kieffer, the preclinical team studies the role of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) in these disorders. These receptors, crucial in biomedicine, offer significant therapeutic potential. Innovative preclinical models are developed using behavioral phenotyping, opto-/chemogenetics, and advanced high-resolution MRI techniques to analyze neuronal signaling and brain connectivity.

Meanwhile, the clinical team led by Laurence Lalanne focuses on addictive disorders in the context of neurocognitive and psychiatric conditions. They examine impulsivity as a key factor in addiction and explore how environmental and social factors influence genetic transcription through epigenetic mechanisms.

Strasbourg Translational Neuroscience & Psychiatry - Team Psychiatry

Responsable : Anne GIERSCH
Unité de Recherche : Strasbourg Translational Neuroscience & Psychiatry (STEP) | UMR 1329

Research on the pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders aims to understand the mechanisms that enable us to connect with our environment and interact with it coherently. These mechanisms include our ability to perceive, pay attention, tell our story, and respond appropriately to external stimuli. When these functions are impaired, psychiatric disorders can emerge, altering our relationship with the world.

Studies in this field also explore how such dysfunctions affect memory, time perception, and the construction of personal identity. These questions are central to the research unit, which also investigates deep psychological suffering and symptoms associated with addictions. The ultimate goal is to better understand the links between these phenomena in order to develop more targeted treatments and provide care better adapted to individuals in distress.

Strasbourg Translational Neuroscience & Psychiatry - Team SLA-DFT

Responsable : Caroline ROUAUX
Unité de Recherche : Strasbourg Translational Neuroscience & Psychiatry (STEP) | UMR 1329

Our research focuses exclusively on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD), two neurodegenerative diseases that represent the extremes of a genetic, pathological, and clinical continuum. Whether familial or sporadic, we approach them using two complementary strategies.

The first, genetic, aims to identify the genes involved and then develop cellular and animal models to analyze their pathophysiological mechanisms, guiding the development of biomarkers and treatments for familial forms. The second strategy is based on clinical signs and biomarkers shared by both diseases, reproduced in various animal models to study their origin and design therapies applicable to all patients. To date, we have successfully applied these approaches, targeting the SOD1, FUS, and CHMP2B genes for the first strategy, and focusing on muscle impairment, metabolic disturbances, and spasticity for the second.

Physiology of neural networks

Responsable : Philippe ISOPE
Unité de Recherche : Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives (INCI) UPR 3212

The brain functions as a modular network, where specific cortical areas, composed of functional modules, interact to process information. Each module operates in parallel, and their coordination enables the emergence of complex functions. A major challenge in neuroscience is to understand the operational modes of these “microcircuits.”

The team focuses on several brain regions, including the cerebellum, olfactory bulb, cerebral cortex, and spinal cord. They study the microscopic organization and dynamics of individual modules, as well as mesoscopic interactions, by observing communication between networks in awake animals. The team is also interested in network dysfunctions in psychiatric and neurological diseases, such as ALS, schizophrenia, and movement disorders, to better understand the underlying mechanisms of these pathologies.

Regulation and disruption of neuroendocrine rhythms

Responsable : Étienne CHALLET & Valérie SIMONNEAUX
Unité de Recherche : Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives (INCI) UPR 3212

The team aims to analyze the mechanisms by which organisms adapt—or fail to adapt—to environmental changes, leveraging the biodiversity of physiological processes across different animal species. Team members study the daily and seasonal synchronization of metabolic and reproductive functions and assess the impact of environmental disturbances (such as nighttime light exposure, acute or chronic jet lag, unbalanced diets, and endocrine disruptors) on these rhythmic functions. This research is conducted using a comparative approach across a variety of conventional (rats, mice) and non-conventional (planarians, diurnal and seasonal rodents, large mammals) animal models.

Sleep, clock, light and neuropsychiatry

Responsable : Patrice BOURGIN
Unité de Recherche : Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives (INCI) UPR 3212

The team conducts translational research on the interactions between sleep, circadian rhythms, and neuropsychiatry, using a developmental approach. Animal studies are conducted at INCI, and human studies at CIRCSom (Hôpital Civil de Strasbourg). Sleep and sleep-wake synchronization strongly influence mental health. Disorders of wakefulness, sleep, and light synchronization contribute to numerous neuropsychiatric conditions. The goal is to understand the mechanisms regulating the sleep-wake cycle and their impact on the brain and behavior, with the aim of developing chronotherapeutic interventions for these disorders.

Opioid system, nociception and pain

Responsable : Dominique MASSOTTE
Unité de Recherche : Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives (INCI) UPR 3212

Neuropathic pain, affecting 7–8% of the population, generates a substantial economic burden in Europe. It results from a lesion or disease of the somatosensory system, impacting sensory nerves and neuronal networks. Its management is complex, as current treatments (antidepressants, anticonvulsants) are only moderately effective. Opioids, though sometimes used, cause side effects such as tolerance. Identifying alterations in endogenous opioid control is essential to improve therapies. The project aims to study these mechanisms, taking sex differences into account and employing murine models along with multidisciplinary approaches.

Intracellular membrane trafficking in the nervous and neuroendocrine systems

Responsables : Stéphane GASMAN et Nicolas VITALE
Unité de Recherche : Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives (INCI) UPR 3212

We study the fundamental mechanisms underlying the temporal organization and disorganization of cellular communication in the nervous and neuroendocrine systems. This communication relies on the secretion of signaling molecules, a process that is tightly regulated in time through extensive membrane trafficking (exocytosis, endocytosis, vesicular transport). We decipher the molecular mechanisms controlling these various trafficking steps and reveal the alterations that underlie major pathologies (intellectual disability, neuroendocrine cancers, obesity…). Using neurons, neuroendocrine cells, and ependymal cells, we focus in particular on the mechanisms by which specific lipids and proteins regulate all stages of vesicle life—from biogenesis to membrane fusion, including intracellular transport.

Centre d’investigation clinique (Inserm CIC 1434)

Directeur : Jérôme DE SEZE

The Strasbourg Clinical Investigation Center is a multi-thematic Clinical Investigation Center (CIC-P). It participates in clinical trials—ranging from phase I to phase III—focused on pathophysiology or therapeutic interventions (drugs, medical devices, biotherapies, vaccinations) across a wide variety of diseases.

Centre de neuromodulation non invasive | CEMNIS

Directeur : Jack FOUCHER

CEMNIS is a care unit dedicated to the treatment of certain treatment-resistant neuropsychiatric disorders using neuromodulation techniques. Its primary tool is transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS).

Centre international de recherche en chronosomnologie | CIRCSom

Directeur : Patrice BOURGIN

Le CIRCSom étudie les mécanismes de régulation du sommeil et de la vigilance, de l’enfance au vieillissement, y compris chez des patients avec troubles neuropsychiatriques sévères. Son équipe mène des protocoles chronobiologiques contrôlés pour analyser l’effet de la lumière, les régulations du sommeil et l’activité cérébrale par EEG.

Centre d’investigation neurocognitive et neuropsychologique | Ci2N (UMS 3489)

Directeur : André DUFOUR

Ci2N studies how the brain selects, integrates, and stores sensory information using physiological and electrophysiological measurements. Its research focuses in particular on cognitive aging, whether normal or pathological, through neuropsychological assessments and electroencephalography, combining clinical approaches with analyses of brain and peripheral nerve activity.

Chronobiotron (UAR 3415)

Directrice : Sophie REIBEL FOISSET

The Chronobiotron is a rodent housing and functional exploration platform, uniquely equipped for the study of biological rhythms—the set of mechanisms organisms use to anticipate and adapt to cyclic environmental changes.

ComptOpt - Behaviour and optogenetics

Directrice : Mélanie KREMER

The “Behavior and Optogenetics” platform (ComptOpt) studies rodent behavior in models of pain and psychiatric disorders, combining behavioral tests, surgeries, and genetic approaches. It develops methodologies, shares expertise, and addresses specific needs in the neurobiology of rhythms and sleep.

Imagerie, Robotique et Innovation en Santé | IRIS

Directeur : Michel DE MATHELIN

IRIS provides a technical platform and expertise in imaging and robotics, both clinical and preclinical, offering support in consulting, instrument development, MRI sequence development, the design and implementation of robotic assistance for medical and surgical procedures, and image processing. It serves the scientific community across fields from basic sciences to biomedical research.

Plateforme d'Imagerie du CRBS | PIC-STRA

Directeur : Jacky GOETZ

This 600 m² imaging platform provides users with multiple imaging systems (stereomicroscope, widefield, confocal), enabling multi-scale observation from whole small animals down to subcellular details. It offers various solutions for imaging fixed and live samples (videomicroscopy) and is equipped for image processing and analysis using software such as IMARIS, Fiji/ImageJ, ICY, and iLastik.

Plateforme d’imagerie in vitro (UAR 3156)

Responsables : Sylvette CHASSEROT-GOLAZ et Frank PFRIEGER

The expertise of the In Vitro Imaging platform focuses on the study of biological materials, including tissues and isolated cells, at both structural and ultrastructural levels. It also encompasses immunocytochemical visualization of molecules and phenotypic detection of gene expression.

Simian Laboratory Europe - Université de Strasbourg | SILABE

Directeur : Pascal ANCÉ

SILABE is a service platform at the University of Strasbourg dedicated to supporting scientific research on Non-Human Primates (NHP). Since its founding in 1978, it has focused on the behavioral study of socially housed NHPs and on species preservation. Today, its expertise enables it to offer a range of services to academic research institutions and the health industry, including housing, quarantine, animal supply, biological sampling, preclinical scientific studies, training, and consulting.