Elucidating the mechanisms that underlie the physiological functions of the central nervous system remains an extraordinary challenge. In recent years, neurophysics has emerged as a new field. It provides powerful concepts and methods to link individual properties of neurons to collective phenomena in networks. At the same time, neurophysiologists have started to use in anaesthetized animals electrophysiological methods (Dynamic Clamp, Whole Cell Patch-Clamp recording...) that were initially developed in reduced preparations. Thanks to these tools, we can study the mechanisms at work when a neuron is active in a network and is submitted to physiological stimuli. Neurophysiologists and neurophysicists share the same goals and explore together new scientific territories.

The friendly atmosphere that prevails in the laboratory is largely due to the fact that people coming from different scientific fields are working together. Exciting research investigations are stimulated by our collaborations with laboratories in France and abroad. This environment contributes to give our junior scientists the training they deserve. They are the future of science.

Daniel Zytnicki

Our laboratory belongs to the new Institute of Neurosciences and Cognition of Paris Descartes University (INC). It is a member of the Saints-Pères Interdisciplinary Institute of Life Sciences (IFR95). We also take an active part in an Associated European Laboratory, the France-israel Laboratory of Neuroscience (FILN).