Studying the impact of endocrine disruptors: the FNRS MIS for Anneline Pinson
Endocrine disrupting chemicals are a major public health concern. We are all exposed in our daily lives to an increasing number of these substances. Since they have harmful effects on our health, it is essential to take action. In parallel with this rise in endocrine disrupting chemicals, the incidence of neurodevelopmental disorders is also increasing. This trend cannot be explained solely by genetic factors. Environmental exposure may play an important role in the development of neurodevelopmental disorders. Therefore, this project aims to understand how developmental exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals alters, at the cellular and molecular levels, the development of the neocortex and of the hypothalamus, and especially the interactions between these two brain regions. The project will also assess the long-term consequences of early-life exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals on cognitive functions.
About Anneline
Anneline Pinson is a qualified researcher at F.R.S.-FNRS and works in the Neuroendocrinology Laboratory, where she specializes in the study of endocrine disruptors.
After obtaining a master's degree in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Liège in 2012, she went on to complete her doctoral thesis in Prof. Anne-Simone Parent's laboratory, within the Neuroendocrinology unit of the GIGA. Her research focused on the effects of persistent endocrine disruptors, such as polychlorinated biphenyls, on the hippocampus, a region of the brain essential for memory. During her PhD, she completed two research stays in Portland, in Prof. Gary Westbrook's laboratory, where she learned specialized techniques. After defending her thesis in 2016, Anneline Pinson continued her training in Germany at Prof. Wieland Huttner's laboratory at the Max Planck Institute (MPI-CBG) in Dresden. There, she focused on the development of the neocortex, the largest region of the human brain. In 2023, she returned to Belgium and rejoined Prof. Anne-Simone Parent's laboratory.
Incentive grant for scientific research - MIS
Funding instrument to support young permanent researchers who seek to develop a scientific unit focusing on a future-oriented area within their university.
The research programme should be characterised by its originality and its innovativeness as well as by its scientific autonomy from the works of the laboratory where the applicant is involved. This programme should eventually enable the researcher to acquire their independence in a “flagship” laboratory.
The MIS is granted for a duration of three years for a total amount of 450,000 euros.
