Decoding the role of nuclear transport factors in subcellular communications to understand neuronal functions and disorders

Founded in 2023, Team 7 investigates how subcellular transport mechanisms shape neuronal function, brain development, and disease.

The team is led by Nicolas Panayotis, whose research combines expertise in neurodevelopmental disorders and neuronal transport. During his PhD at Aix-Marseille University and Inserm, he studied the consequences of MeCP2 deficiency in mouse models of Rett syndrome and contributed to preclinical therapeutic research. He then joined Mike Fainzilber’s laboratory at the Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel, where he focused on neuronal transport and nuclear signaling, uncovering new roles for importins in the central and peripheral nervous systems.

Building on this scientific trajectory, Team 7 focuses on how subcellular signaling contributes to brain development, neuronal functions, and neurodevelopmental disorders.

By combining molecular, cellular, and behavioral approaches, our goal is to uncover the fundamental principles governing intracellular transport in physiologically relevant neural networks. Ultimately, we aim to translate these insights into new therapeutic strategies for neurodevelopmental disorders, including Rett syndrome.

We are committed to fostering an interdisciplinary and collaborative research environment and welcome motivated students, postdoctoral researchers, engineers, and collaborators interested in understanding how intracellular communication shapes the nervous system.

Research areas: Nuclear transport · Importin signaling · Synaptic plasticity · Neuronal survival and regeneration · Neurodevelopmental disorders · Intracellular trafficking