#IDIBELLseminars: Brain Structural Plasticity and Wiring in Mental Illness

Fragile X syndrome (FXS), a neurodevelopmental disorder, arises due to malfunctions in the RNA binding protein FMRP, Fragile X Messenger Ribonucleoprotein 1. Our findings illustrate that, in a mouse model of FXS, alterations in the composition of the actin-cytoskeleton within the PSD significantly affect the striatum, a brain region particularly susceptible to such changes. On a behavioral level, these modifications are associated with a reduced flexibility in behavior driven by the striatum, a common trait among individuals with FXS. Our work underscores the critical role of actin-dynamics dysregulation in the striatum in contributing to the main characteristics of FXS and opened promising avenues for addressing pharmacologically specific traits of FXS through the regulation of actin-dynamics in specific brain regions. The speaker will also share additional unpublished data on the molecular and behavioural aspects of ASD.

Hosted by Sandra Acosta – Neurodevelopmental disorders group

Meet the speaker before (for PhDs and postdocs) and after (for PIs) the talk. Email sacosta@idibell.cat if interested.

Prof. Bagni, with a Ph.D. from the University of Rome Tor Vergata, Italy, completed postdoctoral trainings at the CNRS in Toulouse, France, Harvard University, Cambridge, USA and EMBL, Heidelberg, DE. She established her first laboratory at the University of Rome Tor Vergata, later moving to KU Leuven – VIB, Belgium, and in 2016, became Director of the Department of Fundamental Neurosciences at the University of Lausanne, Switzerland. In 2021, she assumed the role of Vice-Dean for Research and Innovation, Faculty of Biology and Medicine at the University of Lausanne. Among the awards received she has been elected EMBO member, received the UCB and Solvay Awards, and the Nestle Research & Development Women in Science Award. Recently, she was honored as a Knight of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic. Prof. Bagni combining her expertise in translational control and cellular neurobiology, investigates the underlying mechanisms of Fragile X Syndrome and autism spectrum disorder, exploring potential therapeutic approaches.