معرفی
Sonia Garel is a Professor at the Collège de France and heads a research team at the Institut de biologie de l'École normale supérieure (ENS) in Paris. She specializes in developmental neurobiology and brain-immune system interactions. Elected to the Scientific Council of Paris in 2021, her work bridges fundamental neuroscience and neurodevelopmental disorders.
Education
- Engineering: AgroParisTech
- Ph.D. in Molecular/Cellular Neurobiology: Paris-Sorbonne University
- Postdoctoral Research: University of California, San Francisco (UCSF)
Research Focus
Garel investigates how neuronal circuits form during embryonic development and early life, emphasizing microglia (brain immune cells) and their roles in neural wiring. Her lab revealed microglia's involvement in:
- Prenatal inflammation impacts on neurodevelopment
- Gut microbiota-brain communication pathways
- Sex-specific responses to environmental changes
Awards
- ERC Consolidator Grant (2012)
- EMBO Membership (2018)
- Chevalière de l’ordre national du Mérite (2016)
- Antoine Lacassagne Prize (2014)
- NRJ-Institut de France Foundation Prize (2020)
Leadership
She leads the Brain Development and Immunity Team at ENS, exploring how immune mechanisms shape neural architecture. Her group studies environmental influences on microglia, with implications for autism and schizophrenia research.
