CELLULAR & MOLECULAR RESEARCH GROUPS

 CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR DIVISION (CEMO)

The Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience division presently consists of seven research groups focused on advancing our understanding of the cellular and molecular bases of development, homeostasis, physiology and pathologies of the central and peripheral nervous systems.

Our research interests include the characterization of molecular mechanisms involved in the control of differentiation, migration, axonal growth, synaptogenesis and apoptosis during embryonic development of the brain and of the spinal cord, the physiology of neurons, strocytes, microglia, vascular tissue and diverse stem cells in normal or in pathological situations including Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis and neuro-muscular disorders such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, and the identification of new biomarkers in the cerebrospinal fluid.

Our experimental approaches include pharmacological, biochemical and advanced molecular biology techniques, neural cell cultures, cellular imaging, electrophysiology, development and phenotypic analysis of transgenic mice. Our laboratories accommodate more than 20 PhD students and 15 post-doctoral fellows who interact through seminars, conferences, PhD/postdoc days and social events ( that are organized both within our division and on an Institute-wide basis).