Manzoni Olivier

Biography

His research focuses on the role of hub proteins/supramolecular complexes in the etiology of neuropsychiatric diseases. Our research strategy is to analyze the mechanisms and the functions of synaptic signalosome in neuronal integration in pathophysiological conditions using animal model of neuropsychiatric diseases (depression, mental retardation, autism, drug addiction). Major neuropsychiatric disorders including mental retardation, autism, schizophrenia, depression and addiction are accompanied by alterations of the very substrates of the neural code. At the synaptic level, the neural code is processed by postsynaptic molecular machines made of macromolecular complexes complexes of interacting proteins organized into a scale-free network. The “small world” nature of multiprotein complexes implies highly organized interconnected structures where changes in one protein can readily alter the functions of many others. Therefore, proteins with the higher number of connections, the so-called “hub proteins” are of particular significance to network integrity and synaptic plasticity.

Research Interest

Neurology