Team members

Current

Alberto BACCI

DR CNRS & Team Leader

Alberto BACCI

DR CNRS & Team Leader


Biography
  • 1994: Masters’ Degree in Biological Sciences, Dept. of Physiology, University of Milano (Italy) – Ion channels and excitability of cortical neurons
  • 2000: Ph.D., Dept. of Pharmacology, University of Milano (Italy) – cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying formation of synapses; modulation of synaptogenesis and synaptic function by astrocytes
  • 1999 – 2005: Postdoctoral Fellow and Staff Scientist,  Dept. of Neurology at Stanford University (USA) – Physiology of cortical circuits
  • 2005 – 2011: Group Leader, European Brain Research Institute, Rome (Italy)
  • 2011 – Present: DR CNRS and Team Leader, ICM – Institut du Cerveau | Paris Brain Institute; Sorbonne Université, CNRS, INSERM, Paris (France)

I obtained my Masters' degree at the Dept. of Physiology, University of Milano (Italy) where I worked with Dr. Enzo Wanke on ion channels and excitability of cortical neurons. I then did my Ph.D. thesis (Ph.D. obtained in 2000) at the Dept. of Pharmacology of the University of Milano, under the direction of Dr. Michela Matteoli. During my Ph.D., I was interested in the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying formation of synapses and how astrocytes modulates synaptogenesis and synaptic function. In 1999, I moved to the Dept. of Neurology at Stanford University in the lab led by Drs. John R. Huguenard and David A. Prince to study the physiology of cortical circuits using electrophysiological approaches. I started working on fast synaptic inhibition and diversity of cortical interneurons. I worked at Stanford as a postdoctoral fellow (1999 - 2003) and as a staff scientist (2003 - 2005). In December 2005, I was awarded an Armenise - Harvard Career Development Award to start my laboratory at the newly established European Brain Research Institute in Rome, Italy. There, I setup my own laboratory and kept working on the inhibitory control of cortical microcircuits. In 2011, following competitive recruitment, I moved my laboratory at the Institut du Cerveau (ICM) in Paris as a senior group leader. In 2012 I obtained a DR position at the CNRS. From 2016 to 2018 I served as the scientific director of the ICM.

Joana LOURENÇO

PhD, CR Inserm

Joana LOURENÇO

Principal investigator, PhD, CR, INSERM

 

Biography
  • 2006 – 2010: Ph.D. in Cellular Biology with full credits and honours from the University of Coimbra, Portugal
  • 1999 – 2004: Biology degree with the classification of good from the University of Coimbra, Portugal

 

Research work

In the neocortex, sensory perception is achieved by a two-way communication between primary and associative cortices and is controlled by a rich diversity of GABAergic interneurons. In particular, perisomatic-targeting basket cells (BCs) form inhibitory synapses near the soma of the principal neurons (PNs). Plasticity of perisomatic inhibition mediated by parvalbumin (PV) interneurons can efficiently modulate the firing of PNs (Lourenço et al., 2014; 2020). Perisomatic inhibition, however, is not solely provided by PV interneurons but also by cholecystokinin (CCK)-expressing interneurons, which also express high levels of cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1). Yet, the function of this cell type within cortical circuits is elusive. Whether and how inhibition arising from CB1 basket cells can shape sensory information processing is a question that we are trying to tackle using a multidisciplinary approach. Understanding how different sources of perisomatic inhibition along with different neuromodulators shape PNs activity in vivo is at the center of my scientific interests.

Kathleen CHO

PhD, CR Inserm

Kathleen CHO

Principal Investigator, PhD, CR, Inserm

Biography
  • 2004-2009 : PhD in the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
  • 2000-2004 : BS in the Department of Neuroscience and BA in the Department of History, Brown University

Andrea AGUIRRE

Lab Manager, Ingenieur d’études

Andrea AGUIRRE

Lab manager

 

Biography
  • 2009 – 2012: Masters’ Degree (M2): “Biologie Intégrative: Physiologie et Neurosciences, Spécialité Neurosciences”. Mention: AB; Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 (UCBL); Lyon, France

 

Professional experiences:
  • July 2014 – Present: Ingénieur d’études, CDI. ICM, Paris; Team: “Cellular Physiology of Cortical Microcircuits” (Dr. Alberto Bacci)
  • March 2013 – June 2014: Cadre, CDD. Centre de recherche de neurosciences de Lyon, Lyon. Team: “Waking” (Dr. Jian-Sheng Lin)
  • Sept. 2012 – Feb. 2013: Ingénieur d’études, CDD. Centre de recherche de neurosciences de Lyon, Lyon. Team: “Waking” (Dr. Laurent Seugnet)

 

Skill
  • Surgical expertise: stereotaxic injections, in utero electroporation, monocular deprivation
  • Anatomy and imaging : confocal, apotome. FIJI
  • Wetlab expertise: freezing microtome, vibratome, IHC on floating slice

Javier ZORRILLA DE
SAN MARTIN

PostDoc, PhD

Javier ZORRILLA DE SAN MARTIN

PostDoc, PhD
Education
  • 2012: PhD in Biological Sciences - Instituto de Ingenieria Genetica y Biologia Molecular. INGEBI-CONICET. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
  • 2007: Licenciatura en Ciencias Biologicas - Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Biography
  • 2006 – 2007: Undergrad - “Auditory Physiology & Genetics” team - Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular INGEBI-CONICET.
  • 2007 – 2012: PhD - “Auditory Physiology & Genetics” team. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular INGEBI-CONICET.
  • 2012 – 2016: Postdoctoral fellow “Brain Physiology Laboratory” – Université Paris Descartes.
  • 2016 – Present: Postdoctoral fellow “Cellular physiology of cortical microcircuits” team. Paris Brain Institut – ICM.
Research
Trained in the biophysics of neuronal and synaptic physiology I study alterations of cortical neural circuits and their relationships with intellectual deficits in mouse models of Down syndrome.
Teaching

Angela Michela DE STASI

PostDoc, PhD

Angela Michela DE STASI

Postdoctorant, PhD


Biography
I am a cellular and systems neurophysiologist. I graduated from the University of Turin, Italy, and I got my PhD in Life and Humanoid Technology at the Italian Institute of Technologies in Genoa, Italy. During my Ph.D., I investigated the network dysfunctions in a mouse model of Severe Myoclonic Epilepsy of Infancy. For my postdoctoral training, I moved to France in the lab of Dr. A. Bacci at the Paris Brain Institute (ICM), where I focused my interest on the prefrontal cortex and how early life insults affect neuronal serotoninergic circuits. I routinely employ electrophysiological (patch-clamp) and imaging recordings in ex vivo and in vivo preparations. I have recently started a new project in collaboration with Drs. G. Mongillo (Institut de la Vision) and A. Bacci (ICM). This study aims to investigate the contribution of synaptic inhibition to the dynamic range of firing of single pyramidal neurons of the neocortex.

Keywords
Electrophysiology _ cortical circuits_ interneurons_ brain oscillations_prefrontal cortex_early life stress

Research interests
Network activities_inhibitory system_ brain diseases_cognitive brain functions

Nina SOTO

PhD student

Nina SOTO

PhD candidate


Biography
I completed my undergraduate studies in biology at Humboldt university in Berlin and my masters degree in medical neurosciences at Charite university of medicine. In my PhD I am studying alterations of local and long-range prefrontal-thalamic circuits after early life exposure to SSRI. I am eager to understand how serotonin transporter is involved in network formation and cognitive functions, and aim to combine experimental tools like invitro, and in-vivo electrophysiology, optogenetics and behavioural phenotyping with computational tools to contribute to our understanding in this area.

Adrianna NOZOWNIK

PhD student

Adrianna NOZOWNIK

PhD student

 

Biography

During my Masters in Biology, obtained in 2021 from University of Hamburg in Germany, I worked in Simon Wiegert’s lab. Since May 2022 I moved not only from Hamburg to Paris, but also from characterizing inhibitory optogenetic tools to characterizing inhibitory interneurons in Alberto Bacci’s lab. The idea behind the project is to understand better the integration of contextual information with visual information which is a process to create perception. For this, I investigate the properties of cortical Layer 1 interneurons that express the Cannabinoid receptor Type-1 and the associated plasticity and microcircuit to assess their putative role in gating inputs onto pyramidal cells of the primary visual cortex. Using in vitro electrophysiology, in vivo two-photon imaging and recording of spontaneous behaviors, I aim to characterize this CB1 positive population within the diverse types of Layer 1 interneurons and their contribution to primary visual cortex activity during the perception of visual inputs.

Faezeh RABBANI

Ingénieur d’études

  • Faezeh RABBANI

    Ingenieur d’études

    I studied Cellular Molecular Biology at the University of Tehran, Iran. After joining Rodent Electrophysiology Laboratory at the Institute for Research In Fundamental Sciences (IPM) as a research assistant, I decided to study for My master's in Computational Neuroscience. To this aim, I joined the CNN master's program at Paris Saclay university. I did my master's project on Cortical mechanisms of sensorimotor learning using a deep-learning framework on the electrophysiology data from a closed-loop BMI setup at the NeuroPSI institute under the supervision of Valerie ego Stengel. Now I am currently a data engineer in Alberto Bacci's team at the Paris Brain Institute.

Killian ABRASSART

PhD student

Killian ABRASSART

PhD Student

I earned my Master's degree in Biology with a specialization in Cellular and Integrative Neuroscience in 2023 from Sorbonne University in Paris. During this period, I worked with Véronique Marchand-Pauvert to identify a biomarker related to Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). This experience motivated me to transition from pre-clinical to more fundamental research. As part of my Ph.D. program, I am investigating how the endogenous presence or absence of perineuronal nets (PNN) expression around parvalbumin-positive (PV) cells in two adjacent visual cortical regions, V1 and V2m, can confer distinct electrophysiological properties. My research project will involve ex-vivo electrophysiological recordings with electrical and optogenetic thalamocortical stimulations, immunohistochemistry, and in-vivo recording.

Nathan MALLET

PhD student

Nathan MALLET

PhD student

I studied in the Biology Department at ENS Paris-Saclay from 2019 to 2023. In 2022, I obtained my master's degree at Sorbonne in Integrative Biology and Physiology with a focus on neuroscience. For my master's internship, I worked in Rebecca Piskorowski's and Vivien Chevaleyre's lab, using slice electrophysiology to study synaptic plasticity in area CA2 of the hippocampus. With the goal of expanding my skills in the in vivo field, I then joined the Sabatini lab at Harvard Medical School, where I used fiber photometry to measure changes in dopamine release during adolescence in mice. In September 2023, I joined the Bacci lab as a PhD student. I study the role of a subpopulation of VIP interneurons expressing the Cannabinoid receptor Type 1 in the V1 cortex. This subpopulation could be crucial in generating spontaneous activity in this area, such as activity induced by locomotion or arousal. Combining my previous experiences with in vivo and in vitro techniques, my project involves ex vivo electrophysiology and in vivo calcium imaging.

AlbertoBacciBW

Alberto BACCI

DR CNRS & Team Leader

Alberto BACCI

DR CNRS & Team Leader


Biography
  • 1994: Masters’ Degree in Biological Sciences, Dept. of Physiology, University of Milano (Italy) – Ion channels and excitability of cortical neurons
  • 2000: Ph.D., Dept. of Pharmacology, University of Milano (Italy) – cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying formation of synapses; modulation of synaptogenesis and synaptic function by astrocytes
  • 1999 – 2005: Postdoctoral Fellow and Staff Scientist,  Dept. of Neurology at Stanford University (USA) – Physiology of cortical circuits
  • 2005 – 2011: Group Leader, European Brain Research Institute, Rome (Italy)
  • 2011 – Present: DR CNRS and Team Leader, ICM – Institut du Cerveau | Paris Brain Institute; Sorbonne Université, CNRS, INSERM, Paris (France)

I obtained my Masters' degree at the Dept. of Physiology, University of Milano (Italy) where I worked with Dr. Enzo Wanke on ion channels and excitability of cortical neurons. I then did my Ph.D. thesis (Ph.D. obtained in 2000) at the Dept. of Pharmacology of the University of Milano, under the direction of Dr. Michela Matteoli. During my Ph.D., I was interested in the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying formation of synapses and how astrocytes modulates synaptogenesis and synaptic function. In 1999, I moved to the Dept. of Neurology at Stanford University in the lab led by Drs. John R. Huguenard and David A. Prince to study the physiology of cortical circuits using electrophysiological approaches. I started working on fast synaptic inhibition and diversity of cortical interneurons. I worked at Stanford as a postdoctoral fellow (1999 - 2003) and as a staff scientist (2003 - 2005). In December 2005, I was awarded an Armenise - Harvard Career Development Award to start my laboratory at the newly established European Brain Research Institute in Rome, Italy. There, I setup my own laboratory and kept working on the inhibitory control of cortical microcircuits. In 2011, following competitive recruitment, I moved my laboratory at the Institut du Cerveau (ICM) in Paris as a senior group leader. In 2012 I obtained a DR position at the CNRS. From 2016 to 2018 I served as the scientific director of the ICM.

joana (1)

Joana LOURENÇO

PI, PhD, CR2, Inserm

Joana LOURENÇO

Principal investigator, PhD, CR2, INSERM


Biography
  • 2006 – 2010: Ph.D. in Cellular Biology with full credits and honours from the University of Coimbra, Portugal
  • 1999 – 2004: Biology degree with the classification of good from the University of Coimbra, Portugal

Research work
In the neocortex, sensory perception is achieved by a two-way communication between primary and associative cortices and is controlled by a rich diversity of GABAergic interneurons. In particular, perisomatic-targeting basket cells (BCs) form inhibitory synapses near the soma of the principal neurons (PNs). Plasticity of perisomatic inhibition mediated by parvalbumin (PV) interneurons can efficiently modulate the firing of PNs (Lourenço et al., 2014; 2020). Perisomatic inhibition, however, is not solely provided by PV interneurons but also by cholecystokinin (CCK)-expressing interneurons, which also express high levels of cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1). Yet, the function of this cell type within cortical circuits is elusive. Whether and how inhibition arising from CB1 basket cells can shape sensory information processing is a question that we are trying to tackle using a multidisciplinary approach. Understanding how different sources of perisomatic inhibition along with different neuromodulators shape PNs activity in vivo is at the center of my scientific interests.

kathleen (1)

Kathleen CHO

PI, PhD, CR1, Inserm

Kathleen CHO

Principal Investigator, PhD, CR1, Inserm

 

Biography
  • 2004-2009 : PhD in the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
  • 2000-2004 : BS in the Department of Neuroscience and BA in the Department of History, Brown University

laurence1

Laurence CATHALA

PI, PhD, MCU, Sorbonne Uni.

Laurence CATHALA

PI, PhD, MCU, Sorbonne Uni.

 

Biography
  • 2006 – 2010: Ph.D. in Cellular Biology with full credits and honours from the University of Coimbra, Portugal
  • 1999 – 2004: Biology degree with the classification of good from the University of Coimbra, Portugal

 

Research work

In the neocortex, sensory perception is achieved by a two-way communication between primary and associative cortices and is controlled by a rich diversity of GABAergic interneurons. In particular, perisomatic-targeting basket cells (BCs) form inhibitory synapses near the soma of the principal neurons (PNs). Plasticity of perisomatic inhibition mediated by parvalbumin (PV) interneurons can efficiently modulate the firing of PNs (Lourenço et al., 2014; 2020). Perisomatic inhibition, however, is not solely provided by PV interneurons but also by cholecystokinin (CCK)-expressing interneurons, which also express high levels of cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1). Yet, the function of this cell type within cortical circuits is elusive. Whether and how inhibition arising from CB1 basket cells can shape sensory information processing is a question that we are trying to tackle using a multidisciplinary approach. Understanding how different sources of perisomatic inhibition along with different neuromodulators shape PNs activity in vivo is at the center of my scientific interests.

andrea1

Andrea AGUIRRE

Lab manager

Andrea AGUIRRE

Lab manager

 

Biography
  • 2009 – 2012: Masters’ Degree (M2): “Biologie Intégrative: Physiologie et Neurosciences, Spécialité Neurosciences”. Mention: AB; Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 (UCBL); Lyon, France

 

Professional experiences:
  • July 2014 – Present: Ingénieur d’études, CDI. ICM, Paris; Team: “Cellular Physiology of Cortical Microcircuits” (Dr. Alberto Bacci)
  • March 2013 – June 2014: Cadre, CDD. Centre de recherche de neurosciences de Lyon, Lyon. Team: “Waking” (Dr. Jian-Sheng Lin)
  • Sept. 2012 – Feb. 2013: Ingénieur d’études, CDD. Centre de recherche de neurosciences de Lyon, Lyon. Team: “Waking” (Dr. Laurent Seugnet)

 

Skill
  • Surgical expertise: stereotaxic injections, in utero electroporation, monocular deprivation
  • Anatomy and imaging : confocal, apotome. FIJI
  • Wetlab expertise: freezing microtome, vibratome, IHC on floating slice

Picture15

Javier ZORRILLA DE SAN MARTIN

PostDoc, PhD

Javier ZORRILLA DE SAN MARTIN

PostDoc, PhD


Education
  • 2012: PhD in Biological Sciences - Instituto de Ingenieria Genetica y Biologia Molecular. INGEBI-CONICET. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
  • 2007: Licenciatura en Ciencias Biologicas - Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Biography
  • 2006 – 2007: Undergrad - “Auditory Physiology & Genetics” team - Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular INGEBI-CONICET.
  • 2007 – 2012: PhD - “Auditory Physiology & Genetics” team. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular INGEBI-CONICET.
  • 2012 – 2016: Postdoctoral fellow “Brain Physiology Laboratory” – Université Paris Descartes.
  • 2016 – Present: Postdoctoral fellow “Cellular physiology of cortical microcircuits” team. Paris Brain Institut – ICM.

Research

Trained in the biophysics of neuronal and synaptic physiology I study alterations of cortical neural circuits and their relationships with intellectual deficits in mouse models of Down syndrome.


Teaching

angela

Angela DE STASI

PostDoc, PhD

Angela Michela DE STASI

Postdoctorant, PhD


Biography
I am a cellular and systems neurophysiologist. I graduated from the University of Turin, Italy, and I got my PhD in Life and Humanoid Technology at the Italian Institute of Technologies in Genoa, Italy. During my Ph.D., I investigated the network dysfunctions in a mouse model of Severe Myoclonic Epilepsy of Infancy. For my postdoctoral training, I moved to France in the lab of Dr. A. Bacci at the Paris Brain Institute (ICM), where I focused my interest on the prefrontal cortex and how early life insults affect neuronal serotoninergic circuits. I routinely employ electrophysiological (patch-clamp) and imaging recordings in ex vivo and in vivo preparations. I have recently started a new project in collaboration with Drs. G. Mongillo (Institut de la Vision) and A. Bacci (ICM). This study aims to investigate the contribution of synaptic inhibition to the dynamic range of firing of single pyramidal neurons of the neocortex.

Keywords
Electrophysiology _ cortical circuits_ interneurons_ brain oscillations_prefrontal cortex_early life stress

Research interests
Network activities_inhibitory system_ brain diseases_cognitive brain functions

Fani KOUKOULI

PostDoc

Fani KOUKOULI

PostDoc


Education
  • 2016: PhD in Neuroscience - International Pasteur Paris University Doctoral Program (PPU)/Department of Neuroscience, Sorbonne University (UPMC, Ed3C), Paris, France.
  • 2011: Master’s in biotechnology/Molecular Diagnosis, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, School of Pharmacy, Thessaloniki, Greece
  • 2009: Doctor of Pharmacy, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, School of Pharmacy, Thessaloniki, Greece
 
Biography
I graduated as a Doctor of Pharmacy from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, where I then got a Master of Science in Biotechnology and Molecular Diagnosis specializing in neurodegenerative diseases. In 2012, I was admitted with a fellowship to the Pasteur Paris University International Doctoral Program (PPU) in the Integrative Neurobiology of Cholinergic Systems laboratory. During my PhD, I investigated the role of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in prefrontal cortex spontaneous neuronal activity, and I identified how a human polymorphism linked to nicotine addiction and schizophrenia contributes to reduced brain activity (Koukouli et al. Nature Medicine 2017). During a first post-doctoral training at the Pasteur Institute, I focused on the impairments of the functional neuronal activity in Alzheimer’s disease and showed that distinct nicotinic receptors are an early target of the amyloid beta peptide. Since 2019, I am a senior post-doc at the Paris Brain Institute (ICM) in the team “Cellular physiology of cortical microcircuits”. My research focuses on the role of an elusive inhibitory neuron type, cannabinoid receptor type 1 interneurons, in primary and secondary cortices and their role in locomotion and visual processing (Koukouli, Montmerle et al. Cell Reports 2022). For my projects, I am performing in vivo two-photon calcium imaging in awake mice and slice electrophysiology techniques. For my research, I received the thesis award “Gandy” specializing in Science of the Chancellery of the Sorbonne Universities of Paris in 2017, the Biomedical Science Research award UNAFAM 2017 from the French Ministry of Health in Paris, the L’Oréal-UNESCO for Women in Science award in 2017 and recently the Young Scientists Prize 2020 of the Fondation des Treilles.

Picture6

Nina SOTO

PhD student

Nina SOTO

PhD candidate


Biography
I completed my undergraduate studies in biology at Humboldt university in Berlin and my masters degree in medical neurosciences at Charite university of medicine. In my PhD I am studying alterations of local and long-range prefrontal-thalamic circuits after early life exposure to SSRI. I am eager to understand how serotonin transporter is involved in network formation and cognitive functions, and aim to combine experimental tools like invitro, and in-vivo electrophysiology, optogenetics and behavioural phenotyping with computational tools to contribute to our understanding in this area.

adrianna

Adrianna NOZOWNIK

PhD student

Adrianna NOZOWNIK

PhD student

 

Biography

During my Masters in Biology, obtained in 2021 from University of Hamburg in Germany, I worked in Simon Wiegert’s lab. Since May 2022 I moved not only from Hamburg to Paris, but also from characterizing inhibitory optogenetic tools to characterizing inhibitory interneurons in Alberto Bacci’s lab. The idea behind the project is to understand better the integration of contextual information with visual information which is a process to create perception. For this, I investigate the properties of cortical Layer 1 interneurons that express the Cannabinoid receptor Type-1 and the associated plasticity and microcircuit to assess their putative role in gating inputs onto pyramidal cells of the primary visual cortex. Using in vitro electrophysiology, in vivo two-photon imaging and recording of spontaneous behaviors, I aim to characterize this CB1 positive population within the diverse types of Layer 1 interneurons and their contribution to primary visual cortex activity during the perception of visual inputs.

FaezehRabbani_02

Faezeh RABBANI

Ingénieur d’études

Fani KOUKOULI

PostDoc


Education
  • 2016: PhD in Neuroscience - International Pasteur Paris University Doctoral Program (PPU)/Department of Neuroscience, Sorbonne University (UPMC, Ed3C), Paris, France.
  • 2011: Master’s in biotechnology/Molecular Diagnosis, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, School of Pharmacy, Thessaloniki, Greece
  • 2009: Doctor of Pharmacy, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, School of Pharmacy, Thessaloniki, Greece
 
Biography
I graduated as a Doctor of Pharmacy from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, where I then got a Master of Science in Biotechnology and Molecular Diagnosis specializing in neurodegenerative diseases. In 2012, I was admitted with a fellowship to the Pasteur Paris University International Doctoral Program (PPU) in the Integrative Neurobiology of Cholinergic Systems laboratory. During my PhD, I investigated the role of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in prefrontal cortex spontaneous neuronal activity, and I identified how a human polymorphism linked to nicotine addiction and schizophrenia contributes to reduced brain activity (Koukouli et al. Nature Medicine 2017). During a first post-doctoral training at the Pasteur Institute, I focused on the impairments of the functional neuronal activity in Alzheimer’s disease and showed that distinct nicotinic receptors are an early target of the amyloid beta peptide. Since 2019, I am a senior post-doc at the Paris Brain Institute (ICM) in the team “Cellular physiology of cortical microcircuits”. My research focuses on the role of an elusive inhibitory neuron type, cannabinoid receptor type 1 interneurons, in primary and secondary cortices and their role in locomotion and visual processing (Koukouli, Montmerle et al. Cell Reports 2022). For my projects, I am performing in vivo two-photon calcium imaging in awake mice and slice electrophysiology techniques. For my research, I received the thesis award “Gandy” specializing in Science of the Chancellery of the Sorbonne Universities of Paris in 2017, the Biomedical Science Research award UNAFAM 2017 from the French Ministry of Health in Paris, the L’Oréal-UNESCO for Women in Science award in 2017 and recently the Young Scientists Prize 2020 of the Fondation des Treilles.

Alumni

Permanent Researchers

  • Laurence Cathala (Sorbonne Univ.)  – Presently at Univ. of Colorado

Postdocs

  • Silvia Marinelli (when @EBRI, Rome, Italy)
  • Pablo Mendez (when @EBRI, Rome, Italy)
  • Frédéric Manseau (when @EBRI, Rome, Italy)
  • Antonio Pazienti (when @EBRI, Rome, Italy)
  • Geeske van Woerden
  • Carolina Cabezas
  • Camille Allene
  • Charlotte Deleuze
  • Fani Koukouli

Ph.D. students

  • Simone Pacioni (when @EBRI, Rome, Italy)
  • Sofia Baptista (Univ. Coimbra, Portugal)
  • Giulia Faini
  • Martin Montmerle
  • Cristina Donato
  • Lucie Gallet
  • Angelo Molinaro (visiting, Univ. Firenze, Italy)

Undergraduate students

  • Matthieu Trigano (M1)
  • Jérémy Peixoto (M2)
  • Aloys Mercier (M2)
  • Salomé Guez (M2)
  • Valerija Kello (M2)
  • Vikash Choudhary (M1 & M2)
  • Mariama Aboudou (M1)
  • Hippolyte Dreyfus (M1)
  • Clara Bouttier (M1)
  • Elsa Prigent (L1)

Technical staff and engineers

  • Simone Pacioni (when @EBRI, Rome, Italy)
  • Rosalba Tafi (when @EBRI, Rome, Italy)
  • Caroline Mailhes
  • Emmanuelle Berthaux

Postdocs

  • Silvia Marinelli (when @EBRI, Rome, Italy)
  • Pablo Mendez (when @EBRI, Rome, Italy)
  • Frédéric Manseau (when @EBRI, Rome, Italy)
  • Antonio Pazienti (when @EBRI, Rome, Italy)
  • Geeske van Woerden
  • Carolina Cabezas
  • Camille Allene
  • Charlotte Deleuze

Ph.D. students

  • Simone Pacioni (when @EBRI, Rome, Italy)
  • Sofia Baptista (Univ. Coimbra, Portugal)
  • Giulia Faini
  • Martin Montmerle
  • Cristina Donato
  • Lucie Gallet
  • Angelo Molinaro (visiting, Univ. Firenze, Italy)

Undergraduate students

  • Matthieu Trigano (M1)
  • Jérémy Peixoto (M2)
  • Aloys Mercier (M2)
  • Salomé Guez (M2)
  • Valerija Kello (M2)
  • Vikash Choudhary (M1 & M2)
  • Mariama Aboudou (M1)
  • Hippolyte Dreyfus (M1)
  • Clara Bouttier (M1)
  • Elsa Prigent (L1)

Technical staff and engineers

  • Simone Pacioni (when @EBRI, Rome, Italy)
  • Rosalba Tafi (when @EBRI, Rome, Italy)
  • Caroline Mailhes
Lab life
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Bacci Lab

Institut du Cerveau / Paris Brain Institute ● ICM
Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière
47 boulevard de l’Hôpital, 75013 Paris

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