Dr Clémence Bernard

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.

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.