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Xavier defended his thesis in December 2005 at the University Paul Sabatier in Toulouse, under the direction of Luc and Anne Pénicaud LORSIGNOL. The topic of his thesis was "the electrophysiological characterization of  hypothalamic glucose-sensing neurons and their role in feeding behavior". His data highlighted the existence of four distinct subpopulations of glucose-sensing neurons detecting increases or decreases in the glucose level. His work also highlighted their role in the hypothalamic neural networks controlling food intake.
Following his thesis, he went for a post-doctoral fellowship from 2006 to 2010 at Rutgers University, NJ, USA under the direction of Prof. Vanessa H Routh. He studied the involvement of nitric oxide (NO) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the detection and regulation of hypoglycemia. His results showed that NO is produced in the hypothalamus during hypoglycemia and participates in activation of glucose-sensing neurons and stimulation of the counter-regulation. His data also showed that ROS are produced in the hypothalamus during recurrent episodes of hypoglycemia and induce a phenomena of S-nitrosylation inhibiting  counter-regulation.
Then he was recruited at INRA in 2010 at the CSGA (Center of Taste and Feeding Behavior) in Dijon, in the team of Luc Pénicaud and Corinne Leloup. In this team, he pursued the study of hypothalamic glucose-sensitive neurons and their role in regulating food intake and energy metabolism. His latest data showed that a new ion channel, the TRPC3 channel , is involved in the detection of increased glucose level by glucose-sensing neurons and the regulation of food intake and glucose homeostasis.
He arrived September 1st in Team 1 (Psychoneuroimmunologie and Nutrition) of the NutriNeuro laboratory. His project will examine the impact of alterations in energy metabolism on serotonin neurons and the regulation of moods (anxiety, depression). He will especially be interested in the role of insulin and the impact of insulin resistance (type 2 diabetes) in the regulation of serotoninergic neurons and mood disorders.

Welcome to Xavier!