Astrocytes, Synapses, Behaviour
Neuroscience lab at the University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre (CRCHUM)
Université de Montréal, Canada
Investigating the links between stress, astrocytes, neural plasticity, and behaviour
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 stress alters astrocyte structure and function, and how this in turn influences neuronal activity which drives behaviour.
We use a combination of behavioural assays, electrophysiology, and in vivo imaging in animal models to understand how astrocytes influence behavioural states.
Lab News
May 2026
Alice Servat joins the lab from Sorbonne Université Paris for her Master’s internship, funded by Mitacs Globalink.
April 2026
Mathias Guayasamin and Ossama Ghenissa were awarded doctoral fellowships from the Fonds de Recherche du Québec! 🥳
March 2026
Niharika Loomba joins the lab for her postdoc!
Report on our publication in theTransmitter - Astrocytes in mouse amygdala encode emotional state
New publication from our lab in Neuron about Astrocytes! Titled “Basolateral amygdala astrocytes encode anxiety states” by co-first authors Ossama and Mathias - see publications page
Ossama and Camila win best oral and best poster prizes at the U Montreal Neuroscience Student Association (ADENUM) annual meeting
February 2026
Paper accepted ! More to come…
January 2026
Our lab was awarded a CIHR project grant to study PVN astrocytes and stress adaptationin collaboration with Dr Thierry Alquier at the CRCHUM.
First manuscript of the year posted on bioRxiv - Astrocytic Encoding of Threat in the Basolateral Amygdala see publications
December 2025
Lewis defends his PhD to be come Dr. Depaauw-Holt!!
Mathias wins best oral presentation prize at the Department of Neuroscience annual research day.
Marie-Jo and Clara both win poster prizes at the Department of Neuroscience annual research day.
October 2025
Kathleen and Camila win presentation awards at the CRCHUM student research day. Kathleen won best oral presentation, and Camila won best undergraduate poster prize. More info here
September 2025
Ciaran was awarded the Brain Canada Future Leaders award to study the role of astrocytes in anxiety behaviours
Our recent publication featured in several news articles see here
July 2025
Mathias wins poster prize at the European Brain and Behaviour Society meeting in Bordeaux
June 2025
Our work was mentioned in TheTransmitter article on astrocytes and behaviour
Lewis’ paper “A divergent astrocytic response to stress alters activity patterns via distinct mechanisms in male and female mice”was accepted in Nature Communications!
Ciaran awarded Junior 2 salary award from the Fonds de Recherche du Québec & promoted to Associate Prof.
May 2025
Kathleen Ngo joins the lab for her Master’s
The lab goes to the Canadian Association of Neuroscience meeting in Toronto!
April 2025
Lewis received a travel award to attend CAN in Toronto!
Article published in Biological Psychiatry “Astrocytic CREB: The Hidden Driver of Stress Susceptibility” by Mathias and Ciaran. See publications page
Marie-Jo was accepted in to the U Montréal Neuroscience PhD program and will continue her research with us!
Lab visit from Jun Nagai (Riken, Japan)