Opening lecture by Prof. Sonia Garel

In this portrait from the Collège de France CourTs series, she presents her research and teaching activities.

Sonia Garel's neurobiology research focuses on the interactions between brain development, particularly during embryogenesis and the postnatal stage, and the immune system. They focus in particular on the study of immune cells, the microglia, which migrate early into the brain during development to play the role of immune sentinels, and participate in the construction of brain circuits. These cells are highly sensitive to the environmental signals that surround them, and play a key role in cross-interactions between the nervous and immune systems. Studying them helps us to better understand the development of certain neurological diseases, such as Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative disorders, as well as how the brain regulates our immune system.

In contrast to a neurocentric approach to the brain that would isolate it from the body's other functions, Sonia Garel places brain dynamics within a broader interaction with all physiological functions and the environment. Based on cutting-edge research in neurobiology, this comprehensive understanding puts into perspective both the promises and uncertainties surrounding the development of new therapeutic approaches to brain pathologies.