Columbia University in the City of New York · NeurosciencePolleux Neurodevelopment Lab
Franck Polleux · New York, New York
Research Focus
Dr. Franck Polleux's lab at Columbia University focuses on understanding the development and evolution of brain circuits, particularly how unique human features emerge at the molecular level. The lab investigates how specific proteins and genes influence the structure and function of neurons and synapses, which could reveal insights into the biology of human cognitive capabilities and disorders. Through their research, they aim to uncover the cellular mechanisms involved in brain development and their implications for neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative diseases.
cortical circuitssynaptic plasticitygene duplicationneuron developmenthuman evolution
Research Aims
4AIM 01Investigate the role of Pdzd8 in endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria interaction in neurons.
AIM 02Explore how human-specific gene duplications affect brain circuit development.
AIM 03Analyze the impact of SRGAP2C on synaptic maturation and function in neurons.
AIM 04Study the relationship between gene function and behavior in human cortical circuits.
Skills the Lab Values
cell culturemolecular biology techniquesimmunohistochemistrygenetic manipulation in miceimaging techniqueselectrophysiologyRNA sequencingbioinformaticsdata analysis
Output against the department
Publications185top 40% of dept.268th of 671
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations14ktop 28% of dept.188th of 671
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.