Rhynchophylline, a derivative of traditional Chinese medicine, modifies sleep architecture in mice — exploring mechanisms of action

Maria Neus Ballester Roig, étudiante au doctorat

During my B.Sc in Biology (Universitat de les Illes Balears, Spain) I got fascinated for the functioning of the brain and chronobiology, so I collaborated in a project studying the impact of light on elderly activity rhythms (2013-2015). Throughout my M.Sc in neurosciences (Spain), exploring molecular components of biological rhythms and sleep captured my interest. I did my Master thesis at Mongrain’s laboratory (Université de Montréal, 2016), where I currently pursue my research as a PhD Student. Here we investigate molecular mechanisms underlying circadian and sleep physiology and my project aims to understand how synaptic adhesion molecules shape rhythms and sleep.