Nicolas Mallet

CNRS IMN - UMR 5293, University of Bordeaux

Title

Spatiotemporal dynamics and dependence on cortico-basal ganglia circuits for fine movement execution in rodents

Biosketch

My research is focused on the cortico-basal ganglia-thalamo-cortical loop and how these loops control movement execution. I have always studied these brain regions from a circuit perspective, looking at their activities both in normal conditions and in experimental models of Parkinsonism. My area of expertise lies in the field of the in vivo electrophysiological activity of these neuronal networks and their underlying connectivity (i.e. functional or anatomical). My interest has been to understand the neural mechanisms that generate normal motor programs in basal ganglia circuits and how these events are altered in movement disorders such as Parkinson’s disease. To tackle these questions, I use innovative and multidisciplinary strategies that rely on the combined use of experimental methods—such as: in vivo single or multi-site (128 channels) electrophysiological recordings, juxtacellular labeling, in vivo fiber photometry imaging, and optogenetic manipulations—applied to behaving rodents (i.e. rats or mice often executing a fine motor task).