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'''Dr. Nathalie Rochefort''' is a renowned neuroscientist whose research focuses on how brain neuronal networks process visual information in health and disease. She is a Professor of Neuroscience at the [[University of Edinburgh]], a prestigious public research university in [[Scotland]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Episode 23: Nathalie Rochefort, PhD |url=https://www.conjugate.blog/figures/94n9oqtaw0jp6fzzoltuvktzk7yvtr |access-date=2024-04-28 |website=Conjugate: Illustration and Science Blog |language=en-US}}</ref> At the University of Edinburgh, she established and runs the [https://rochefortlab.co.uk/ Rochefort Lab] which utilizes methods such as two-photon calcium imaging and electrophysiological recordings in awake-behaving mice to collect sensory and non-sensory information.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Nathalie Rochefort |url=https://people.embo.org/profile/nathalie-rochefort |access-date=2024-04-28 |website=people.embo.org}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Whitten |first=Allison |date=2022-06-14 |title=The Brain Has a ‘Low-Power Mode’ That Blunts Our Senses |url=https://www.quantamagazine.org/the-brain-has-a-low-power-mode-that-blunts-our-senses-20220614/ |access-date=2024-04-28 |website=Quanta Magazine |language=en}}</ref> Throughout her professional career, she has been granted several awards, the most recent being the [https://www.embo.org/funding/fellowships-grants-and-career-support/young-investigator-programme/ EMBO Young Investigator (YIP)] award, in 2019, for her remarkable research contributions.<ref name=":1" />
'''Dr. Nathalie Rochefort''' is a Professor of Neuroscience at the [[University of Edinburgh]]<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Episode 23: Nathalie Rochefort, PhD |url=https://www.conjugate.blog/figures/94n9oqtaw0jp6fzzoltuvktzk7yvtr |access-date=2024-04-28 |website=Conjugate: Illustration and Science Blog |language=en-US}}</ref>. She is a recipient of the [https://www.embo.org/funding/fellowships-grants-and-career-support/young-investigator-programme/ EMBO Young Investigator (YIP)] award in 2019 for research contributions to the field of sensory neuroscience.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Nathalie Rochefort |url=https://people.embo.org/profile/nathalie-rochefort |access-date=2024-04-28 |website=people.embo.org}}</ref>


== Early Life ==
== Early Life and Education ==
Nathalie grew up in [[Paris|Paris, France]].<ref name=":0" /> Her educational journey began at a local state school where a majority of the students were first- or second-generation immigrants.<ref name=":0" /> As a child, Nathalie harbored aspirations of becoming an astronaut and, more specifically, an astrophysicist.<ref name=":0" /> Nathalie's local state school was regarded as a priority school, meaning that it received specialized funding aimed at developing and enriching education.<ref name=":0" /> This supportive educational environment provided her with unique opportunities for academic growth.<ref name=":0" /> For example, at age 11, she applied for and was granted the opportunity to spend a week at a space camp, in the South of France, with real astronauts who taught her, as well as other children, typical astronaut training.<ref name=":0" /> She also benefited from dedicated teachers who fostered an environment of educational enrichment.<ref name=":0" /> The experience of having influential mentors at a young age instilled in Nathalie a strong academic drive and a sense of the importance of mentorship.<ref name=":0" />
Nathalie grew up in [[Paris|Paris, France]].<ref name=":0" /> At age 11, she applied for and was granted the opportunity to spend a week at a space camp, in the South of France, with real astronauts who taught her, as well as other children, typical astronaut training.<ref name=":0" />


⚫
Rochefort began her undergraduate studies in 1995 at the [[Université Paris Cité|University Paris-Cite]] in Paris, France where she then earned her undergraduate degree in Life Sciences after 2 years in 1997.<ref name=":0" /> After receiving her undergraduate degree, she began a 3-year Magistere program in Biology and Biochemistry at both [[Sorbonne University]] and [[École normale supérieure (Paris)|École Normale Supérieure]] in France.<ref name=":0" /> Starting in 2000, she used her third year of the Magistere program to pursue a Master's degree in Epistemology.<ref name=":0" /> By 2001, she had received her Bachelors of Science in Biology and Biochemistry, as well as a Master's degree in Epistemology.<ref name=":0" />
In high school, Nathalie encountered a more conventional approach to learning, contrasting with her earlier experiences.<ref name=":0" /> Here, she became aware of societal pressures that influenced academic choices, such as the gendered expectations surrounding certain fields of study.<ref name=":0" /> Despite these pressures, Nathalie pursued her interest in mathematics and physics, although she noted the disparities in how subjects were encouraged based on gender: boys being more commonly steered towards mathematics, while girls, including herself, were advised to pursue studies in medicine and biology.<ref name=":0" />


⚫
Following the completion of her Master's thesis on color vision, Nathalie was set on pursuing a Ph.D. in Neuroscience.<ref name=":0" /> She was accepted into a Neuroscience Ph.D. program conducted between [[Sorbonne University]] in France and [[Ruhr-Universität Bochum|Ruhr-Universität-Bochum]] in [[Germany]].<ref name=":0" />
== Education ==
⚫
Nathalie Rochefort began her undergraduate studies in 1995 at the [[Université Paris Cité|University Paris-Cite]] in Paris, France where she then earned her undergraduate degree in Life Sciences after 2 years in 1997.<ref name=":0" /> After receiving her undergraduate degree, she began a 3-year Magistere program in Biology and Biochemistry at both [[Sorbonne University]] and [[École normale supérieure (Paris)|École Normale Supérieure]] in France.<ref name=":0" /> Starting in 2000, she used her third year of the Magistere program to pursue a Master's degree in Epistemology.<ref name=":0" /> By 2001, she had received her Bachelors of Science in Biology and Biochemistry, as well as a Master's degree in Epistemology.<ref name=":0" />

During her early studies, Nathalie did not initially consider a career in research.<ref name=":0" /> However, her perspective shifted during her Master's program in Epistemology, where she discovered a passion for research through her work as a journalist for a magazine focused on renowned mathematicians in France in the 1920s.<ref name=":0" /> She would visit these mathematicians to collect pictures and anecdotes about their careers.<ref name=":0" /> During these visits, Nathalie was motivated and inspired by the amount of passion these mathematicians had for their work, even during the turbulent periods of World War I and II.<ref name=":0" /> By interviewing them, Nathalie realized that she wanted to be like them: producing science rather than just writing about it.<ref name=":0" />

The pivotal moment in Nathalie's educational journey came during visits to various research labs as part of her Master's program.<ref name=":0" /> Experiencing the diverse topics and vibrant research environments, including the study of locomotion of the locust and the mechanisms underlying long-term plasticity (LTP), ignited her interest in pursuing a research career in neuroscience.<ref name=":0" />

⚫
Following the completion of her Master's thesis on color vision, Nathalie was set on pursuing a Ph.D. in Neuroscience.<ref name=":0" /> To secure funding for her doctoral studies, she embarked on a second Master's program in Neuroscience and eventually applied for a Ph.D. scholarship.<ref name=":0" /> Despite initial setbacks, she was accepted into a European program, leading to her acceptance into a Neuroscience Ph.D. program conducted between [[Sorbonne University]] in France and [[Ruhr-Universität Bochum|Ruhr-Universität-Bochum]] in [[Germany]].<ref name=":0" />


== Career and Research ==
== Career and Research ==
From 2007 to 2012, Rochefort worked at the Institute of Neuroscience, [[Technical University of Munich|Technical University Munich]], Germany, where she helped develop two-photon calcium imaging in [[Arthur Konnerth|Arthur Konnerth's]] laboratory.<ref name=":0" /> Rochefort joined the [[University of Edinburgh]] as a [https://www.ed.ac.uk/human-resources/job/chancellors-fellowships Chancellor's Fellow] at the Centre for Integrative Physiology.<ref name=":0" /> in 2013. In 2014, she received the [https://royalsociety.org/grants/henry-dale/ Sir Henry Dale Fellowship], funded by the Wellcome Trust and Royal Society.<ref name=":0" /> Rochefort leads a laboratory within the [https://sidb.org.uk/ Simon's Initiative for Developing Brain Center] focused on understanding neural networking processes in visual information processing and their implications for disorders such as intellectual disabilities and autism spectrum disorders.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Whitten |first=Allison |date=2022-06-14 |title=The Brain Has a ‘Low-Power Mode’ That Blunts Our Senses |url=https://www.quantamagazine.org/the-brain-has-a-low-power-mode-that-blunts-our-senses-20220614/ |access-date=2024-04-28 |website=Quanta Magazine |language=en}}</ref> Her research demonstrated that restricted caloric intake impacts sensory processing <ref name=":2" />.
=== '''PhD Research''' (2002 - 2007) ===
While pursuing her Ph.D. from 2002 to 2007, Nathalie focused on studying the visual cortex, conducting research in two different labs: the Laboratory of Neurophysiology at Ruhr-Universität in Bochum, Germany, and the Laboratory of Physiologie de la Perception et de l’Action at CNRS/Collège-de-France in Paris, France.<ref name=":0" /> In her early work with cats using the [[David H. Hubel|Hubel]] and [[Torsten Wiesel|Wiesel]] preparation, she investigated stimulus-response associations.<ref name=":0" /> Cats were anesthetized and paralyzed, ensuring no movement or learning interfered with the study.<ref name=":0" /> Neuronal activity in the visual cortex was recorded while the cats were shown various stimuli on a computer screen.<ref name=":0" /> This allowed her to understand how neurons in the visual cortex responded to different visual inputs.<ref name=":0" />

Moving onto mouse models, Nathalie employed optical imaging of intrinsic signals to study the mouse visual cortex.<ref name=":0" /> This method involved illuminating the surface of the brain with light and measuring changes in light absorption from blood, which highlighted active regions.<ref name=":0" /> However, the resolution of this technique was limited to about 250 micrometers, making it challenging to study individual neurons within the activated regions.<ref name=":0" /> To address this limitation, Nathalie combined imaging with anatomical tracer injections.<ref name=":0" /> By injecting an anatomical tracer into a region of interest and then reconstructing the axonal connections, she could map the activity of individual neurons within the activated regions.<ref name=":0" /> This allowed her to study how connections between the left and right hemispheres integrate visual information.<ref name=":0" /> However, the technique had limitations in tracing functional connections and understanding the nature of these connections, leading to a desire for more advanced techniques, such as two-photon imaging.<ref name=":0" />

=== Postdoctoral Research (2007 - 2012) ===
From 2007 to 2012, Nathalie served as a post-doctoral research fellow at the Institute of Neuroscience, [[Technical University of Munich|Technical University Munich]], Germany, where she worked on two-photon calcium imaging.<ref name=":0" /> During her postdoctoral research, she focused on developing this technique to visualize individual neurons' activity in vivo during stimulation.<ref name=":0" /> This advancement allowed for a deeper understanding of how neurons encode visual information.<ref name=":0" /> However, a significant challenge was working with anesthetized mice due to technical limitations and the complexity of processing large amounts of data.<ref name=":0" /> This limited the ability to study neuronal activity in awake animals and integrate behavioral parameters with neural activity.<ref name=":0" /> The field has since evolved, enabling researchers to conduct similar imaging recordings in awake animals.<ref name=":0" /> This advancement, coupled with computational tools, has enabled the study of hundreds to thousands of neurons simultaneously, leading to a more comprehensive understanding of neural activity and its relationship to behavior.<ref name=":0" />

=== Chancellor's Fellowship (2013 - 2022) ===
After obtaining her Ph.D., Nathalie joined the [[University of Edinburgh]] as a [https://www.ed.ac.uk/human-resources/job/chancellors-fellowships Chancellor's Fellow] at the Centre for Integrative Physiology.<ref name=":0" /> Her research focused on the activation of neuronal networks in specific spatial and temporal sequences, contributing to the understanding of neural processes underlying sensory perception and action.<ref name=":0" />

=== Sir Henry Dale Fellowship (2014 - 2021) ===
Following her Chancellor's Fellowship, Nathalie continued her research at the [[University of Edinburgh]] as a fellow for the [https://royalsociety.org/grants/henry-dale/ Sir Henry Dale Fellowship], funded by the Wellcome Trust and Royal Society.<ref name=":0" /> Her work explored biomedical research topics within the Center for Discovery Brain Sciences, particularly focusing on neural circuitry related to visual perception and action.<ref name=":0" />

=== Professor at the University of Edinburgh (2022 - Present) ===
As a Professor of Neuroscience, Dr. Nathalie Rochefort's role is closely tied to her research, allowing her to delve deeper into understanding how the brain works.<ref name=":0" /> This position also gives her the opportunity to mentor students and researchers, a role she values greatly.<ref name=":0" /> Nathalie believes that adults, especially experts and teachers, can significantly influence individuals' desires and ambitions.<ref name=":0" /> She feels a sense of responsibility to give back by mentoring others, particularly inspiring them to see that a career in science is achievable.<ref name=":0" /> Reflecting on her own journey, she understands the importance of having role models and mentors who can provide support and guidance.<ref name=":0" /> Nathalie hosts "women of science" club meetings, inviting female speakers to share their experiences and discuss the barriers they have faced in their careers.<ref name=":0" /> She believes that meeting these speakers in person can help others see themselves in successful scientists and find diverse role models to relate to.<ref name=":0" /> Nathalie emphasizes the importance of having multiple role models, as everyone's journey in academia is unique, and different personalities may resonate more with different individuals.<ref name=":0" />

=== Rochefort Lab (Present) ===
Nathalie established her own laboratory, the Rochefort Lab, within the [https://discovery-brain-sciences.ed.ac.uk/ Center for Discovery Brain Sciences] at the University of Edinburgh.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2" /> The lab's research, funded in part by the [https://sidb.org.uk/ Simon's Initiative for Developing Brain Center], focuses on understanding neural networking processes in visual information processing and their implications for disorders such as intellectual disabilities and autism spectrum disorders.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2" />


== Awards and Honors ==
== Awards and Honors ==

Revision as of 17:45, 29 April 2024

Nathalie Rochefort
File:Rochefort for wiki.jpg
Born
Paris, France
Alma materUniversity Paris-Cite

Sorbonne University

École Normale Supérieure
Scientific career
FieldsNeuroscience
InstitutionsUniversity of Edinburgh
Websitehttps://rochefortlab.co.uk/

Dr. Nathalie Rochefort is a Professor of Neuroscience at the University of Edinburgh[1]. She is a recipient of the EMBO Young Investigator (YIP) award in 2019 for research contributions to the field of sensory neuroscience.[2]

Early Life and Education

Nathalie grew up in Paris, France.[1] At age 11, she applied for and was granted the opportunity to spend a week at a space camp, in the South of France, with real astronauts who taught her, as well as other children, typical astronaut training.[1]

Rochefort began her undergraduate studies in 1995 at the University Paris-Cite in Paris, France where she then earned her undergraduate degree in Life Sciences after 2 years in 1997.[1] After receiving her undergraduate degree, she began a 3-year Magistere program in Biology and Biochemistry at both Sorbonne University and École Normale Supérieure in France.[1] Starting in 2000, she used her third year of the Magistere program to pursue a Master's degree in Epistemology.[1] By 2001, she had received her Bachelors of Science in Biology and Biochemistry, as well as a Master's degree in Epistemology.[1]

Following the completion of her Master's thesis on color vision, Nathalie was set on pursuing a Ph.D. in Neuroscience.[1] She was accepted into a Neuroscience Ph.D. program conducted between Sorbonne University in France and Ruhr-Universität-Bochum in Germany.[1]

Career and Research

From 2007 to 2012, Rochefort worked at the Institute of Neuroscience, Technical University Munich, Germany, where she helped develop two-photon calcium imaging in Arthur Konnerth's laboratory.[1] Rochefort joined the University of Edinburgh as a Chancellor's Fellow at the Centre for Integrative Physiology.[1] in 2013. In 2014, she received the Sir Henry Dale Fellowship, funded by the Wellcome Trust and Royal Society.[1] Rochefort leads a laboratory within the Simon's Initiative for Developing Brain Center focused on understanding neural networking processes in visual information processing and their implications for disorders such as intellectual disabilities and autism spectrum disorders.[1][3] Her research demonstrated that restricted caloric intake impacts sensory processing [3].

Awards and Honors

  • 2019: EMBO Young Investigator (YIP) award
  • 2017: The Physiological Society’s 2017 R Jean Banister Prize Lecture
  • 2014 - 2019: Sir Henry Dale fellowship from the Wellcome Trust and the Royal Society
  • 2014 - 2018: Marie Curie Career Integration Grant, European funding
  • 2014: Marie Curie Intra-European fellowship for Career Development for the post-doctoral fellow, Dr Janelle Pakan
  • 2013 - Present: Chancellor's Fellow, University of Edinburgh, UK.
  • 2013: Schilling Research Award of the German Neuroscience Society 2013
  • 2011: Bernard Katz Lecture Award, Alexander von Humboldt Foundation
  • 2006: Research Grant from the French National Federation for the Blind and Visually Disabled People (FAF)
  • 2002 - 2005: 3-Year Ph.D. Scholarship from the French Ministry of Research and Education
  • 2002: DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) Scholarship for Studying in Germany

Selected Publications

  • Padamsey Z., Katsanevaki D., Dupuy N., Rochefort N.L. (2022). Neocortex saves energy by reducing coding precision during food scarcity, Neuron, S0896-6273(21)00839-4, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2021.10.024
  • Dacre J, Colligan M, Clarke T, Ammer JJ, Schiemann J, Chamosa-Pino V, Claudi F, Harston J.A., Eleftheriou C., Pakan J.M.P., Huang C.C., Hantman A.W., Rochefort N.L., Duguid I. (2021). A cerebellar-thalamocortical pathway drives behavioral context-dependent movement initiation. Neuron, 21;109(14):2326-2338.e8. doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.05.016
  • Pakan, J.M.P., Lowe, S.C., Dylda, E., Keemink, S.W., Currie, S.P., Coutts, C.A., Rochefort, N.L. (2016). Behavioral-state modulation of inhibition is context-dependent and cell type specific in mouse visual cortex. Elife 5, e14985.  https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.14985
  • Rochefort, N.L., Konnerth, A. (2012). Dendritic spines: from structure to in vivo function. EMBO Rep. 13, 699–708. https://doi.org/10.1038/embor.2012.102
  • Chen, X., Leischner, U., Rochefort, N.L., Nelken, I., Konnerth, A. (2011). Functional mapping of single spines in cortical neurons in vivo. Nature 475, 501–505. doi:10.1038/nature10193
  • Rochefort, N.L., Narushima, M., Grienberger, C., Marandi, N., Hill, D.N., Konnerth, A. (2011). Development of Direction Selectivity in Mouse Cortical Neurons. Neuron 71, 425–432. doi:10.1016/j.neuron.2011.06.013
  • Jia, H., Rochefort, N.L., Chen, X., Konnerth, A. (2011). In vivo two-photon imaging of sensory-evoked dendritic calcium signals in cortical neurons. Nature Protocols 6, 28–35. doi:10.1038/nprot.2010.169
  • Jia, H., Rochefort, N.L., Chen, X., Konnerth, A. (2010). Dendritic organization of sensory input to cortical neurons in vivo. Nature 464, 1307–1312. doi:10.1038/nature08947
  • Rochefort, N.L., Garaschuk, O., Milos, R.-I., Narushima, M., Marandi, N., Pichler, B., Kovalchuk, Y., Konnerth, A. (2009).  Sparsification of neuronal activity in the visual cortex at eye-opening. The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) 106, 15049–15054. doi:10.1073/pnas.0907660106

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Episode 23: Nathalie Rochefort, PhD". Conjugate: Illustration and Science Blog. Retrieved 2024-04-28.
  2. ^ "Nathalie Rochefort". people.embo.org. Retrieved 2024-04-28.
  3. ^ a b Whitten, Allison (2022-06-14). "The Brain Has a 'Low-Power Mode' That Blunts Our Senses". Quanta Magazine. Retrieved 2024-04-28.

[1][2][3]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference :1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference :2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
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