06/07 – Nicolas Panayotis : Elucidating the role of Importins Nuclear Transport Factors in CNS Functions

SPPIN’s webinar winter-spring 2021, 6 JULLY at 10h30, online – Ask link to a SPPIN member.

Nicolas Panayotis : Molecular Neurobiologist at the Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel

Elucidating the role of Importins Nuclear Transport Factors in CNS Functions

Nicolas Panayotis studied Neurobiology and Behavior at the Aix-Marseille University and obtained a Ph.D. in Medical Genetics in the Human Neurogenetics team of the Marseille Medical Genetics center (Inserm U1251), under the direction of Dr. Jean-Christophe Roux. There he investigated the MeCP2-deficient mouse model for Rett Syndrome, a devastating genetic neurodevelopmental disorder. He joined the group of Prof. Mike Fainzilber at the Weizmann in 2012 as a postdoc and was appointed Senior Intern in 2017. His goal is to decipher the roles of the importin family of nuclear transport factors in mouse behaviors and neuronal pathways. Using a comprehensive battery of approaches from behavior to molecular mechanisms, he discovered a role for importin α5 in the regulation of anxiety via control of nuclear shuttling of MeCP2 and of other importins in chronic pain and memory phenotypes. Nicolas will present his main research achievements and will outline planned future directions in his research.