HOMAIRA NAWABI

Neurosciences, Molecular Biology; Cellular Biology, developmental biology

TEACHING ACTIVITES

2021- Current: BIP Master- Sorbonne University- Paris (3h- 15 students)

2017- Current: Ecole Normale Supérieure- Lyon- Neuroscience Master students (3h- 20 students)

2016- Current: Grenoble-Alpes University for Neuroscience Master students (3h- 20 students)

2009-2010: Lyon Medical School in Molecular and Cellular Biology (30h- classes 40 students)

2005-2008: University Of Lyon- Molecular Biology; Genetics; Developmental Biology (64h/year- classes of 30 students).

EDUCATION

2022: HDR - Grenoble Alpes University- Ecole Doctorale Chimie Sciences du Vivant

2018: Experimental surgery on rodents- Grenoble Alpes University

2009: PhD in Neuro-development at University of Lyon (France). Advisor: Valerie Castellani, PhD

2008: DIU animal experimentation level 1 at Ecole Normale Supérieure Lyon (France)

2005: Master’s degree in Functional Genetics and Oncology at University of Lyon (France)

CURRENT POSITION

2023-Current: DR2-Inserm. Group leader at Grenoble Institute of Neuroscience, France

PREVIOUS POSITIONS

2016 - 2023: CR1-Inserm. Group leader at Grenoble Institute of Neuroscience, France

2010-2016: Postdoctoral Fellow in the department of Neurology at Harvard Medical School/ Boston Children’s Hospital (USA). Advisor: Pr. Zhigang He. (1) Identifying the premotor circuit of hindlimb muscle (2) Intrinsic mechanisms of axonal regeneration (4 articles, 1 review and 1 award).

2005-2009: Graduate Student at University of Lyon (France). Advisor: Dr. Valérie Castellani. Molecular triggers of commissural axon sensitization to Semaphorin3B signaling at the ventral midline (6 articles, 1 review and 2 awards)

FUNDING- selected

2023-2027: FRM Equipe- 500k€

2022-2025: UNADEV- 200k€

2022-2025: IRGA-100k€

2022-2025: Wings for Life- 200k€

2021-2025: ANR- from National Research Agency (France) 360k€

2021-2023: Neurodis Foundation - 50k€

2018-2021: NRJ Foundation- French Academia of Science- Grand Scientific Price (Principal Investigator).150k€

2018-2023: ERC- Starting Grant. 1,5M€

2016-2020: ANR-ACHN (Hosting High-Level Researchers) 400k€

• PRIZES

2023: Talenteuses- French government Program to train the next leaders (100 positions for 800 applications)

2021: XXelles Ambassador to promote Women in Science (20 Ambassadors selected for 100 applications)

2018: NRJ Foundation- French Academia of Science- Grand Scientific Prize (150k€)

• INVITED PRESENTATIONS- Since 2015, I have been invited to 19 oral presentations, including:

2024:  International Neural Regeneration Symposium (Guangzhou, China). Axon guidance during CNS regeneration [forthcoming]

2023: Development, Plasticity and Regeneration of Neural Circuits (Alicante, Spain). Axon guidance during CNS regeneration

2023: Gordon Conference- Central nervous system injury and Repair (Tuscany, Italy). Axon guidance during CNS regeneration

2023: International online Spinal Cord Injury Research Seminars (University of Texas, USA). Axon guidance during CNS regeneration

2023: 15th Göttingen meeting of the German neuroscience society (Germany). Adult axon guidance to reform functional neuronal circuit in the visual system

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• ADMINISTRATIVE ACTIVITIES

2016-current: Member of steering committee at the Grenoble Institute of Neuroscience

2016-Current: Scientific coordinator of all the grants obtained in my lab

2017-2019: Co-Scientific manager of the Imaging facility of the Grenoble Institute of Neuroscience

2020-2021: Member of the strategic pole of the Grenoble Institute of Neuroscience

2021-2022: Member of the selection committee for Health Biology Chemistry EUR-UGA

2022-Current: Member of the selection committee for PhD Fellowships at the Grad School EDCSV

• SUPERVISION OF GRADUATE STUDENTS AND POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWS

2016-Current: Supervision of 6 Master 2 Students, 3 Master 1 Students,10 Rotating Students and 8 Technicians and 5 PhD Students (three are currently in the lab (end in 2025 for two and one in 2026) and 3 Post docs (one is currently in the lab). I am devoted to supporting my lab members’ career development. 2 former PhD students pursue their journey in academia as post-doctoral fellows (at C Moro’s lab at CEA Grenoble and at M Cayouette’s lab at McGill University, Canada). One former postdoc is building her independent lab at Institut de Biologie de Development de Marseille (France) and the other one is a researcher in industry (Paris, France). The quality of their work was recognized through prizes: J Schaeffer, post doc obtained the poster prize at the 2022 Axon regeneration Gordon Conference (USA) and N Vilallongue, PhD Student, obtained the prize from Fondation Aveugles de Guerre (2023) and Treilles Fondation (2023).

2010-2016: Supervision of 4 Technicians, 1 rotating student (obtained his PhD from Harvard) and training of 8 outside users (graduate/postdoc) for molecular biology, neuronal primary/explant cultures, optic nerve and spinal cord processing and imaging techniques. He laboratory -Boston Childrens Hospital-Harvard Medical School- USA

2005-2009: Supervision of 2 Technicians, 1 short-term student and 2 graduate students (one currently senior microscopist at the Francis Crick Institute, UK and the other one is Global study manager at Covance). The Castellani lab- University of Lyon, France

• EDITING AND REVIEWING ACTIVITIES

- Reviewer since 2017 (an average of 6 to 8 per year): for Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience; Experimental Neurology; Journal of Neurotrauma; Cerebral Cortex; Neural Regeneration Research; Scientific Reports; Molecular Psychiatry; Cell Chemical Biology; Development

- Grant reviewer for Pasteur Institute - Paris (2018), Centre Hospitalo-Universitaire Nice (2019), the Swiss 3R Competence center grants, European Research Council (ERC-Advanced Grant), Agence Nationale pour la recherche (ANR), FRC (Fédération pour la Recherche sur le Cerveau)

- Guest editor for Frontiers in Ageing Neuroscience (2020-2021)

• MEETING ORANIZATION

2022: Co-Organizer (with Pr Francesco Roselli- Ulm University- Germany) of a symposium for the 12^th World Congress of NeuroRehabilitation 2022 (Vienna, Austria)

• THESIS ADVISORY COMMITTEE and THESIS JURY

Member of 6 ongoing or past advisory committees in France or Germany. Since 2019, in the jury of 11 thesis in France and one in Germany

• MEMBERSHIPS OF SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES

French Society of Developmental Biology (2020-); French Society of Neurosciences (2008-); Society for Neurosciences (2008-); French Club of Spinal cord and its pathologies (2023- Member of the bureau)

• PROMOTING WOMEN IN SCIENCE

2023-Current: Member of « Parity in Science » and « Women for Science »

2023-Current: Member of the bureau of the “Asia Women for Future” Foundation

2022-Current: Ambassador for Grenoble Alpes University Foundation regarding students in exile

PUBLIC OUTREACH (selected activities)

2020- current: I visit 2 to 3 schools per year to promote scientific careers (students are 12 to 15 years old)

2018 to 2023: 4 highlights of my work in the Inserm Magazine (n°41-55-57-58)

2017 and 2022: Pint of Science Grenoble

2023 : RedBulletin (RedBull magazine -April 2023) : « Les régénérateurs » (https://www.redbull.com/fr-fr/theredbulletin/rencontre-avec-la-neurobio…)

2023: Meeting and discussing science with patients organized with Wings for Life and RedBull

(https://youtu.be/2AYR0EdafIQ?si=BkYNhaVkxARnJfuJ)

2019 : « La Recherche magasine »: « Un cocktail moléculaire fait repousser les neurones » (Mai 2019 n°547)

2017: The Conversation: https://theconversation.com/ces-chercheurs-qui-font-repousser-les-nerfs…

PUBLICATIONS

Total number of 20 publications referenced in Pubmed (2005-2023) with 5 last author articles: Frontiers in Mol Neurosciences (IF: 4), Nature Communications (IF: 17), Neuron (IF: 18,6) and 2 Neural Regeneration Research (IF: 6); 5 first or co-first authorarticles: 3 Neuron (IF:15), 1 Genes & Dev (IF:12.64) and 1 Journal of Neuroscience (IF:6.3), 2 first author reviews and 8 collaborative papers in Neuron, PloS Biology (IF: 9.5), PloS Genetics (IF:7.5), EMBO Journal (IF:10.4), Nature Neuroscience (IF:16), Science (IF: 20,5) and Mol Cell Biol (IF:4.77). Total number of 1286 citations and H-index 14 (Google scholar). Total number of 1276 citations without self-citations, average citation by item 55 and H-index 13 (web of science).

Publications arising from independent laboratory (2020-current)

1- Schaeffer J, Vilallongue N, Blot B, El Bakdouri N, Decourt C, Plissonnier E, Excoffier B, Paccard A, Diaz JJ, Humbert S, CatezF, Saudou F, Nawabi H^*, Belin S^*. Customization of translational complex regulates mRNA-specific translation to control CNS regeneration. Neuron 2023 * equal contribution

2- Decourt C, Schaeffer S, Blot B, Paccard A, Excoffier B, Pende M, Nawabi H, Belin S. The RSK-RPS6 Axis Controls the Preconditioning Effect and Induces Spinal Cord Regeneration. Plos Biology 2023

3- Vilallongue N, Schaeffer J, Hesse AM, Delpech C, Paccard A Couté Y, Belin S, Nawabi H. Axon guidance modalities in CNS regeneration revealed by quantitative proteomic analysis. Nature Communications 2022

4- SchaefferJ*, Delpech C*, Albert F, Belin S, Nawabi H. Adult mouse retina explants: an ex vivo window to explore central nervous system diseases. * co first autors; co-lead. Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience 2020

5- Sonoda T, Li JY, Hayes NW, Chan JC, Okabe Y, Belin S, Nawabi H, Schmidt TM. A noncanonical inhibitory circuit dampens behavioral sensitivity to light. Science 2020

Publications arising from post-doctoral work (2014-2016)

1- Chandran V, Coppola G, Nawabi H, Omura T, Versano R, Huebner EA, Zhang A, Costigan M, Yekkirala A, Barrett L, Blesch A, Michaelevski I, Davis-Turak J, Gao F, Langfelder P, Horvath S, He Z, Benowitz L, Fainzilber M, Tuszynski M, Woolf CJ, Geschwind DH. A Systems-Level Analysis of the Peripheral Nerve Intrinsic Axonal Growth Program. Neuron 2016 Mar 2;89(5):956-70.

Comment in Neuron. 2016 Mar 2;89(5):881-4. And Nat Rev Neuro 2016 Apr;17(4):197.

2-Nawabi H*, Belin S*, Cartoni R*, Williams PR, Wang C, Latremolière A, Wang X, Zhu J, Taub DG, Fu X, Yu B, Gu X, Woolf CJ, Liu JS, Gabel CV, Steen JA, He Z. Doublecortin-Like Kinases Promote Neuronal Survival and Induce Growth Cone Reformation via Distinct Mechanisms. Neuron 2015 Nov 18;88(4):704-19. *equal contribution

3-Belin S* Nawabi H*, Wang C, Tang S, Latremoliere A, Warren P, Schorle H, Uncu C, Woolf CJ, He Z, Steen JA. Injury-induced decline of intrinsic regenerative ability revealed by quantitative proteomics. Neuron 2015 May 20;86(4):1000-14.)^*equal contribution. Article cited as Editor’s choice in Science Signaling 26 May 2015 Vol.8 issue378

4-Ni Y*, Nawabi H*, Liu X, Yang L, Miyamichi K, Tedeschi A, Xu B, Wall NR, Callaway EM, He Z. Characterization of long descending premotor propriospinal neurons in the spinal cord. J Neurosci. 2014 Jul 9;34(28):9404-17 *equal contribution

Publications arising from PhD work (2005-2012)

1- Charoy C*, Nawabi H*, Reynaud F, Derrington E, Bozon M, Wright K, Falk J, Helmbacher F, Kindbeiter K, Castellani V. gdnf activates midline repulsion by Semaphorin3B via NCAM during commissural axon guidance. Neuron. 2012 Sep 20;75(6):1051-66. *equal contribution

2-Nawabi H*, Briançon-Marjollet A*, Clark C, Sanyas I, Takamatsu H, Okuno T, Kumanogoh A, Bozon M, Takeshima K, Yoshida Y, Moret F, Abouzid K, Castellani V. A midline switch of receptor processing regulates commissural axon guidance in vertebrates Genes Dev. 2010 Feb 15;24(4):396-410. *equal contribution

3-Delloye-Bourgeois C, Jacquier A, Charoy C, Reynaud F, Nawabi H, Thoinet K, Kindbeiter K, Yoshida Y, Zagar Y, Kong Y, Jones YE, Falk J, Chédotal A, Castellani V. PlexinA1 is a new Slit receptor and mediates axon guidance function of Slit C-terminal fragments. Nat Neurosci. 2015 Jan;18(1):36-45. Comment in Cell Adh Migr 2015;9(6):417-21. 

4-Benadiba C, Magnani D, Niquille M, Morlé L, Valloton D, Nawabi H, Ait-Lounis A, Otsmane B, Reith W, Theil T, Hornung JP, Lebrand C, Durand B.The ciliogenic transcription factor RFX3 regulates early midline distribution of guidepost neurons required for corpus callosum development. PLoS Genet. 2012;8(3):e1002606.

5-Bechara A, Nawabi H, Moret F, Yaron A, Weaver E, Bozon M, Abouzid K, Guan JL, Tessier-Lavigne M, Lemmon V, Castellani V. FAK-MAPK-dependent adhesion disassembly downstream of L1 contributes to semaphorin3A-induced collapse. EMBO J. 2008 Jun 4;27(11):1549-62.

6-Briançon-Marjollet A, Ghogha A, Nawabi H, Triki I, Auziol C, Fromont S, Piché C, Enslen H, Chebli K, Cloutier JF, Castellani V, Debant A, Lamarche-Vane N. Trio mediates netrin-1-induced Rac1 activation and axon outgrowth and guidance. Mol Cell Biol. 2008 Apr;28(7):2314-23.

7-Falk J, Bechara A, Fiore R, Nawabi H, Zhou H, Hoyo-Becerra C, Bozon M, Rougon G, Grumet M, Püschel AW, Sanes JR, Castellani V. Dual functional activity of semaphorin 3B is required for positioning the anterior commissure. Neuron. 2005 Oct 6;48(1):63-7

Reviews:

1- Schaeffer J, Vilallongue N, Belin S, Nawabi H. Axon guidance in regeneration of the mature central nervous system: step by step. Neural Regen Res 2023 18(12):2665-2666. 

2- Chou Y, Nawabi H, Li J Research hotspots and trends for axon regeneration (2000-2021): a bibliometric study and systematic review. Inflamm Regen. 2022 Dec 7;42(1):60.

3- Vilallongue N, Nawabi H. Visual system regeneration: what’s next? Neuronal Regeneration Research 2022 Apr;17(4):800-802.

4- Nawabi H, Zukor K, He Z. No simpler than mammals: axon and dendrite regeneration in Drosophila. Genes Dev. 2012 Jul 15;26(14):1509-14

5- Nawabi H*, Castellani V. Axonal commissures in the central nervous system: how to cross the midline? Cell Mol Life Sci. 2011 Aug;68(15):2539-53. *Corresponding author

Book Chapter:

Belin S, N Vilallongue, Nawabi H. Axon guidance, genes and proteins. Proteomics, Multi-Omics and Systems Biology in Optic Nerve Regeneration. 2023 Elsevier.

Belin S and Nawabi H. CNS Disease and Regeneration: When Growing Is Not Enough. Wolkenhauer, Olaf (ed.), Systems Medicine: Integrative, Qualitative and Computational Approaches. 2021-vol. 2, pp. 31–40. Oxford: Elsevier.

My whole career’s focus is the formation of neuronal circuits. During my PhD (Castellani Lab, Lyon, France), I uncovered a new mechanism modulating developing axons response to guidance cues: I showed that guidance receptor trafficking is regulated by calpain activity (Genes&Dev 2010; Neuron 2012). Then I moved to Harvard Medical School (Z.He Lab, USA) to study mature nervous system regeneration. I identified the pre-motor circuit in the spinal cord (J Neuroscience 2014). I also uncovered the specific neuronal response to axon injury, unlocking a milestone in the field: long distance regeneration from the eye to the brain (Neuron 2015a, 2015b). However, this massive regeneration comes with a price: growing is not enough and many axons fail to connect their proper targets, which contributes to functional recovery failure. The focus of my own lab (since 2016), at the Grenoble Institute of Neuroscience (France), is to integrate all the necessary molecular and cellular processes (axon growth, guidance, connectivity) to rebuild a functional neuronal circuit following an injury. My training in circuit formation both in the embryo and the mature organism, as well as my expertise and unique tools I developed (Frontiers in Mol Neuro 2020) put me in the best position to tackle these questions. The originality of my projects has been acknowledged by the award of major highly competitive grants (including an ERC-Stg-2017 and ANR-ACHN 2015; ANR PRC 2021). From the work of my lab, I uncovered new mechanisms underlying CNS regeneration: ribosome customization is key to control CNS regeneration (Neuron 2023). I demonstrated that axon guidance is also fundamental in adult regeneration to control growing axons direction to lead them toward their original target (Nature Communications 2022; Biorxiv 2023). This work allowed me to gain an international recognition (characterized by prize, publications and key meeting invitations) for my expertise in circuit development, axon regeneration, molecular and cellular neuroscience.  I am involved in teaching the new generation of students, as I regularly give lectures to Master Students across different French universities.