Professor Frederic Meunier

Professor and Academic Snr Gp Lead

Queensland Brain Institute
f.meunier@uq.edu.au
+61 7 334 66373

Overview

Professor Frederic Meunier obtained his Masters degree in Neurophysiology at the Paris XI University, France in 1992 and completed his Ph.D in Neurobiology at the CNRS in Gif-sur-Yvette, France in 1996. He was the recipient of a European Biotechnology Fellowship and went on to postgraduate work at the Department of Biochemistry at Imperial College (1997-1999) and at Cancer Research UK (2000-2002) in London, UK. After a short sabbatical at the LMB-MRC in Cambridge (UK), he became a group leader at the School of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Queensland (Australia) in 2003. He joined the Queensland Brain Institute of the University of Queensland in 2007 and obtained an NHMRC senior research fellowship in 2009 renewed in 2014 with promotion. He became Professor in 2014 at the Queensland Brain Institute and is currently part of the Centre for Ageing Dementia Research.

Research Interests

  • Nanoscale organisation of the synapse
    Use of single molecule imaging to track botulinum neurotoxin interaction with the neuronal membrane Use of single molecule imaging to uncover the change in presynaptic nanoscale organization occurring during neurotransmitter release (endocytosis) Use of single molecule imaging to uncover the change in presynaptic nanoscale organization occurring during neurotransmitter release (exocytosis)
  • Track epigenetic modifications elicited by synaptic plasticity associated with memory
    Understanding how memory is encoded in neurons require a deeper understanding of how pre- and post-synaptic plasticity affect the mesoscale organisation of our DNA via epigenetic modifications.
  • PROJECT 3: Synaptic remodelling.
    Neurotrophins are signalling molecules capable of inducing neurite outgrowth but it is not clear how they can affect the overall physiology of the neuron when the soma is located as far away as 1 metre from the site of uptake. Our strategy will be to establish a versatile and accessible in vitro model based on compartmentalised cultures (Campenot chambers) closely matching the reality of the neuromuscular system. The principle is to monitor and analyse neurite outgrowth and establishment of functional synapses with myocytes in communicant chambers. The binding, uptake, packaging of neurotrophic factors, their retrograde transport and eventual delivery will be investigated with a series of technical approaches ranging from classical binding studies to imaging of synaptic activity, time-lapse fluorescent video microscopy imaging of fluorescently-tagged factors and immunocytochemical approaches.
  • Nanoscale initiation of neurodegenerative diseases
    Use of single molecule imaging to uncover the change in Fyn and associated signalling cascade occurring during the development of Alzheimer’s disease Use of single molecule imaging to uncover the change in a-synuclein nanoscale organization in neurons associated with various disease-causing mutations

Publications

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Supervision

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Publications

Featured Publications

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Other Outputs

Grants (Administered at UQ)

PhD and MPhil Supervision

Current Supervision

  • Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor

    Other advisors:

  • Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor

    Other advisors:

  • Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor

    Other advisors:

  • Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor

    Other advisors:

Completed Supervision