CNRS – Université de la Méditerranée, Marseille, France
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| Pierre L. Roubertoux |
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Pierre L. Roubertoux studied both psychology and biology. After completing two post-graduate theses in psychology, he was appointed professor of differential psychology at the University of Paris V, where, two years later, after completing two theses in biology, he took up the position as professor of genetics, specialising in neurogenetics. Roubertoux was chair of the department of neuroscience at the University of Paris V and has served as an expert on national and international committees. He founded the research laboratory on "Genetics, Neurogenetics and Behaviour" at the CNRS in Paris, later transferred to the Institute for Transgenesis, at Orléans, and which he directed for 18 years. He is now at the laboratory of Functional Genomics [CNRS – Université de la Méditerranée, Marseille, France] in Marseilles and has been there since 2001.
Roubertoux has published more than 150 articles in the field of behaviour genetics, and two books: Génétique et Comportement [1975] co-authored with Michèle Carlier, and
Y a-t-il des gènes de comportement? [2004]. He received the 2000 Dobzhansky Memorial Award and is now President Elect of the Behavior Genetics Association.
Roubertoux's primary interest is the identification of genes linked to behaviour and the description of neuronal and neurochemical pathways between genes and behaviour. Twenty years ago he mapped the gene first known to be involved in behaviour [the rooting response]. His wide genome scan program has focussed on complex traits [behaviour and brain correlates], studying mice, and identified chromosomal regions involved in sensorial and motor development, laterality, cognition and motor behaviour. He proved that the steroid sulfatase gene, located on the X-Y pairing region was involved in spontaneous aggression in mice.
More recently, he showed that mitochondrial polymorphism modulates the anatomy of the brain and cognitive processes, with an age-related increase in the effect. With Michèle Carlier he proved that the uterine and post-natal environments modulated the impact of genes on behavioural processes. Roubertoux and his research group are currently concentrating on two paths: [i] understanding the contribution of the mitochondria to brain development and [ii] deciphering brain and cognitive functions of genes carried in the D21S17-ETS2 region on chromosome 21.
Hobbies: Egyptian art and classical music. |
