Project description
Tracing thalamus evolution across species
The development of the brain's thalamus is key to understanding evolutionary changes in neurobiology. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the EvoThalamus project investigates how developmental variations shape the thalamus across species, focusing on amniotes like chicks, geckos, while comparing data with mice. By examining neurogenesis, the project links thalamic nuclei formation with their functional roles. It also analyses the molecular profiles of thalamic neurons and their connectivity within the brain. The EvoThalamus project integrates these developmental, transcriptomic, and connectivity insights to identify variations leading to complex thalamic evolution in birds and mammals. This research provides a deeper understanding of brain evolution and supports the career of an emerging female neuroscientist.
Objective
Developmental programs are the playground for evolution. It is during development when most variation occurs. Therefore, developmental variations are the raw material for natural selection sculpting new adaptations.
To unravel the evolutionary history of the thalamus, a paradigmatic example within the brain, I propose to compare the development of the thalamus at various levels and in various species of amniotes.
At the level of neurogenesis, EvoThalamus proposes to describe the neurogenic formation of the thalamus: linking thalamic nuclei neurogenic time with their location and function. At molecular level, I will describe the transcriptional profiles of thalamic neurons during their differentiation and maturation in the circuit, understanding how transcriptomes diverge on the species along with circuit maturation.
At functional level, I will study the broad connectivity routes of the thalamus with the rest of the brain. I propose, in a pioneering way, to integrate multilevel information, to compare all the data of development, transcriptomics and axonal connectivity in a model that links the molecular variations and the developmental program with the appearance of new nuclei and thalamic connections.
I will work with chick and gecko embryos, and we will compare the data with those already published in mice. I will look for developmental variations, novelties of the neurogenic program that are not present in the development of the reptilian thalamus. I will find the changes in development that led to the greater complexity of the thalamus of birds and mammals. These evolutionary trends will be a reflection of the multitude of evolutionary changes that occurred in other brain regions.
EvoThalamus will equip me with fresh insights into neurobiology, and brain development and evolution. This project will be instrumental for my career and will consolidate me as an independent female researcher in neuroscience.
Fields of science
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques.
Keywords
Programme(s)
- HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Main Programme
Funding Scheme
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European FellowshipsCoordinator
48940 Leioa
Spain