Elena Dossi

Brain functioning relies on the orchestrated interactions between different cell types at a molecular, cellular and network level. During my research career, I explored the complexity of cellular interactions at a network level, by studying neuronal network activity modulation in physiology and pathology. During my PhD, I focused on neuronal network activity in the context of neuroregeneration. After my PhD I joined Nathalie Rouach’s laboratory at Collège de France, where I developed a research on the role of astrocytes in the regulation of physiological and pathological network activity in live brain tissues from mice and humans. This research unraveled a crucial role for astroglial connexin and pannexin channels in orchestrating neuronal network activity patterns and synchronization in mice as well as epileptic activities in mice and human tissues from epileptic patients. To do so, I established in the laboratory multi-electrode array recordings of mice hippocampal slices and human cortical slices from postoperative tissue obtained after surgical resection in epileptic patients. I particularly showed that Px1 channels control seizure generation in humans with various epileptic conditions. I am actually investigating the contribution of astrocyte to human epilepsy to identify alternative targets for epilepsy treatments.