Nouveaux chercheurs

Au cours de ses différentes expériences professionnelles, Valérie Jolivel a pu développer un profil de neuroimmunologiste. Durant sa thèse (Université de Rouen), elle a acquis une expertise dans le domaine de la neuro-dégénérescence neuronale. Initialement focalisée sur l'ischémie cérébrale, elle s'est élargie à l'étude de la sclérose en plaques (SEP) lors de son premier post-doctorat (Université de Mayence, Allemagne). Durant cette période, elle a également pu s'intéresser à la participation du système immunitaire au développement des pathologies neurologiques par l’étude des cellules dendritiques et microgliales. Pendant un deuxième post-doctorat (Université de Bordeaux), elle a complété et approfondi ses connaissances en immunologie notamment en étudiant le rôle du système immunitaire lors du développement fibrotique.

Son projet de recherche actuel vise à comprendre l’activation microgliale précoce qui est retrouvée avant l’apparition des lésions démyélinisantes dans la SEP. En s’appuyant sur les expertises du laboratoire d’accueil (INSERM U1119), elle s’intéresse également à la modulation des fonctions de la microglie par le neurostéroïde alloprégnanolone, un candidat pour le traitement de la SEP.

After a PhD at Barcelona (2006-2009, Laboratory at University of Barcelona, Department of Genetic, Spain. Mentor: Dr. P. Martinez-Serra) where I have described the entire nervous system in a flatworm at the microscopic level, I have got 3 successive post-doctoral positions. Through these years, I was exploring the development of the cerebral cortex at different levels: genomic, epigenomic, molecular and cellular, in both animal and human models. During that time, I specialized in the study of intracellular transport in cortical and motor neurons and its link with malformation of cerebral development and have acquired strong expertise in in/ex vivo electroporation, molecular biology, transcriptional regulation, in silico analysis and microscopy.

During the first post doctoral position (2009-2012, Laboratory “Development & Evolution of the Forebrain” CNRS UMR9197, Gif-surYvette, France. Mentor: Dr. S. Retaux), I have identified the cis-regulatory mechanism of the cortical progenitor identity in mouse embryos. These results suggested a strong regulation of DNA. That is why during my second postdoctoral position I have studied the consequences of DNA breaks during brain development (2012-2017, Laboratory of RadioProtection, CEA Fontenay-aux-Roses, France. Mentor: Dr. F. Boussin. During that time, I have developed behavioral assays in rodents and showed that DNA breaks lead to mental deficits. From here, I have been interested in human brain developmental disorders. For that reason, I have joined the laboratory of A Pierani at Institut Imagine (2017-2019, Laboratory “Genetic & Development of the Cerebral Cortex” at “Institut Imagine”, Hôpital Necker-Enfants Malades, INSERMU1163. Paris, France. Mentors: Dr. N. Bahi-Buisson), where I have studied malformation of cerebral development, especially diseases caused by mutations of dynein1, that is a motor protein involved intracellular transport. Since Sept I am working as assistant professor at “Institut des Neurosciences cellulaires et integratives” (INCI, CNRS UPR3212) that is directed by Michel Barrot and especially I joined the Team “Light, Vision & Brain” that is co-directed by M-P Felder & F Pfrieger. I am now investigating how the circadian system regulates the transcriptional program that is involved in the intracellular transport in the retina. The hypothesis is the circadian regulation of genes involved in dynein-dependent intracellular transport triggers cyclic photoreceptor morphogenesis. Especially, I aim to decipher transcriptional regulation of those genes and thus find new insights into genomic regulation of POS renewal. To do so, my project is divided into 3 steps:

• Identify transport-related genes regulated by the retinal circadian clock
• Characterize their role in rhythmic intracellular transport in photoreceptors
• Establish the cis-regulatory network associated with intracellular transport

Besides, I am looking for collaborations with people having expertises in epigenetic methodologies, retinal organoids, applied mathematics and cell physics.

Schema of the project research "understand how the circadian system regulates the transcriptional program that is involved in the dynein-dependent intracellular transport in the retina during the photoreceptor outer segment morphogenesis"