Our research addresses the development, organization and function of the neuronal circuits that underlie auditory perception and proprioception (or the sense of body position).
Photo: Saida HadjabCongratulations to Principal researcher and research group leader Francois Lallemend, who has been appointed Professor of Neurobiology of Sensory Systems at the Department of Neuroscience at Karolinska Institutet from 1 December 2023.
Photo: Getty Images,Getty Images/iStockphotoOne billion young people risk hearing loss in the future if they continue to listen to their headphones at too high a volume. To develop treatments, researchers need to solve the mysteries of the cochlea - well hidden in the inner ear, a pea-sized organ embedded in bone a few centimeters inside the outer ear.
Photo: Ulf SirbornRead the article on Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation's webpage.
Photo: Saida HadjabKnut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation - a portrait of principal researcher Francois Lallemend.
Our research delves into the development, organization, and function of neuronal circuits that enable auditory perception and proprioception, the sense of body position.
The nervous system is primarily sensory-perceptual, emphasizing the significance of our sensory experiences in our daily lives. Typically, processing sensory information is a subconscious and automatic process that provides the in- and outside contexts necessary for us to make sense of the world and interact with our environment. Deficits in sensory systems not only disconnect us from experiencing reality but also affect brain function and contribute to behavioral problems beyond the sensory defect. Therefore, understanding the biological principles behind sensory perception and their contribution to health and disease requires decoding the physical substrates for specific conscious and unconscious percepts, as well as how sensory inputs are centrally processed.
In my lab, we believe that deconvoluting sensory systems into specific molecular types of cells in vivo provides unique access to neuronal pathway specificity, significantly increasing our understanding of how sensory circuits organize, register, and integrate in- and outside sensory inputs for appropriate behavioral responses. Furthermore, we strongly believe that understanding how these molecular types of neurons emerge and diversify during development, and how they change phenotypes (molecular plasticity) upon modifications of the environment (including during aging) will greatly help develop new strategies for restoring or improving sensory perception in affected individuals.
To understand the various levels of organization of sensory systems, we adopt a comparative multi-sensory system approach to identify central but also unique principles of sensory neuroscience. We integrate different levels of analysis, modalities, and techniques to advance both basic research and translational neuroscience.
In conclusion, our research aims to increase our comprehension of how the brain integrates information from various modalities to generate appropriate behavioral responses.
Neurobiology of Sensory Systems – Francois Lallemend group
Department of Neuroscience
Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 77 Stockholm
Neurobiology of Sensory Systems – Francois Lallemend group, Biomedicum, 7D
Karolinska Institutet, Solnavägen 9, SE-171 65 Solna
Neurobiology of Sensory Systems – Francois Lallemend group
Karolinska Institutet, Tomtebodavägen 16, SE-171 65 Solna
Projects for undergraduate students may be available in the lab. Applications for post-doc or PhD positions are very welcomed if the applicant can bring financing.
Otherwise early contacts are encouraged to plan applications for external personal grants. In particular candidates with experience in sensory systems or in systems neuroscience as well as computational biologists.
