Enthused by her bachelor’s degree in Physics, Dr. Desjardins obtained her PhD in biomedical engineering from Université Pierre et Marie Curie (Paris 6) and École Polytechnique de Montréal, followed by a post-doctoral training at the University of California in San Diego. She is now an Assistant Professor in the Département de physique, de génie physique, et d’optique at Université Laval and a researcher at the Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval. Her research focuses on the imaging of vasculature and oxygenation.

A window on the brain

Our cells need oxygen to function. A change in tissue oxygenation levels can thus be a sign of various pathologies. However, to this day, few methods are available to directly measure oxygenation in biological tissues. Dr. Desjardins’ research takes advantage of a newly developed technique to measure oxygenation in mouse brain using two-photon microscopy. This method allows us to observe the development of physiological or pathological phenomena with time. She also develops biophysical models describing the links between blood flow, oxygenation, and metabolism.

In her lab, these methods are used to study the link between neuronal activity, oxygenation, and blood flow in the brain. This application is made possible by combining oxygenation measurement with light stimulation of neurons in the brains of genetically-modified mice. Another application is following the development of a tumor in a mouse cancer model. By observing the evolution of tumor blood vessels and their effect on oxygenation levels, this research will improve our understanding of the mechanisms of tumor development, with the hope of guiding future therapies.

CHUL
2705, boulevard Laurier
P-09800
Québec, QC
Canada G1V 4G2
+1 418-525-4444, extension 47531 / 47394
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Latest news

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Carrier M, Robert MÈ, St-Pierre MK, Ibáñez FG, Gonçalves de Andrade E, Laroche A, Picard K, Vecchiarelli HA, Savage JC, Boilard É, Desjardins M, Tremblay MÈ

Bone marrow-derived myeloid cells transiently colonize the brain during postnatal development and interact with glutamatergic synapses

Journal Article

iScience, 27 (7), 2024.

Abstract | Links:

Carrier M, Hui CW, Watters V, Šimončičová E, Picard K, González Ibáñez F, Vernoux N, Droit A, Desjardins M, Tremblay MÈ

Behavioral as well as hippocampal transcriptomic and microglial responses differ across sexes in adult mouse offspring exposed to a dual genetic and environmental challenge

Journal Article

Brain Behav Immun, 116 , 2024.

Abstract | Links:

Charest J, Walsh M, Genois É, Sévigny E, Schwarz PO, Gagnon L, Desjardins M

Comparison of compartmental analytical Blood-Oxygen-Level-Dependent functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging models against Monte Carlo simulations performed over cortical micro-angiograms

Journal Article

NMR Biomed, 2024.

Abstract | Links:

Guilbert J, Desjardins M

Movement correction method for laser speckle contrast imaging of cerebral blood flow in cranial windows in rodents

Journal Article

J Biophotonics, 15 (1), 2022.

Abstract | Links:

Şencan İ, Esipova T, Kılıç K, Li B, Desjardins M, Yaseen MA, Wang H, Porter JE, Kura S, Fu B, Secomb TW, Boas DA, Vinogradov SA, Devor A, Sakadžić S

Optical measurement of microvascular oxygenation and blood flow responses in awake mouse cortex during functional activation

Journal Article

J Cereb Blood Flow Metab, 42 (3), 2022.

Abstract | Links:

Mächler P, Fomin-Thunemann N, Thunemann M, Sætra MJ, Desjardins M, Kılıç K, Amra LN, Martin EA, Chen IA, Şencan-Eğilmez I, Li B, Saisan P, Jiang JX, Cheng Q, Weldy KL, Boas DA, Buxton RB, Einevoll GT, Dale AM, Sakadžić S, Devor A

Baseline oxygen consumption decreases with cortical depth

Journal Article

PLoS Biol, 20 (10), 2022.

Abstract | Links:

Carrier M, Dolhan K, Bobotis BC, Desjardins M, Tremblay MÈ

The implication of a diversity of non-neuronal cells in disorders affecting brain networks

Journal Article

Front Cell Neurosci, 16 , 2022.

Abstract | Links:

Guilbert J, Légaré A, De Koninck P, Desrosiers P, Desjardins M

Toward an integrative neurovascular framework for studying brain networks

Journal Article

Neurophotonics, 9 (3), 2022.

Abstract | Links:

Genois É, Gagnon L, Desjardins M

Modeling of vascular space occupancy and BOLD functional MRI from first principles using real microvascular angiograms

Journal Article

Magn Reson Med, 85 (1), 2021.

Abstract | Links:

Mächler P, Broggini T, Mateo C, Thunemann M, Fomin-Thunemann N, Doran PR, Sencan I, Kilic K, Desjardins M, Uhlirova H, Yaseen MA, Boas DA, Linninger AA, Vergassola M, Yu X, Lewis LD, Polimeni JR, Rosen BR, Sakadžić S, Buxton RB, Lauritzen M, Kleinfeld D, Devor A

A Suite of Neurophotonic Tools to Underpin the Contribution of Internal Brain States in fMRI

Journal Article

Curr Opin Biomed Eng, 18 , 2021.

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31 entries « ‹ 1 of 4 › »
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Active projects

  • A multimodal imaging platform to quantify noradrenergic modulation of neurovascular activity in vivo, from 2023-03-31 to 2025-03-30
  • A multimodal imaging platform to quantify noradrenergic modulation of neurovascular activity in vivo (projet enfant), from 2023-03-31 to 2025-03-30
  • Centre d'optique, photonique et lasers, from 2024-04-01 to 2030-03-31
  • Développent de méthodes d'imagerie multimodale vasculaire et de l'oxygénation, from 2018-04-01 to 2025-03-31
  • Eluciding the microvascular origin and behavioral correlates of functional connectivity during aging, from 2024-09-01 to 2026-08-31
  • Oxygenation mapping in brain tumors with qBOLD MRI, from 2024-04-01 to 2025-03-31
  • Une fenêtre sur le cerveau : l'oxygénation et la perfusion comme biomarqueurs, from 2021-07-01 to 2026-04-30
  • une fenêtre sur le cerveau : l'oxygénation et la perfusion comme biomarqueurs, from 2021-07-01 to 2025-06-30

Recently finished projects

  • Neurovascular networks : a few framework for modelling structural and functional connectivity in aging mice, from 2022-09-01 to 2024-08-31
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