University of Exeter Medical School

Clémence Bernard

Clémence Bernard

Lecturer in Neuroscience

 C.Bernard@exeter.ac.uk

 Hatherly 

 

Hatherly Building, University of Exeter, Prince of Wales Road, Exeter, EX4 4PS, UK

Overview

Clem is a Lecturer in Neuroscience (E&R) within the Department of Clinical and Biomedical Sciences. She did her PhD studies in the lab of Alain Prochiantz at the Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology (Paris, France), working on how early experiences sculpt brain development. For her postdoc, she joined the Centre for Developmental Neurobiology (King’s College London) in the labs of Oscar Marín and Beatriz Rico, to study how interneurons wire into cortical networks. Her research interests lie in understanding the molecular bases of the specificity of neuronal wiring during brain development and miswiring in neurodevelopmental disorders, with a focus on post-transcriptional regulation.

Qualifications

  • PhD in Neurobiology, Université Pierre et Marie Curie (Paris, France)

Research group links

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Research

Research interests

The function of the mammalian cerebral cortex relies on the interaction between many different types of neurons, interconnected in a remarkably specific manner. This cortical circuitry represents one of the most complex biological systems, and so understanding the mechanisms that control its precise assembly is a major scientific challenge. Our goal is to elucidate the role of post-transcriptional processes – such as translation regulation – in the development and maturation of this wiring specificity. Our work will also provide insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying the connectivity defects and neurological manifestations of several neurodevelopmental disorders.

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Publications

Journal articles

Bernard C, Exposito-Alonso D, Selten M, Sanalidou S, Hanusz-Godoy A, Aguilera A, Hamid F, Oozeer F, Maeso P, Allison L, et al (2022). Cortical wiring by synapse type-specific control of local protein synthesis. Science, 378(6622). Abstract.  Author URL.
Sreenivasan V, Serafeimidou-Pouliou E, Exposito-Alonso D, Bercsenyi K, Bernard C, Bae S-E, Oozeer F, Hanusz-Godoy A, Edwards RH, Marín O, et al (2022). Input-specific control of interneuron numbers in nascent striatal networks. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 119(20). Abstract.  Author URL.
Planques A, Oliveira Moreira V, Benacom D, Bernard C, Jourdren L, Blugeon C, Dingli F, Masson V, Loew D, Prochiantz A, et al (2021). OTX2 Homeoprotein Functions in Adult Choroid Plexus. Int J Mol Sci, 22(16). Abstract.  Author URL.
Torero Ibad R, Mazhar B, Vincent C, Bernard C, Dégardin J, Simonutti M, Lamonerie T, Di Nardo AA, Prochiantz A, Moya KL, et al (2020). OTX2 Non-Cell Autonomous Activity Regulates Inner Retinal Function. eNeuro, 7(5). Abstract.  Author URL.
Exposito-Alonso D, Osório C, Bernard C, Pascual-García S, Del Pino I, Marín O, Rico B (2020). Subcellular sorting of neuregulins controls the assembly of excitatory-inhibitory cortical circuits. Elife, 9 Abstract.  Author URL.
Apulei J, Kim N, Testa D, Ribot J, Morizet D, Bernard C, Jourdren L, Blugeon C, Di Nardo AA, Prochiantz A, et al (2019). Non-cell Autonomous OTX2 Homeoprotein Regulates Visual Cortex Plasticity Through Gadd45b/g. Cereb Cortex, 29(6), 2384-2395. Abstract.  Author URL.
Lee HHC, Bernard C, Ye Z, Acampora D, Simeone A, Prochiantz A, Di Nardo AA, Hensch TK (2017). Genetic Otx2 mis-localization delays critical period plasticity across brain regions. Mol Psychiatry, 22(5), 680-688. Abstract.  Author URL.
Bernard C, Vincent C, Testa D, Bertini E, Ribot J, Di Nardo AA, Volovitch M, Prochiantz A (2016). A Mouse Model for Conditional Secretion of Specific Single-Chain Antibodies Provides Genetic Evidence for Regulation of Cortical Plasticity by a Non-cell Autonomous Homeoprotein Transcription Factor. PLoS Genet, 12(5). Abstract.  Author URL.
Bernard C, Prochiantz A (2016). Otx2-PNN Interaction to Regulate Cortical Plasticity. Neural Plast, 2016 Abstract.  Author URL.
Bernard C, Kim H-T, Torero Ibad R, Lee EJ, Simonutti M, Picaud S, Acampora D, Simeone A, Di Nardo AA, Prochiantz A, et al (2014). Graded Otx2 activities demonstrate dose-sensitive eye and retina phenotypes. Hum Mol Genet, 23(7), 1742-1753. Abstract.  Author URL.
Despras G, Bernard C, Perrot A, Cattiaux L, Prochiantz A, Lortat-Jacob H, Mallet J-M (2013). Toward libraries of biotinylated chondroitin sulfate analogues: from synthesis to in vivo studies. Chemistry, 19(2), 531-540. Abstract.  Author URL.
Beurdeley M, Spatazza J, Lee HHC, Sugiyama S, Bernard C, Di Nardo AA, Hensch TK, Prochiantz A (2012). Otx2 binding to perineuronal nets persistently regulates plasticity in the mature visual cortex. J Neurosci, 32(27), 9429-9437. Abstract.  Author URL.

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External Engagement and Impact

Awards

  • 2021    Poster award, Brain Conference ‘RNA mechanisms and brain disease’
  • 2019    Franco-British Council Young Leader
  • 2019    Poster award, AIMS-2-TRIALS Scientific Advisory Board
  • 2017    Public engagement small grant, King’s College London
  • 2015    PhD thesis award, French Neuroscience Society
  • 2014    ATER fellowship, Collège de France
  • 2013    Poster award, 8th International Conference on Proteoglycans
  • 2013    PhD fourth year scholarship, Labex Memolife
  • 2010    Doctoral scholarship, Université Pierre et Marie Curie

Invited lectures

  • 2023    Society for Neuroscience mini-symposium ‘Cracking the wiring codes’ (D.C., USA)
  • 2023    Institut de la Vision (Paris, France)
  • 2023    Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research (Amsterdam, Netherlands)
  • 2023    Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences (Edinburgh, UK)
  • 2023    Australasian Developmental Neuroscience Forum XXV (online)
  • 2022    Biozentrum (Basel, Switzerland)
  • 2022    Institut des Neurosciences Paris-Saclay (Paris, France)
  • 2022    Institut Necker Enfants Malades (Paris, France)
  • 2022    Institut de Psychiatrie et Neurosciences de Paris (Paris, France)
  • 2022    Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience (Aarhus, Denmark)
  • 2022    Institut de génomique fonctionnelle de Lyon (Lyon, France)
  • 2019    Gordon Research Seminar and Conference ‘Inhibition in the CNS’ (Newry, USA)
  • 2015    Symposium Collège de France ‘Brain plasticity and repair’ (Paris, France)
  • 2014    Society for Glycobiology satellite meeting ‘Glycans in neuroscience’ (Honolulu, USA)
  • 2014    Symposium Collège de France ‘Pathophysiologie du système nerveux’ (Paris, France)
  • 2013    8th International Conference on Proteoglycans (Frankfurt, Germany)

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