Sonia Garel


Sonia Garel is a French neurobiologist, professor at the Collège de France and head of a research team at the Institut de biologie de l'Ecole normale supérieure in Paris.
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Early life and education

Garel was born in Paris. She studied engineering at the AgroParisTech as an undergraduate. She moved to the Paris-Sorbonne University for graduate research, where she specialised in molecular and cellular neurobiology. Her doctoral research considered developmental biology. She moved to the University of California, San Francisco as a postdoctoral researcher with John Rubenstein. In 2003, she returned to France as an Inserm Research Officer.

Research and career

In 2008, Garel joined the Institut of Biology of the Ecole Normale Superieure. She was made professor at the Collège de France in 2020. She was elected to the Scientific Council of the City of Paris in 2021.
Sonia Garel's research focuses on understanding the mechanisms by which neuronal circuits are assembled during embryogenesis9,10 and after birth. She is particularly interested in the dynamics of neuronal migration and the roles of cells of the brain's immune system, known as microglia11. Her research has shown that these brain macrophages contribute to the proper wiring of brain circuits. It has also shown that microglia are involved in the deleterious effects of prenatal inflammation, a potential risk factor for neurodevelopmental diseases. This work also highlights the fact that microglia respond to environmental modifications, such as changes in intestinal microbiota, as early as the prenatal stages.

Awards and honours