Pre-clinical research

Pre-clinical Research

The pre-clinical team led by Emmanuel Darcq in collaboration with Prof. Brigitte Kieffer is studying the role of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) in addictive disorders. GPCRs are major targets in biomedicine and offer enormous potential in the field of mental illness. To this end, we are developing and studying pre-clinical models for GPCRs of interest using pioneering approaches, including:

  • behavioral phenotyping
  • non-invasive, high-resolution structural and functional MRI techniques in live animals (whole brain)
  • cutting-edge circuit technologies (opto-/chemogenetics).

This combination of in vivo approaches enables us to target both neuronal signaling at the cellular level and neuronal connectivity throughout the brain.

Our laboratory places particular emphasis on:

  • opioid receptors, studying their role in the reward system as well as in addiction, and mood disorders
  • a selection of orphan GPCRs whose functions are not yet known, in an exploratory project.
Emmanuel DARCQ, PhD

Tenured researcher

 

My previous work has focused on the neurobiology of opiate and alcohol abuse. I have studied the involvement of numerous brain regions, with a particular interest in a fascinating brain region, the habenula. I did my PhD at the IGBMC in Prof. Brigitte Kieffer's team on molecular and behavioral adaptations in morphine responses. I then completed a post-doctorate at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF, USA) in Prof. Dorit Ron's laboratory, where I studied the signaling pathways regulating the transition from moderate to excessive alcohol consumption. During this period, I also worked on the role of miRNAs in this loss of control. I then joined McGill University (Montreal, Canada) as a research associate to develop projects focusing on the roles of the mu opioid receptor in habenula, aversive responses and brain communication. Since 2024, I'm co-leading Addictions Team at INSERM unit 1329 at CRBS. My work aims to determine the functions of habenular neurons in opiate addiction with a view to improving treatment against opiate use disorders. This research will integrate analysis of neuronal activity at both local and whole-brain levels. In the long term, my research goals are to identify molecular targets, circuit mechanisms and new biomarkers that could be useful in the development of therapies to treat opiate dependence.

To contribute to our research:

https://fondation.unistra.fr/projet/substrats-neuronaux-trouble-usage-opiaces/

Pubmed

Victor MATHIS, PhD

Tenured researcher

victor.mathis[at]unistra.fr

After obtaining my PhD at the Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives (LNCA) in Strasbourg, under the supervision of J.-C. Cassel and L. Lecourtier, I pursued my career as a postdoctoral researcher at the Ichan School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, in Professor P. Kenny's team. My work at these institutes highlighted the crucial role of a network composed of the medial prefrontal cortex and lateral habenula in behavioral adaptation, particularly in stress management and addictive behaviors. Back in France, I joined the Institut de Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives (INCI) in Strasbourg, where I further investigated this network in the context of the anxiety-depressive consequences of pain, within the team led by Dr. I. Yalcin.

Since January 2025, I have joined the CRBS “Addictions” team, within the UMR_S 1329 unit, as a Tenured researcher. My current work aims to elucidate the neurobiological mechanisms, and more specifically the brain circuits involved in relapse. To this end, we are combining calcium recording, chemogenetic and behavioral paradigms in mouse models, while integrating the various risk factors associated with relapse. My long-term goal is to develop translational approaches that could lead to innovative therapies for neuropsychiatric disorders, particularly addiction, in order to offer better support to patients. In addition, I am actively committed to sharing this knowledge with a broad public, through the training of future generations of researchers and the popularization of science.

To contribute to our research:

https://fondation.unistra.fr/projet/addiction-reseaux-cerebraux-et-facteurs-rechute-cocaine/

Brigitte KIEFFER, PhD

Emeritus Professor

brigitte.kieffer[at]unistra.fr

B.L. Kieffer is Director of Research at INSERM since 2019, Professor Emeritus since 2023. Previously, she was Professor at the University of Strasbourg, where she developed her research at the IGBMC, one of Europe's leading biomedical research centers, then Professor at McGill University (Department of Psychiatry) and Scientific Director of the Douglas Institute. By isolating the first gene coding for an opioid receptor, she opened up the field of exploration of the molecular mechanisms underlying nociceptive responses, and behaviors linked to reward processes and stress responses. Her work on the opioid system has led to major advances in pain, addiction and mood disorders, as well as in molecular pharmacology and GPCR research. She has built and shared internationally unique genetic tools for biomedical and neuroscience research. Brigitte Kieffer has received numerous prestigious awards, including the Lounsbery Prize (French and American Academies of Sciences) and the Lamonica Prize for Neurology (Academy of Sciences). In March 2014, she also received the L'Oréal-Unesco Prize for Women in Science. She was appointed a member of EMBO in 2009 and of the Académie des Sciences (France) in 2013. She has published around 300 papers in international journals and given over 200 lectures worldwide.

Pubmed

Charlotte GORIN

Assistant Engineer

charlotte.gorin[at]inserm.fr

Having earned a Master’s degree in Life Sciences, I joined INSERM Unit U1329 in January 2023 within the ALS–FTD team, where I participated in preclinical research projects aimed at better understanding the neurobiological mechanisms underlying these neurodegenerative diseases. In December 2025, I joined the Addictions team, where I continue my research focusing on the neurobiological mechanisms involved in substance use disorders.

In parallel with these research activities, I also oversee the management of our research models and the laboratory’s logistical organization, supporting the smooth running of experiments.

Gabriele GIUA

Postdoctoral fellow

gabriele.giua[at]inserm.fr

I'm currently a post-doctoral fellow in the CRBS Addictions team. My career path led me here after obtaining my PhD in neuroscience at INMED, in Dr. Olivier Manzoni's team. During this period, I explored the neurobiological substrates of socio-behavioral alterations in a model of autism.
My current research at CRBS focuses on the contribution of mu-opioid receptor-expressing neurons of the lateral hypothalamus to hedonic regulation. My project involves: (i) mapping the connectivity of these neurons using tracing and neuroimaging techniques; (ii) characterizing their cellular activity in response to positively valenced stimuli using fiberphotometry; (iii) examining the consequences of their chemo/optogenetic modulation on behavioral response.

Esther COLANTONIO

PhD candidate
Supervised by Emmanuel DARCQ and Pierre-Eric LUTZ, funded by IRESP

colantonio[at]unistra.fr

I am in my 3rd year of my PhD at the University of Strasbourg. After completing my Bachelor in Nancy at the University of Lorraine, I did my master's internship in the Addictions team at the CRBS, where I am now pursuing my PhD. My project focuses on polyaddiction, and in particular on identifying the neuronal populations and molecular mechanisms involved in these behaviors. To do this, I am using an optogenetic model of operant self-administration.

Chiara EBNER

PhD candidate
Supervised by Emmanuel DARCQ, funded by ANR

cebner[at]unistra.fr

I am currently a second year PhD candidate at the University of Strasbourg. It is during my undergrad and master's degrees that I got interested in Neuroscience, which led me to pursued into investigating mitochondrial trafficking beforejoininh the Addictions team at CRBS. The main focus of my project is to understand how a specific neuronal population located in the habenula, known for its role in influencing our sense of pleasure or happiness, contributes to our hedonic balance. This particular group of neurons expresses a receptor called the mu opioid receptor. The aim of my research is to understand the function and interactions of these distinctive brain cells within the habenula.

Solène POIVEY

PhD candidate
Supervised by Emmanuel DARCQ, funded by IRESP

solene.poivey[at]etu.unistra.fr

I'm currently in the second year of my PhD at the University of Strasbourg. After completing my studies at the University of Lorraine, I did my end-of-studies internship in the Addictions team at CRBS, where I'm now doing my PhD. My thesis focuses on the different roles of opiate-sensitive neurons in the regulation of hedonic mechanisms and food intake. In particular, my work explores how these neurons influence reward behaviors and the brain circuits associated with pleasure and food appetite.

Florian PONS

PhD candidate
Supervised by Laurence LALANNE, Gilles LAVERNY and Emmanuel DARCQ, funded by the Doctoral School

florian.pons2[at]etu.unistra.fr

I am a first year PhD student in Neurosciences at the University of Strasbourg. After a bachelor of cellular biology and physiology at the University Clermont Auvergne and then an international master of Neurosciences at the University of Strasbourg, I joined the « Addictions » team during my master internships. My project codirected by the Pr. Laurence Lalanne and the Dr. Gilles Laverny aims at determining how vitamin D signalling could improve the negative emotional symptoms of opioid withdrawal. This project combines technics of behavioural analysis on pre-clinical model and molecular biology such as spatial transcriptomic. In addition to my research activities, I realize a teaching work at the Faculty of Medicine.

Sarah KADA

PhD candidate
Supervised by Emmanuel DARCQ and Romain BOURDY, funded by the Doctoral School

sarah.kada[at]etu.unistra.fr

I am in the first year of my doctorate in neuroscience at the University of Strasbourg. It was during my master's degree in Strasbourg (Joint Master in Neurosciences) that I deepened my knowledge of neuroscience, and during my master's internship in the CRBS Addictions team that I discovered research on substance use disorders. The research project of my thesis aims to better understand the role of the tVTA (tail of the ventral tegmental area), also called the rostromedian tegmental nucleus (RMTg) in addictive behaviors. This region is very little studied and yet it is an important regulatory nucleus in the reward and mood circuits. To study this region, I use an operating self-stimulation model based on optogenetics, and fiber photometry that allows me to record tVTA activity.

Charline TAVENARD

PhD candidate, PharmD
Supervised by Emmanuel DARCQ, funded by INSERM-Pro

charline.tavenard[at]etu.unistra.fr 

After completing my Pharmacy studies at the University of Tours, culminating in a thesis on the development of safer opioid analgesic therapies, and a Master’s degree in Neuroscience of Development, Cognition, and Addiction at the University of Picardie Jules Verne, I joined the Addictions team to pursue a PhD in Neuroscience as a pharmacist-researcher.

My project focuses on the orphan G protein-coupled receptor GPR88 as a therapeutic target for opioid use disorders. In collaboration with Dr. Jin in the United States, we evaluate the potential benefits of synthetic GPR88 agonists using various behavioral paradigms, including optogenetic self-stimulation and conditioned place preference tests.

Internship students:

We are currently hosting four students:

  • Antoine SCHWALLER
  • Manon JOURDET
  • Béatrice BECK
  • Manon CLODY

The Addictions team welcomes applications from students of all disciplines and postdoctoral researchers who are motivated and interested in research on addictions, mood disorders, and neural circuits. If you would like to join us, please contact Emmanuel DARCQ.