CHBH presents an AMICO Lab Seminar: Dr Michèle Desjardins

Neuro-vascular imaging and modelling in the aging mouse brain

Dr Michèle Desjardins

Friday 5th June 2026 1-2pm

In-person: Gisbert Kapp NG16

Online: Zoom - join here

We are delighted to announce the CHBH and CHBH PI Enrico Amico will welcome Dr Michèle Desjardins, Assistant Professor at Université Laval, Québec, Canada, to present a hybrid Seminar on Neuro-vascular imaging and modelling in the aging mouse brain.

CHBH Host: Dr Enrico Amico

Human fMRI studies of aging have revealed changes in brain network characteristics which appear related to cognitive decline. However, fMRI is an oxygen-based contrast determined by the interplay of many factors, including neurovascular coupling, cerebrovascular reactivity, cerebral blood flow and volume, all of which are modified during aging. It thus remains uncertain exactly which aspect of brain function are reflected in aging-related fMRI network differences. Preclinical imaging in mice can help disentangle neuronal and vascular changes during aging. This talk will present some of our ongoing efforts to develop and apply imaging and modelling tools to study neuronal and vascular function in mice.

First, I will show how a linear model of fMRI functional connectivity revealed its correlation with neuronal structural connectivity, as expected - but also with regional microvascular structure. Then, I will present some preliminary data from our ongoing longitudinal study in aging mice. This data combines microvascular structure, cortical neuronal and vascular functional connectivity, and behavioural assessments. Finally, I will discuss some biophysical models that we develop in our efforts to mechanistically explore the microvascular origin of fMRI signals.

Dr Michèle Desjardins

After obtaining a bachelor’s degree in physics, Michèle Desjardins continued her studies with a PhD in biomedical engineering in joint supervision between the Pierre and Marie Curie University Paris 6 and Polytechnique Montréal, completed by a post-doctoral internship at the University of California, San Diego. She is now an assistant professor in the Department of Physics, Engineering Physics, and Optics at Université Laval in Québec City, Canada. Her research focuses on in vivo imaging of neurons and blood vessels and numerical modelling.