Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-erc-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet ERC : PrefrontalMap (Horizon 2020, appel 2018, Consolidator grants)
Domaine scientifique : Life Science
Panel : Neuroscience and Disorders of the Nervous System
Entité participante : Weizmann Institute of Science — Pays : Israël — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1880003.0 €

How does experience alter the functional architecture of synaptic connections in neural circuits? This question is particularly pertinent for the complex circuits of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), a high-order associative neocortical area that plays a crucial role in flexible, goal-directed behavior. The mPFC is densely interconnected with cortical and subcortical circuits, and its neurons were shown to undergo substantial experience-dependent structural remodeling that is thought to support learning and memory consolidation. However, little is known regarding the synaptic organization of this complex circuit, and of the functional implications of its experience-dependent structural remodeling. In this proposal, we aim to uncover the organization and learning-associated dynamics of functional connectivity in the mouse mPFC. To obtain high-resolution maps of cell type-specific synaptic connectivity in the mPFC, we will combine single-cell optogenetic manipulation with calcium imaging and electrophysiology in vitro, and establish the circuit-wide organization of connectivity within and between defined projecting neuron populations. We will test the hypothesis that pyramidal neurons projecting to subcortical targets form tightly interconnected subnetworks, and that inhibitory inputs to these networks, through selective innervation, can modulate information output from the mPFC. To understand how learning changes the functional synaptic organization of the mPFC, we will establish an all-optical system for interrogation of synaptic connectivity in vivo. We will utilize this powerful platform to test the hypothesis that prefrontal-dependent learning is associated with reorganization of local-circuit functional connectivity among identified subcortically-projecting cell assemblies. Our innovative technology will be widely applicable for neural circuit analysis in a variety of systems, and allow us to gain new insights into the complex circuitry of the mPFC.

Mots-clés : synaptic connectivity,prefrontal cortex,two photon optogenetics and imaging
Projet ERC : REPGOV (Horizon 2020, appel 2020, Advanced grants)
Domaine scientifique : Social Sciences and Humanities
Panel : Institutions, Governance and Legal Systems
Entité participante : CERCA Institution — Pays : Espagne — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : CERCA;I-CERCA
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 2477902.5 €

How does representative government function when administrative policymaking has the authority to reshape democracy? The discretion that modern governments give to unelected officials, who have policy preferences themselves, not only captures the means for implementing policies, but also the authority to make tradeoffs among important democratic values to promote the outcomes they desire. REPGOV aims at exploring how governance structures shape the way officials make democratic value tradeoffs. REPGOV’s mixed-method design, scale, and scope have the potential to recast the study of public administration into more richly democratic terms, and to make unique and significant contributions to the study of political philosophy, institutions and behavior. The project has four main objectives. First, it will develop a unified theoretical approach grounded firmly political science and allied disciplines that explains why and how governance structures reinforce the values of the representative government by shaping officials’ belief systems. Second, the project grounds theory into practice through rigorous qualitative research into the way that formal and informal institutions shape belief systems. Third, through state-of-the-art machine learning methods, REPGOV will construct an important database that captures democratic values in laws and regulations and conduct large-scale observational tests of the relationship between institutional politics and the democratic values in delegated authority. Fourth, through survey and laboratory experiments, REPGOV will examine the effect of formal and informal institutions on officials’ democratic beliefs

Mots-clés : public administration,bureaucratic accountability,public sector reform,political institutions,political theory,representative government
Projet ERC : TWICEASGOOD (Horizon 2020, appel 2020, Advanced grants)
Domaine scientifique : Social Sciences and Humanities
Panel : The Social World and Its Diversity
Entité participante : Koç University — Pays : Turquie — Rôle : Partner
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 56747.5 €

How does sexism affect women’s pathway to political office? Scholars have claimed that voter sexism is over because women candidates win elections at the same rate as men. However, the emergence of a gender equality backlash, misogynistic social media campaigns and the continued under-representation of women in political office globally, indicate a need to re-examine whether sexism acts as a barrier to women’s representation. To better understand political representation, therefore, it is important to understand how and under which conditions sexism by voters, media and political parties, actual and anticipated, can lead women candidates to alter campaign behavior and strategies. For the proposed programme of research in TWICEASGOOD, we reconceptualize the “gender penalty” faced by women candidates to take into account the sexism, threats of violence that they face online, through social media, in the traditional media and in face-to-face encounters. We aim to understand the extent of these types of sexism as well as the ways in which women candidates anticipate and counter them, by being “twice as good”, in order to achieve electoral success. To better understand how encounters of “everyday sexism” on the campaign trail, both online and offline and in the media, shape women’s campaign efforts and chances at electoral success, we propose an ambitious five-year programme of research that captures candidate experiences of sexism and assesses their impact on electoral outcomes. To capture how sexism is experienced “everyday” on the campaign trail, we used a mixed-methods approach, bringing together participant-observation of candidates on the campaign trail in four countries with quantitative media analysis, candidate surveys and a battery of items administered in Round 11 of the European Social Survey to create a cross-national sexism index. This rich data will generate new insights about the causes of women’s continued under-representation in politics.

Mots-clés : women,elections,campaigns,sexism,violence against women in politics,representation,social,media,news media,communication,attitudes
Projet ERC : TWICEASGOOD (Horizon 2020, appel 2020, Advanced grants)
Domaine scientifique : Social Sciences and Humanities
Panel : The Social World and Its Diversity
Entité participante : University of London — Pays : Royaume-Uni — Rôle : Partner
Acronyme de l'entité : U. London
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 3873.89 €

How does sexism affect women’s pathway to political office? Scholars have claimed that voter sexism is over because women candidates win elections at the same rate as men. However, the emergence of a gender equality backlash, misogynistic social media campaigns and the continued under-representation of women in political office globally, indicate a need to re-examine whether sexism acts as a barrier to women’s representation. To better understand political representation, therefore, it is important to understand how and under which conditions sexism by voters, media and political parties, actual and anticipated, can lead women candidates to alter campaign behavior and strategies. For the proposed programme of research in TWICEASGOOD, we reconceptualize the “gender penalty” faced by women candidates to take into account the sexism, threats of violence that they face online, through social media, in the traditional media and in face-to-face encounters. We aim to understand the extent of these types of sexism as well as the ways in which women candidates anticipate and counter them, by being “twice as good”, in order to achieve electoral success. To better understand how encounters of “everyday sexism” on the campaign trail, both online and offline and in the media, shape women’s campaign efforts and chances at electoral success, we propose an ambitious five-year programme of research that captures candidate experiences of sexism and assesses their impact on electoral outcomes. To capture how sexism is experienced “everyday” on the campaign trail, we used a mixed-methods approach, bringing together participant-observation of candidates on the campaign trail in four countries with quantitative media analysis, candidate surveys and a battery of items administered in Round 11 of the European Social Survey to create a cross-national sexism index. This rich data will generate new insights about the causes of women’s continued under-representation in politics.

Mots-clés : women,elections,campaigns,sexism,violence against women in politics,representation,social,media,news media,communication,attitudes
Projet ERC : NEWRON (Horizon 2020, appel 2015, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Life Science
Panel : Neuroscience and Disorders of the Nervous System
Entité participante : Institut Pasteur — Pays : France — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1498955.0 €

How does the brain distinguish between memories that closely resemble each other? The hippocampal dentate gyrus has been suggested to serve this purpose by generating non-overlapping memory representations in a process termed “pattern separation”. Intriguingly, during adult life, the dentate gyrus is constantly supplied with new neurons, providing new circuit elements that can incorporate into the neuronal network. How the activity of new adult-born neurons and mature granule cells combines to drive the production and storage of distinct memories represents a new frontier in understanding brain function. However, to determine how these neurons transform similar synaptic input patterns into decorrelated spike output patterns representing distinct memories, we need to monitor and manipulate their subthreshold and suprathreshold activity during behaviour. To address these challenges, we will combine molecular, physiological and optical approaches in the mouse dentate gyrus during navigation in a virtual reality environment. We will use intracellular recordings to assess how hippocampal neurons convert synaptic inputs into spike output, 2-photon Ca2+ imaging to monitor population activity in the hippocampal circuit, and optogenetic tools to causally test the involvement of specific cell types. These experiments will allow us to address the following key questions: 1. Which behaviours trigger action potentials in identified newborn and mature dentate gyrus neurons? 2. How do synaptic inputs drive spiking in newborn and mature neurons during behaviour? 3. How are small changes in an environment encoded by synaptic inputs to newborn and mature neurons? 4. Can we differentially manipulate the activity of new and mature cells to selectively interfere with animal behaviour during pattern separation and completion tasks? Understanding the role of new and mature neurons in hippocampal function will provide fundamental insights into the cellular mechanisms of memory formation.

Mots-clés : learning,memory,electrophysiology,hippocampus,2 photon,adult neurogenesis
Projet ERC : HumanPlacenta (Horizon 2020, appel 2019, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Life Science
Panel : Physiology in Health, Disease and Ageing
Entité participante : Friedrich Miescher Institute — Pays : Suisse — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : FMI
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1896404.09 €

How does the human placenta develop and how is this influenced by the maternal uterine microenvironment? These are the central questions addressed in my proposal. Normal growth and development of the fetus depends on the placenta, the extra-embryonic organ derived from trophectoderm. Successful pregnancy depends on the earliest stages of development when placental extravillous trophoblast cells (EVT) infiltrate the uterine mucosa, the decidua. EVT invade the decidua to transform the uterine spiral arteries into a dilated vessel capable of high conductance. Deficient arterial remodelling by EVT results in miscarriage, pre-eclampsia, fetal growth restriction and stillbirth. However, excessive invasion into the uterine wall is also potentially dangerous. Thus, to achieve a successful pregnancy, a territorial boundary is drawn with a balance between fetal EVT invasion and maternal decidual cells. Understanding the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying these maternal/fetal interactions has been challenging due both to practical and ethical limitations and lack of reliable in vitro models. I have recently derived 3D culture systems (organoids) from human decidua and placenta that will provide the essential tools. I will use these organoids combined with single cell genomics, Crispr/Cas9 genome editing and tissue engineering to study: (i) the molecular mechanisms that specify the EVT lineage (ii) the role of paracrine signalling from maternal decidual glands in regulating placental development (iii) cell-cell interactions between decidua and EVT by creating an artificial model of decidua made from tailored collagen scaffolds seeded with stromal, glandular and immune cells. My proposal capitalises on the remarkable ability of organoid cultures to faithfully model human physiology. The human uterine environment in early pregnancy is crucial for reproductive success and development of an in vitro model of placentation will have a wide-ranging impact.

Mots-clés : human placenta,reproduction,trophoblast,differentiation
Projet ERC : 3DSPIN (Horizon 2020, appel 2014, Consolidator grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Fundamental constituents of matter
Entité participante : University of Pavia — Pays : Italie — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : UNIPV
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1194000.0 €

How does the inside of the proton look like? What generates its spin? 3DSPIN will deliver essential information to answer these questions at the frontier of subnuclear physics. At present, we have detailed maps of the distribution of quarks and gluons in the nucleon in 1D (as a function of their momentum in a single direction). We also know that quark spins account for only about 1/3 of the spin of the nucleon. 3DSPIN will lead the way into a new stage of nucleon mapping, explore the distribution of quarks in full 3D momentum space and obtain unprecedented information on orbital angular momentum. Goals 1. extract from experimental data the 3D distribution of quarks (in momentum space), as described by Transverse-Momentum Distributions (TMDs); 2. obtain from TMDs information on quark Orbital Angular Momentum (OAM). Methodology 3DSPIN will implement state-of-the-art fitting procedures to analyze relevant experimental data and extract quark TMDs, similarly to global fits of standard parton distribution functions. Information about quark angular momentum will be obtained through assumptions based on theoretical considerations. The next five years represent an ideal time window to accomplish our goals, thanks to the wealth of expected data from deep-inelastic scattering experiments (COMPASS, Jefferson Lab), hadronic colliders (Fermilab, BNL, LHC), and electron-positron colliders (BELLE, BABAR). The PI has a strong reputation in this field. The group will operate in partnership with the Italian National Institute of Nuclear Physics and in close interaction with leading experts and experimental collaborations worldwide. Impact Mapping the 3D structure of chemical compounds has revolutionized chemistry. Similarly, mapping the 3D structure of the nucleon will have a deep impact on our understanding of the fundamental constituents of matter. We will open new perspectives on the dynamics of quarks and gluons and sharpen our view of high-energy processes involving nucleons.

Mots-clés : hadronic physics,structure of the nucleon,spin of the nucleon,quarks and gluon,quantum chromodynamics,deep inelastic scattering,transverse momentum parton distributions
Projet ERC : 3DSPIN (Horizon 2020, appel 2014, Consolidator grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Fundamental constituents of matter
Entité participante : National Institute for Nuclear Physics — Pays : Italie — Rôle : Partner
Acronyme de l'entité : INFN
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 315000.0 €

How does the inside of the proton look like? What generates its spin? 3DSPIN will deliver essential information to answer these questions at the frontier of subnuclear physics. At present, we have detailed maps of the distribution of quarks and gluons in the nucleon in 1D (as a function of their momentum in a single direction). We also know that quark spins account for only about 1/3 of the spin of the nucleon. 3DSPIN will lead the way into a new stage of nucleon mapping, explore the distribution of quarks in full 3D momentum space and obtain unprecedented information on orbital angular momentum. Goals 1. extract from experimental data the 3D distribution of quarks (in momentum space), as described by Transverse-Momentum Distributions (TMDs); 2. obtain from TMDs information on quark Orbital Angular Momentum (OAM). Methodology 3DSPIN will implement state-of-the-art fitting procedures to analyze relevant experimental data and extract quark TMDs, similarly to global fits of standard parton distribution functions. Information about quark angular momentum will be obtained through assumptions based on theoretical considerations. The next five years represent an ideal time window to accomplish our goals, thanks to the wealth of expected data from deep-inelastic scattering experiments (COMPASS, Jefferson Lab), hadronic colliders (Fermilab, BNL, LHC), and electron-positron colliders (BELLE, BABAR). The PI has a strong reputation in this field. The group will operate in partnership with the Italian National Institute of Nuclear Physics and in close interaction with leading experts and experimental collaborations worldwide. Impact Mapping the 3D structure of chemical compounds has revolutionized chemistry. Similarly, mapping the 3D structure of the nucleon will have a deep impact on our understanding of the fundamental constituents of matter. We will open new perspectives on the dynamics of quarks and gluons and sharpen our view of high-energy processes involving nucleons.

Mots-clés : hadronic physics,structure of the nucleon,spin of the nucleon,quarks and gluon,quantum chromodynamics,deep inelastic scattering,transverse momentum parton distributions
Projet ERC : SongNeuroGen (Horizon 2020, appel 2019, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Life Science
Panel : Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution
Entité participante : Stockholm University — Pays : Suède — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1490850.0 €

How individuals choose mates is a fundamental question in evolutionary biology. Mating decisions have broad consequences, influencing individual fitness and population-level evolutionary and ecological processes, including diversification, speciation, and extinction. Discriminating against potential mates from closely related co-occurring species is a vital step in finding an appropriate mate. However, individuals from many species learn with whom to mate by first observing a variety of conspecifics, which risks mistakenly learning from co-occurring species with similar phenotypes. Genetic divergence among species in sensory perception is widely hypothesized to reduce this risk, but the underlying mechanisms and, therefore, the evolutionary causes and consequences are poorly understood. My proposal aims to uncover the causes and consequences of genetic divergence in auditory learning of songs, key species discrimination traits in birds. I have developed a powerful study system to distinguish the influences of genes and learning on species-specific song perception, employing two closely related Ficedula flycatcher species. I will use this tractable system to: (i) evaluate alternative evolutionary drivers of genetic divergence in song discrimination, (ii) determine the interplay between genetic effects and auditory learning throughout development, and (iii) associate species differences in discrimination with gene expression and, ultimately, divergence in gene regulation. To achieve these goals, I will integrate behavioural and neurogenomic approaches on populations across the flycatchers’ native range and from captive-reared populations, leveraging ongoing sequencing of songbird genomes to place flycatcher results in a broader evolutionary context. This integrative project will have the potential to radically change our understanding of the genetic basis of species differences in learned behaviors and will allow me to develop transformative, career-level research.

Mots-clés : imprinting,learning,neurogenomics,sexual selection,songbirds,species recognition,speciation
Projet ERC : MechanoSelfFate (Horizon 2020, appel 2019, Consolidator grants)
Domaine scientifique : Life Science
Panel : Cellular, Developmental and Regenerative Biology
Entité participante : Institut Pasteur — Pays : France — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1995334.0 €

How molecular and mechanical cues interplay to coordinate the morphogenesis and patterning of embryonic structures is an open question in developmental biology. The early avian embryo is an ideal model for the study of such interplay as it exhibits highly regulative development, is greatly amenable to live imaging approaches and can be readily mechanically challenged. Whereas avian embryos have long been known to remarkably adapt and readjust cell fate upon surgical perturbations, such regulative potential has been investigated solely from a molecular standpoint, leaving the role for mechanical forces unexplored. This proposal builds on our recent results and methods characterizing the mechanical control of gastrulation to investigate the role of mechanical forces in embryonic regulation and in cell fate plasticity. Specifically, we propose 1) to develop innovative tools allowing to perturb the mechanical state of early embryos in order characterize the role of forces during development; 2) to test whether a mechanical self-organizing system underlies the remarkable regulative potential avian embryos; 3) to investigate the role of mechanical forces in mesoderm, embryonic and extra-embryonic regional fate allocation. To this end, we will use an interdisciplinary approach combining novel transgenic quail lines, live imaging, and pharmacological/molecular/optogenetic/mechanical perturbations along with theoretical frameworks and modeling approaches. These studies will decipher the interplay between cellular, molecular and mechanical cues that ensures the robust, yet plastic allocation of cell fate in amniote embryos (i.e. reptiles, birds and mammals, including humans).

Mots-clés : avian,gastrulation,mechanical forces,tissue mechanics