From an early age, I was interested in animal biology.... Following a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences (Université Montpellier 2, France) and a master’s degree in ethology (Université Rennes 1, France), I had the opportunity to investigate 3D vision in praying mantis as a model of human stereoscopic vision in the Institute of Neurosciences (Newcastle University, UK). This internship sparked my interest in neurosciences and I consequently enrolled in a second master’s degree in neuropsychology and clinical neurosciences (Université Toulouse 3, France). During my PhD (at Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, CRNL), I investigated the impact of oculomotor plasticity on attention induced by saccadic adaptation. Since then, my research career has been guided by my profound interest in brain and synaptic plasticity. More recently, I joined Dr. Geneviève Albouy’s lab at KU Leuven (Belgium) as a postdoctoral fellow. Since then, I develop my research project using a multimodal approach (behavior, magnetic resonance imaging, electroencephalography, and EEG-contingent auditory stimulation). My current research interests aim at providing significant insights into motor memory processes and its interactions with sleep. This line of research will offer new avenues to amplify neuroplasticity, alleviate motor deficits, and increase well-being in not only healthy aging, but ultimately in those with neurological conditions.
From an early age, I was interested in animal biology.... Following a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences (Université Montpellier 2, France) and a master’s degree in ethology (Université Rennes 1, France), I had the opportunity to investigate 3D vision in praying mantis as a model of human stereoscopic vision in the Institute of Neurosciences (Newcastle University, UK). This internship sparked my interest in neurosciences and I consequently enrolled in a second master’s degree in neuropsychology and clinical neurosciences (Université Toulouse 3, France). During my PhD (at Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, CRNL), I investigated the impact of oculomotor plasticity on attention induced by saccadic adaptation. Since then, my research career has been guided by my profound interest in brain and synaptic plasticity. More recently, I joined Dr. Geneviève Albouy’s lab at KU Leuven (Belgium) as a postdoctoral fellow. Since then, I develop my research project using a multimodal approach (behavior, magnetic resonance imaging, electroencephalography, and EEG-contingent auditory stimulation). My current research interests aim at providing significant insights into motor memory processes and its interactions with sleep. This line of research will offer new avenues to amplify neuroplasticity, alleviate motor deficits, and increase well-being in not only healthy aging, but ultimately in those with neurological conditions.
From an early age, I was interested in animal biology.... Following a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences (Université Montpellier 2, France) and a master’s degree in ethology (Université Rennes 1, France), I had the opportunity to investigate 3D vision in praying mantis as a model of human stereoscopic vision in the Institute of Neurosciences (Newcastle University, UK). This internship sparked my interest in neurosciences and I consequently enrolled in a second master’s degree in neuropsychology and clinical neurosciences (Université Toulouse 3, France). During my PhD (at Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, CRNL), I investigated the impact of oculomotor plasticity on attention induced by saccadic adaptation. Since then, my research career has been guided by my profound interest in brain and synaptic plasticity. More recently, I joined Dr. Geneviève Albouy’s lab at KU Leuven (Belgium) as a postdoctoral fellow. Since then, I develop my research project using a multimodal approach (behavior, magnetic resonance imaging, electroencephalography, and EEG-contingent auditory stimulation). My current research interests aim at providing significant insights into motor memory processes and its interactions with sleep. This line of research will offer new avenues to amplify neuroplasticity, alleviate motor deficits, and increase well-being in not only healthy aging, but ultimately in those with neurological conditions.
From an early age, I was interested in animal biology.... Following a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences (Université Montpellier 2, France) and a master’s degree in ethology (Université Rennes 1, France), I had the opportunity to investigate 3D vision in praying mantis as a model of human stereoscopic vision in the Institute of Neurosciences (Newcastle University, UK). This internship sparked my interest in neurosciences and I consequently enrolled in a second master’s degree in neuropsychology and clinical neurosciences (Université Toulouse 3, France). During my PhD (at Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, CRNL), I investigated the impact of oculomotor plasticity on attention induced by saccadic adaptation. Since then, my research career has been guided by my profound interest in brain and synaptic plasticity. More recently, I joined Dr. Geneviève Albouy’s lab at KU Leuven (Belgium) as a postdoctoral fellow. Since then, I develop my research project using a multimodal approach (behavior, magnetic resonance imaging, electroencephalography, and EEG-contingent auditory stimulation). My current research interests aim at providing significant insights into motor memory processes and its interactions with sleep. This line of research will offer new avenues to amplify neuroplasticity, alleviate motor deficits, and increase well-being in not only healthy aging, but ultimately in those with neurological conditions.
From an early age, I was interested in animal biology. Following a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences (Université Montpellier 2, France) and a master’s degree in ethology (Université Rennes 1, France), I had the opportunity to investigate 3D vision in praying mantis as a model of human stereoscopic vision in the Institute of Neurosciences (Newcastle University, UK). This internship sparked my interest in neurosciences and I consequently enrolled in a second master’s degree in neuropsychology and clinical neurosciences (Université Toulouse 3, France). During my PhD (at Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, CRNL), I investigated the impact of oculomotor plasticity on attention induced by saccadic adaptation. Since then, my research career has been guided by my profound interest in brain and synaptic plasticity. More recently, I joined Dr. Geneviève Albouy’s lab at KU Leuven (Belgium) as a postdoctoral fellow. Since then, I develop my research project using a multimodal approach (behavior, magnetic resonance imaging, electroencephalography, and EEG-contingent auditory stimulation). My current research interests aim at providing significant insights into motor memory processes and its interactions with sleep. This line of research will offer new avenues to amplify neuroplasticity, alleviate motor deficits, and increase well-being in not only healthy aging, but ultimately in those with neurological conditions.
About me
From an early age, I was interested in animal biology...
FInd out about my research projects here.
Projects
Publications
Nicolas, J., King, B. R., Levesque, D., Lazzouni, L., Coffey, E., Swinnen, S., Doyon, J., Carrier, J., & Albouy, G. (2022). Sigma Oscillations Protect or Reinstate Motor Memory Depending on their Temporal Coordination with Slow Waves. eLife 11:e73930.
Targeted memory reactivation revealed that sleep ongoing processes supporting memory consolidation react differently to sensory inputs depending on their content.
Métais, C., Nicolas, J., Diara, M., Cheviet, A., & Pélisson, D. (2022). Neural substrates of saccadic adaptation: Plastic changes versus error processing and forward versus backward learning. NeuroImage, Volume 262.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119556
Oculomotor plasticity processes and error processing have specific substrates. Distinct neural substrates are also found for the two directions of adaptation.
Nicolas, J., Bidet-Caulet, A., & Pelisson, D. (2020). Reactive saccade adaptation boosts orienting of visuospatial attention. Scientific Reports, 10(1), 12 pages.
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-70120-z
Backward adaptation of leftward reactive saccades resulted in the increase of the exogenous cue benefit measured in a Posner-like paradigm only for tagets presented in the left hemifield.
Nicolas, J., Bidet-Caulet, A., & Pelisson, D. (2019). Inducing oculomotor plasticity to disclose the functional link between voluntary saccades and endogenous attention deployed perifoveally. Scientific Reports, 9, 12 pages.
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-54256-1
Endogenous cue benefit of perifoveal targets mearsured in an endogenous Posner-like paradigm was increased after the backward adaptaiton of leftward voluntary saccades.
Nicolas, J., Bompas, A., Bouet, R., Sillan, O., Koun, E., Urquizar, C., Farnè, A., Bidet-Caulet, A., Pelisson, D. (2019). Saccadic Adaptation Boosts Ongoing Gamma Activity in a Subsequent Visuoattentional Task. Cerebral Cortex, 29(9), 3606-3617.
https://doi.org/10.1093/cercor/bhy241
Gamma band activity increases after bacward adaptaiton of leftward reactive saccades in the right hemisphere during the subsequent saccadic and discrimination tasks.
Gerardin, P., Nicolas, J., Farne, A., & Pelisson, D. (2015). Increasing Attentional Load Boosts Saccadic Adaptation. Investigative Ophtamology & Visual Science, 56(11), 6304-6312. https://doi.org/10.1167/iovs.14-16149
Backward saccadic adaptation is more efficient when performed simultaneously with a high-demanding attentional task as compared to a low-demanding task.
Nityananda, V., Tarawneh, G., Rosner, R., Nicolas, J., Crichton, S., & Read, J. (2016). Insect stereopsis demonstrated using a 3D insect cinema. Scientific reports, 6, 9 pages. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep18718
3D vision illusion to praying mantis needs “anaglyph” filtering as compared to circular polarization filtering.
Work address
Movement Control and Neuroplasticity Research Group
Movement Sciences Department
KU Leuven
Tervuurse Vest 101 - Box 1501
3001 Leuven
BELGIUM