Neil M. Fournier

Neil M. Fournier is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at Trent University. His research focuses on understanding brain plasticity mechanisms and how aberrant changes contribute to neuropsychiatric and neurological conditions.

Dr. Fournier's educational background includes:

• B.Sc. from Laurentian University
• M.Sc. from Dalhousie University
• Ph.D. from the University of Saskatchewan
• Postdoctoral training at Yale University School of Medicine

Dr. Fournier's primary research focus is on understanding the mediators of brain plasticity that allow organisms to adapt to environmental challenges. His work specifically examines how aberrant changes in plasticity contribute to neuropsychiatric and neurological conditions. A core aspect of his research investigates adult neurogenesis in the hippocampus and how changes in this process impact behavior and diseases like depression and epilepsy. His laboratory also studies "learned safety" - the neural mechanisms involved in distinguishing safe from potentially threatening environments, which has implications for understanding anxiety, depression, and PTSD.

His laboratory employs a diverse range of methodologies including transgenic and viral vector-mediated manipulations, conditional/inducible knockout animals, cellular and molecular biological techniques, fluorescent stereology, confocal microscopy, and behavioral paradigms. This multi-faceted approach allows his team to investigate the transcriptional/cell-signaling events regulating neural stem cells, signals directing neuronal migration, and how the integration of adult-born neurons impacts behavior under normal and pathological states.

Dr. Fournier teaches several psychology courses including Brain and Behaviour (PSYC 2200H), Drugs and Behaviour (PSYC 3240H), and Sensation & Perception (PSYC 3460H). His research publications span topics in neuroscience, psychology, and neuropsychiatry, with a particular emphasis on hippocampal function, fear conditioning, neurogenesis, and the effects of stress and seizures on brain plasticity. His work demonstrates consistent contributions to understanding the neural basis of emotional processing, memory formation, and the development of neuropsychiatric disorders.

Dr. Fournier actively mentors undergraduate and graduate students in his laboratory, providing opportunities for motivated students to engage in cutting-edge neuroscience research. His work bridges basic neuroscience with clinical implications, particularly in understanding the mechanisms underlying depression, anxiety disorders, and epilepsy.

His laboratory is located in office LHS C135 at Trent University, and he can be contacted at neilfournier@trentu.ca.