The goal of the IPNP is to conduct leading-edge basic and translational research in psychiatry and neuroscience. For this purpose, the IPNP brings together cutting-edge experimental techniques and advanced methodologies to reach a mechanistic understanding of biological processes in the healthy brain and in neurological and psychiatric-related diseases.
The teams address projects in and be assigned to the following scientific domains:
1/ Neuro-Development and Psychiatry : including the teams Angulo, Chevaleyre/Piskorowski, Galli, Gorwood, Krebs, Oppenheim, Pierani, Rebholz
2/ Memory, Behavior and Emotions : including the teams Chevaleyre/Piskorowski, Galli, Gorwood, Krebs, Rebholz
3/ Neuro-Vascular System : including the teams Joutel, Lenkei, Mas, Oppenheim
4/ Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms in Aging Brain : including the teams Galli, Hanus, Lenkei, van Niel.
To this end, teams use multidisciplinary approaches such as genetics, epigenetics, biochemistry, biophysics, cell biology, developmental biology, electrophysiology, neurovascular physiology, optogenetics, behavior, brain imaging, clinical neuroscience, innovative therapeutics and pharmacology.
To reach a high level in research and innovation activities, researchers benefit from active investment in common services and facilities, including modern rodent facility, a zebrafish aquarium, microscopy, bioinformatics, electrophysiology and fUS, biochemistry and biophysics technological core platforms (IPNP tech core). Furthermore, multidisciplinary research is reinforced by local collaborations with clinicians in psychiatry, neurovascular diseases, brain tumors and brain imaging.
The unit is structured based on:
-technological core facilities (IPNP tech core): Animal House, NeurImag, ElfUS, PhenoBrain and B&B
-four scientific domains/pillars:
1/ Neuro-Development and Psychiatry : including the teams Angulo, Chevaleyre/Piskorowski, Galli, Gorwood, Krebs, Oppenheim, Pierani
2/ Memory, Behavior and Emotions : including the teams Chevaleyre/Piskorowski, Galli, Gorwood, Krebs
3/ Neuro-Vascular System : including the teams Joutel, Lenkei, Mas, Oppenheim
4/ Intracellular Trafficking, Cytoskeleton and Intercellular Communication in Aging Brain: including the teams Galli, Hanus, Lenkei, van Niel.
-and the following cross-cutting domains:
Brain Tumors with both clinical and basic research,
Multiscale Imaging from molecules to whole brain,
Translational Neuropsychiatry
GR (Groupe de Réflexion) or Reflection Group is intended to be a Think Thank aka Club of experts brought together to develop ideas on a particular subject and make suggestions for action. At IPNP, GRs are intellectual and creative platforms of our institute, where science gets incubated. They are open to any member of the unit who wants to know more, share data, know-how, ideas or just listen to what is going on in the particular field.
The Aims :
GRs at IPNP are bringing together researchers (students, postdoc, researchers, technicians) in common scientific, medical and/or technical interests. Discussions can be informal or formal, depending on the will of participants. They should involve several teams. Outcomes of GRs may result in common grant applications, identification of a technical need for the institute,
building of a symposium or proposal for a new workshop. GR are free to invite people outside the unit for a seminar or discussion. GRs are the perfect forum to be actively implicated in the scientific life of the unit.
The different GRs :
Today we have 7 GRs:
• GR 1 Neuro-Development and Psychiatry
• GR 2 Memory, Behaviour and Emotions
• GR 3 Neuro-Vascular System
• GR 4 Multiscale imaging from molecules to whole brain
• GR 5 Translational Neuropsychiatry
• GR 6 Intracellular trafficking, unconventional secretions
and intercellular communication
• GR 7 Brain Tumors
These seven GRs were built during the process of the creation of the new institute and have greatly accelerated and strengthened the links between the teams. However, the number and topics of GR are not fixed and new GRs could be built upon request.
The first success of the GRs :
The GRs were already very active and implicated in the set-up of the institute in which new and historical teams worked together and successfully obtained important grants such as Leducq Fondation, DIM Cerveau et Pensée and DIM Elicit.