Neuroscience lab at the CRCHUM, Université de Montréal
Investigating the link between stress, astrocyte metabolism, and neuronal plasticity
What we do
We investigate the various roles for astrocytes in regulation neural function. Our lab is interested in stress-induced changes in brain function, in particular how astrocytic support of synaptic metabolism is affected by stress. The goal of the lab is to further understand how stress alters astrocyte structure and function, and how this influences neuronal activity which in turn underlies behaviour.
We use a combination of behavioural assays, electrophysiology, and in vivo imaging in animal models to understand how astrocytes influence behavioural states.
See our Research page for more.
What we are reading
Most recent papers discussed lab journal club
Lab news
March 2025 - We published four chapters in the book Astrocytes: Methods in Molecular Biology see publications.
March 2025 - Congrats to Lewis who received a travel award to attend EuroGLIA in Marseille this July!
March 2025 - Congrats to Ossama and Marie-Jo who received travel awards (from IBRO and U Aix-Marseille) to attend the Canadian Association of Neuroscience annual meeting in Toronto this May!
February 2025 - We published the Version of Record of our manuscript “Early-life stress induces persistent astrocyte dysfunction associated with fear generalisation” in eLife. First authors - Mathias, Lewis, and Ife.
February 2025 - Ciaran was named researcher of the month by SENSUM (Stratégy en Neurosciences et Santé Mentale de l’Université de Montréal)
January 2025 - Marie-Josette de Medeiros joins the lab for a 5 month internship from France, funded by Université d’Aix-Marseille, and Camila Carbarcas joins for 12 week internship in the U Montréal neuroscience program.
November 2024 - Daniel Jimenez Correa joins the lab for a 6 month internship from Colombia, funded by Emerging Leaders in the Americas Program.
November 2024 - Ciaran visited Canadian Parliament as part of CAN Hill Day in Ottawa
October 2024 - The lab received funding from the Scottish Rite Charitable Foundation to further our work on astrocytes in the lateral hypothalamus
September 2024 - New preprint from our lab on a project led by Lewis on lateral hypothalamic astrocytes and their regulation of orexin neuron activity in stress - see publications
August 2024 - Ossama was awarded a ‘Bourse de Merite’ from the Faculty of Medicine, U Montréal