I am a neuroscientist working at the interface of neurophysiology, neuroimaging and applied mathematics. Im fascinated by how the brain self-organizes, diversifies and adapts – and Im using math as a microscope.
How can the brain express such a rich yet stable repertoire of dynamics? What goes wrong in case of diseases such as epilepsy, multiple sclerosis and depression? What can we do about it?
To answer these questions, my team and myself are trying to close the gap between experiments, modelling and biomedical applications, using data, computation and math. Currently, my interdisciplinary lab explores 1) white matter plasticity and neuron-glia interactions; 2) How seizures occur in neural circuits, why, and what can we do prevent them; 3) Optimize techniques of neural control and non-invasive brain stimulation.
If you want to know more about my research:
- What epilepsy teaches us about diversity and resilience
- Neurostimulation may herald a new treatment for depression
- Brains manage neurons like air traffic controllers manage airplane movements
Selected Publications
- Talidou A, Frankland P, Mabbott D, Lefebvre J. (2022) Homeostatic coordination and up-regulation of neural activity by activity-dependent myelination. Nature Computational Science (In Press)
- Rich S, Chameh H, Lefebvre J, Valiante TA (2022) Loss of neuronal heterogeneity in epileptogenic human tissue renders neural networks more susceptible to sudden changes in synchrony. Cell Reports 39 (8): 110863 (shared senior authorship)
- Hutt A, Wahl T, Voges N, Haussmann J, Lefebvre J (2021) Coherence resonance by partial stimulation in a random Erdos-Renyi network : mean-field theory. Frontiers in Applied Mathematics and Statistics. https://doi.org/10.3389/fams.2021.697904
- Skinner F, Rich S, Lunyov A, Lefebvre J, Chatzikalymniou A. (2021) A hypothesis for theta rhythm frequency control in CA1 microcircuits, Frontiers in Neural Circuits 15:31
- Noori R, Park D, Griffiths JD, Bells S, Frankland PW, Mabbott D, Lefebvre J (2020) Activity-dependent myelination: A glial mechanism of oscillatory self-organization in large-scale brain networks. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) 117 (24), 13227-13237
- Bells S, Lefebvre J, Yeh EA, Mabbott D (2019) White Matter Plasticity and Maturation in Human Cognition. Glia. doi: 10.1002/glia.23661
- Mierau A, Klimesch W, Lefebvre J. (2017) State-Dependent Alpha Peak Frequency Shifts: Experimental Evidence, Potential Mechanisms and Functional Implications. Neuroscience 360: 146-154
- Herrmann C, Ionta S, Hutt A, Murray MM, Lefebvre J. (2016) Shaping Intrinsic Oscillatory Neural Activity with Periodic Stimulation. Journal of Neuroscience 36(19):5328-37