Lab members

Current members

Gabriel is first generation university graduate from a small farming town in Bas Saint-Laurent.  He did his graduate studies at the Université Laval with Martin Simard where he studied the regulation of the microRNA pathways with the nematode C. elegans. After completing his PhD, he was interested in developing novel behaviour base assays to study neuronal function and disease modelling. He chose to join the Peterson lab with the hope of combining such assays with unbiased screening approaches such as small molecule screening. Given the ongoing crisis with opioid abuse, he set out to develop the first self-administration model using zebrafish as a model. This unique assay allows him to study the impact of different small molecules on opioid self-administration and to investigate important biological pathways regulating this behaviour.

I recently moved back to Québec city to open my own research group to study neurobiological mechanisms involved in addiction and in regulating behaviour. 

I started my studies in Neuroscience in France being mainly interested in behavioural studies and the influence of gut microbiota on them.

Then, after going back and forth in the corridors of research labs, I came across beautiful images of fluorescent neurons. So I started thinking that I too wanted to see this with my own eyes and that it would be really interesting to study how their activities and connections are able to produce behavioural responses.

I am now a PhD student at the CERVO research center. The objective of my thesis project is to understand how the neural circuits that govern social behaviour are established during the development of the larval zebrafish. I also aim to investigate the impact of a modulation of the exposome (gut microbiota, drug exposure) on the connection between these networks.

I first discovered my interest in neuroscience during my studies in Biomedical Sciences at Université Laval. Curious about how the brain shapes who we are, I became fascinated by the neural mechanisms behind motivation and addiction.

Along the way, I discovered a deep interest in brain imaging, which allows me to see how the brain’s activity translates into behavior and this is something that never ceases to amaze me.

I am now pursuing a Master’s degree in Neuroscience at the CERVO research center in the lab of Dr Gabriel Bossé where I study the neurobiological mechanisms of addiction using the zebrafish (Danio rerio) model.

My project focuses on how cellular and physiological changes impact neural activity patterns related to addiction. I am also interested in the use of psychedelic drugs or natural compounds as potential treatments for neurological disorders.

I have always been interested in the mechanisms underlying substance use disorder (SUD) and the consequences of this disorder. Addiction is a very difficult disease as it affects everyone in a different way depending on many parameters (substance.s used, doses, age, sex… ). After working on several projects aiming to understand addiction, I wondered, how could we model at best this diversity that we find in humans ?

Thanks to its quick development and the simplicity of drug-treating it, Zebrafish is a key model in the study of SUD as it permits to mimic plenty of different situations and will surely allow us to gain a lot of knowledge regarding neurological pathways involved in SUD and cognitive impacts of this disorder.

Therefore, after finishing my Master’s degree in Neurosciences in Strasbourg, France, I decided to join the lab of Dr Gabriel Bossé. I am now a PhD student at the CERVO research centre and am working on the effects of a prenatal exposure to different drugs (alone or combined) on the nervous system going from cellular to behavioural aspects in the young and adult zebrafish. I truly hope that our research will help us to better understand the neurobiology of SUD and thus, help addicted patients (young or old!) to improve their ways of living.

Ana Caroline Salvador de Farias, PhD Student

Neuroscience

I am a neuroscience master’s student with a background in biomedical science and a long-standing curiosity for how the brain works. During my undergraduate studies, I completed two internships—one in neuro-cardiology and another in a Parkinson’s research lab—which strengthened my interest in neural systems and the mechanisms behind it. I’ve always been amazed by how the brain coordinates everything we do, and those early experiences confirmed that I wanted to pursue neuroscience more deeply.

In 2023, I joined Dr. Gabriel Bossé’s laboratory for a summer internship, and I’ve been part of the team ever since. I quickly connected with the experimental model we use and developed a strong passion for behavioural neuroscience and pharmacology.

My project is focused on a new genetically modified line and on establishing an individualized ethanol self-administration protocol in zebrafish.

Current intern

Undergrad

Charlotter Couturier (Université Laval-Microbiologie)

Alumni

Master:

Master 1 internship- Juliette Boudet-Duc (Université de Rouen)

Morgane Ruffel (Programme Neurasmus)

Carla Flores (Master 1-Université de la Sorbonne) 

Léa Gagné (Maitrise en Biochimie-Université Laval- 2023-2025)

Undergrad:

Undergrad internship- Estelle Dezelus (Université Laval- Med school student)

Research internship- Léa Voyer (Cégep de Garneau-Baccalauréat international)

Nesrine Imloul- (Université Laval-Bioinformatics)

Zoé Mercier (Université Laval-Sciences Biomédicales)

Lise Gourbault (Université Clermont-Ferrand)

Sara-Ève Couture (Université Laval-Sciences Biomédicales)

Marie-Lune Legros (Université Laval-Sciences Biomédicales)

Ariane Bernaquez (Université Laval-Sciences Biomédicales)

Josep Descarreaux (Université Laval-Bioinformatiques)

Eli Blondeau (Université Laval-Sciences Biomédicales)