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Research interests: Our research focuses on determining cellular- and circuit-based mechanisms by which higher-order brain regions such as the hippocampus and pre-frontal cortex relay cognitive information to the hypothalamus in order to modulate innate motivated behaviors (sociability, aggression, mating). As alterations in higher brain regions contribute to neuropsychiatric diseases associated with disordered social behaviors, insight into both the normal and abnormal functions of these circuits is of critical importance. In addition, I am investigating how neuronal plasticity rules, mostly described ex vivo in brain slices, can support learning-related behaviors in vivo.
Techniques: immunohistochemistry, in situ hybridization, viral tracing of neural circuits, patch-clamp in acute slices with optogenetic, fiber-photometry, miniature endoscopes, opto- and chemogenetic in freely behaving animals. Behavioral assays of social interactions.
Representative Publications
- A magneto-mechanical genetics toolbox for in vivo neuromodulation. Leroy, F. Nat. Nanotechnol. 2024 19: pages1245–1246 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41565-024-01701-6
- Early cortical GABAergic interneurons determine the projection patterns of L4 excitatory neurons. Lorena Bragg-Gonzalo, Alfonso Aguilera, Candela González-Arias, Noelia S. De León Reyes, Alonso Sánchez-Cruz Paula Carballeira, Félix Leroy, Gertrudis Perea, and Marta Nieto Science Advances. 2024 10, Issue 19 https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adj9911
- Corticotropin-releasing hormone signaling from prefrontal cortex to lateral septum suppresses interaction with familiar mice. De León Reyes NS, Sierra Díaz P, Nogueira R, Ruiz-Pino A, Nomura Y, De Solis CA, Schulkin J, Asok A & Leroy F. Cell. 2023 186 (19), pp. 4152 - 4171.e31 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2023.08.010
- A direct lateral entorhinal cortex to hippocampal CA2 circuit conveys social information required for social memory. Lopez-Rojas J, de Solis CA, Leroy F, Kandel ER, Siegelbaum SA Neuron 2022 110 (9), pp. 1559-1572.e4 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2022.01.028
- Enkephalin release from VIP interneurons in the hippocampal CA2/3a region mediates heterosynaptic plasticity and social memory. Leroy F, de Solis CA, Boyle LM, Bock T, Lofaro OM, Buss EW, Asok A, Kandel ER, Siegelbaum SA Mol Psychiatry. 2022 27 (6): 2879-2900 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41380-021-01124-y
- Hippocampal CA2 sharp-wave ripples reactivate and promote social memory Azahara Oliva, Antonio Fernández-Ruiz, Felix Leroy & Steven A. Siegelbaum Nature 2020 587: 264 http://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-020-2758-y
- Molecular Mechanisms of the Memory Trace Asok A,Leroy F, Rayman J and Kandel ER Trends in Neuroscience 2019 42(1): 14 http://doi.org/10.1016/j.tins.2018.10.005
- A circuit from hippocampal CA2 to lateral septum disinhibits social aggression Leroy F,Park J, Asok A, Brann DH, Meira T, Boyle LM, Buss EW, Kandel ER and Siegelbaum SA Nature 2018 564(7735): 213 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-018-0772-0
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Postdoctoral Researcher
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Administration personnel
- A magneto-mechanical genetics toolbox for in vivo neuromodulation. Leroy, F. Nat. Nanotechnol. 2024 19: pages1245–1246 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41565-024-01701-6
- Early cortical GABAergic interneurons determine the projection patterns of L4 excitatory neurons. Lorena Bragg-Gonzalo, Alfonso Aguilera, Candela González-Arias, Noelia S. De León Reyes, Alonso Sánchez-Cruz Paula Carballeira, Félix Leroy, Gertrudis Perea, and Marta Nieto Science Advances. 2024 10, Issue 19 https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adj9911
- Corticotropin-releasing hormone signaling from prefrontal cortex to lateral septum suppresses interaction with familiar mice. De León Reyes NS, Sierra Díaz P, Nogueira R, Ruiz-Pino A, Nomura Y, De Solis CA, Schulkin J, Asok A & Leroy F. Cell. 2023 186 (19), pp. 4152 - 4171.e31 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2023.08.010
- Monitoring Fine and Associative Motor Learning in Mice Using the Erasmus Ladder. Staffa, A., Chatterjee, M., Diaz-Tahoces, A., Leroy, F., Perez-Otaño, I. J. Vis. Exp. 2023 e65958 https://doi.org/10.3791/65958
- A direct lateral entorhinal cortex to hippocampal CA2 circuit conveys social information required for social memory. Lopez-Rojas J, de Solis CA, Leroy F, Kandel ER, Siegelbaum SA Neuron 2022 110 (9), pp. 1559-1572.e4 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2022.01.028
- Enkephalin release from VIP interneurons in the hippocampal CA2/3a region mediates heterosynaptic plasticity and social memory. Leroy F, de Solis CA, Boyle LM, Bock T, Lofaro OM, Buss EW, Asok A, Kandel ER, Siegelbaum SA Mol Psychiatry. 2022 27 (6): 2879-2900 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41380-021-01124-y
- Top-down regulation of motivated behaviors via lateral septum sub-circuits. Besnard, A#., Leroy, F.# Mol Psychiatry . 2022 27 (8): 3119-3128 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41380-022-01599-3
- Hippocampal CA2 sharp-wave ripples reactivate and promote social memory Azahara Oliva, Antonio Fernández-Ruiz, Felix Leroy & Steven A. Siegelbaum Nature 2020 587: 264 http://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-020-2758-y
- Molecular Mechanisms of the Memory Trace Asok A,Leroy F, Rayman J and Kandel ER Trends in Neuroscience 2019 42(1): 14 http://doi.org/10.1016/j.tins.2018.10.005
- A circuit from hippocampal CA2 to lateral septum disinhibits social aggression Leroy F,Park J, Asok A, Brann DH, Meira T, Boyle LM, Buss EW, Kandel ER and Siegelbaum SA Nature 2018 564(7735): 213 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-018-0772-0
