Nathalie Spassky

Nathalie Spassky is a Research Director (DR INSERM) at the Institut de Biologie de l'École Normale Supérieure (IBENS), part of the Biology Department at École Normale Supérieure (ENS). Her research focuses on the roles of cilia in brain development and pathology, particularly in multiciliated ependymal cells. She leads a multidisciplinary team studying cilia formation, cell differentiation, and their impact on neural circuits.

Her work combines mouse molecular genetics, bioinformatics, biophysical approaches, and live-cell imaging to investigate ependymal cell development, centriole amplification, and ciliary function. Key projects include understanding centriole production in multiciliated cells, the interplay between cilia beating and cytoskeletal dynamics, and the role of mTORC1 signaling in brain ventricle morphogenesis.

Collaborations involve institutions such as CNRS, INSERM, and international partners. Her team includes postdoctoral researchers, PhD students, and engineers. Recent findings highlight mechanisms linking ciliary motility to actin network formation and centriole protection.

Scientific Contributions:

• Unveiled centriole amplification mechanisms in ependymal cells
• Discovered actin-based protection of centrioles from ciliary forces
• Linked mitotic oscillators to motile ciliogenesis

Future Directions: Exploring cytoskeletal modifications in early differentiation stages and their role in cell polarity and neural circuit formation.