Cellular and Systems Neurobiology

The Dierssen lab is centred on understanding cognition and behaviour and their perturbation in intellectual disability. Our main question is:

What are the changes in neuronal architecture and connectivity that disrupt cortical and hippocampal function, in genetic cognitive disorders? In other words, what is the multi-scale link from molecular alterations to impaired cognition and behaviour?

We are an interdisciplinary team of physicists, bioinformatics and experimental biologists, and we focus on data collection (behaviour, 3D imaging, genomic data) of many variables of the system (longitudinal behavioural analysis, population based analysis in neuronal networks, gene expression patterns). We take advantage of computer modelling and bioinformatics analysis (gene networks, neuronal network modelling, etc.) to tackling classical unresolved questions in the field, such as: (a) pathological disturbances of structural optimality in single cell and neuronal networks, (b) genomic dependence of cognitive disturbances, (c) identification of predictive non-invasive biomarkers, (d) discovery of pro-cognitive therapies, (e) cellular mechanisms of memory formation.

• Modelling micro-anatomical and network properties of cognition-related brain systems
• Exploring molecular mechanisms of pro-cognitive therapies
• Discovering common mechanisms across neuropsychiatric diseases

De Toma I, … , Dierssen M.
“Overweight Mice Show Coordinated Homeostatic and Hedonic Transcriptional Response across Brain.”
eNeuro, 5(6), 2018.

Espinosa-Carrasco J, … , Dierssen M, Notredame C.
“Pergola: Boosting Visualization and Analysis of Longitudinal Data by Unlocking Genomic Analysis Tools.”
iScience, 9:244-257, 2018.

Espinosa-Carrasco J, …, Dierssen M.
“Time-course and dynamics of obesity-related behavioral changes induced by energy-dense foods in mice.”
Addict Biol, 23(2):531-543, 2018.

Fructuoso M, … Dierssen M.
“Increased levels of inflammatory plasma markers and obesity risk in a mouse model of Down syndrome.”
Free Radic Biol Med, 114:122-130, 2018.