And we have a new doctor in the @faurelab.bsky.social : Maria Ciscato!

Auguri per il tuo dottorato!

@espciparispsl.bsky.social @psl-univ.bsky.social

By blocking this β4-specific nicotine-induced IPN activation, we observed enhanced VTA responses and increased rewarding effects in a conditioned place preference paradigm. This suggests the IPN's role in regulating drug intake.

Our findings show that nicotine simultaneously activates and inhibits distinct IPN neuron populations. β4-containing nAChRs mediate only the activation response, highlighting their specific role.

We developed a "suicide" antagonist that selectively targets β4 nAChRs in genetically modified mice. This approach enables sustained and pharmacologically specific antagonism, crucial for studying nicotine's effects during electrophysiology, fiber photometry and behavior tasks.

I learned a lot about the current African research scene at the event, particularly the important work on natural compounds with pharmacological potential. Additionally, Khalid El Allali's lab in Rabat is doing cool work using EEG recordings to study sleep patterns in camels!
#SONA2025

It was great to have been able to present my latest work on photopharmacology at the Society of Neuroscientists of Africa meeting #SONA2025 in Marrakech.
Hope this will lead to future collaborations – will make sure to attend the next edition!