Thesis position – Investigating a neurodevelopmental origin of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

The team MotoPSyn (INCIA) is searching for a PhD student from fall 2025

About the project

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a devastating neurodegenerative disorder that has traditionally been characterized as an adult-onset condition. However, accumulating evidence indicates that its etiological roots may reside in early neurodevelopmental processes. This project is based on the hypothesis that a subset of ALS cases originates from subtle developmental anomalies that are initially compensated by the nervous system, but ultimately culminate in neurodegeneration. This hypothesis is supported by a pivotal finding demonstrating that administration of a specific pharmacological agent during rodent development can prevent the manifestation of ALS-like symptoms in a murine model. The proposed doctoral research aims to elucidate the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying this drug’s protective effect, utilizing both wild-type and genetically modified ALS mouse models. To this end, ex vivo patch-clamp electrophysiological recordings will be conducted on neonatal M1 pyramidal neurons, in conjunction with targeted pharmacological interventions. Complementary methodologies, including immunohistochemistry, confocal microscopy, and proteomic analyses, will be employed to further characterize the molecular pathways implicated in this developmental origin of ALS.

Proficiency in electrophysiology is strongly preferred.

Keywords :
• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
• Development
• ALS mouse models
• Primary motor cortex
• GABA switch

Funding: ARN OriginAL – Collaborator: Caroline Rouaux (Inserm U 1329 – Univ. of Strasbourg)

Location: 
INCIA
Bordeaux Biologie Santé Building
2 rue Hoffmann Martinot
Bordeaux

You wish to apply?

Kindly submit a cover letter along with your curriculum vitae to :
Pascal Branchereau

Starting date: October 1st, 2025