Claire Guerrier Claire Guerrier Claire Guerrier

Contact Info

Laboratoire Jean-Alexandre DIEUDONNE
Université Côte d'Azur,
Faculté des Sciences - Parc Valrose
06108 Nice Cedex 2
+33 4 89 15 04 78
Batiment Fizeau, bureau 15-02
claire.guerrier@univ-cotedazur.fr

Claire Guerrier


CNRS researcher at Laboratoire Jean Alexandre Dieudonné
Université côte d'Azur
Ph.D, Applied Mathematics and Computational Biology.

I am an applied mathematician working in computational neuroscience.
My research focuses on studying multi-scale dynamics in neurons. From synapses to neural networks, I am doing modeling and analysis of systems with multiple time and space scales, that combine continuum dynamics with stochastic effects. The main theme I am developing concerns the function of the elaborate morphology of the dendritic tree in collecting, processing and disseminating information.
Keywords: Modeling in neuroscience, Computational biology, multi-scale modeling, PDEs, stochastic processes, Brownian simulations.

CNRS researcher, Université Côte d'Azur, Laboratoire J.A. Dieudonné.
2019 - current .
CNRS researcher, CNRS IRL-CRM Montreal, Centre de Recherche en Mathématiques.
2023 - 2025 .
Visiting scholar, McGill University, Department of Physiology and Medicine - CRM
2021 - 2022 , hosted by Pr. Anmar Khadra.
Visiting scholar, McGill University, Department of Physiology and Medicine.
nov 2019 - nov 2020, hosted by Pr. Anmar Khadra.
CNRS researcher, CNRS IRL-CRM Montreal, Centre de Recherche en Mathématiques.
2021 - 2022 .

Cassandre Trioux, PhD co-supervision with Stella Krell, Université Côte d'Azur, Nice, France.
Sep 2024 -- Project: Modeling myelin plasticity using the Discrete-Duality Finite Volume Method.
Nicolas Fricker, PhD co-supervision with Laurent Monasse, Université Côte d'Azur, Nice, France.
Jan 2023 -- Project: Multi-scale modeling of growth and diffusion in branching structures: from developing neurons to fungus, finding the rules underlying experience-driven neuronal encoding and hyphal growth.
Paul Paragot, PhD co-supervision with Stella Krell, Université Côte d'Azur, Nice, France.
Oct 2020 -- Jun 2024 Thesis: Numerical analysis of the Poisson-Nernst Planck system of equation tu study signal propagation in neurons.

2023: ANR JCJC Grant SINNAPS.
Project: Multi-scale modeling and numerical analysis for signal propagation in neurons.
2022: Fellowship from EUR Spectrum (Université Côte d’Azur), funding half of a PhD student (Nicolas Fricker).
Project: Multi-scale modeling of growth and diffusion in branching structures: from developing neurons to fungus.
2020: Fellowship from EUR Spectrum (Université Côte d’Azur), to hire a PhD student (Paul Paragot).
Project: Numerical analysis, Modeling and Data analysis: characterizing and localizing calcium sources in the neuronal dendritic tree.
2016: Post-doctoral fellowship from Fyssen foundation
Funding for a two years postdoctoral position.
2015: Fellowship from Fondation pour la Recherche Médicale
Funding “Fin de thèse”, 12 months.
2014: Fellowship from Labex MemoLife
IBENS Funding, 4 months.
2014: Award Elsevier-AFFDU.

CAMBAM Symposium: Rhythms, Networks and slow-fast analysis in neural and endocrine systems, Montréal
June 2-6, 2025.
Dynamics Days Europe conference 2021, Nice
Aug 23-27, 2021.
Mathematical Biology Session at the CMS Winter Meeting 2020, Montréal
Dec 3-8, 2020.
Workshop "Non linear dynamics in Neuroscience", Nice
March 4, 2020. ModeLife event. Detailed program is available here.

Postdoctoral study at the University of British Columbia.
2016 - 2019, under the supervision of Prs. Dan Coombs and Kurt Haas, in the mathematics department and the Brain Research Center.
Experience-driven neural encoding
Modeling calcium dynamic in Xenopus tadpoles brain neurons in response to controlled visual stimuli, to study their impact on the growing and the morphology of the neurons. The final goal is to better understand how neurons process information, and improve or shift their encoding in response to experience.
PhD at École Normale Supérieure and Université Paris VI.
2011 - 2015, under the supervision of Pr. David Holcman., in the group Applied Mathematics and Computational Biology.
Multi-scale modeling and asymptotic analysis for neuronal synapses and networks.
Development and analysis of mathematical models, to determine how the properties of synapses at the molecular level shape their activity and propagate to the network level. I use several tools such as partial differential equations, stochastic processes and numerical simulations.
Master at Université Paris VI.
2010-2011, Master of Science and Technology, in Applied Mathematics and Modeling.
Agrégation in Mathematics.
2009-2010, Teaching competitive exam.
Student at École Normale Supérieure de Cachan.
2007-2011, Licence and Master with Unversité Paris VII and Université Paris VI.

  • Workshop Rhythm, Network and slow-fast analysis in neural and endocrine systems , McGill University, Montreal, Canada Jun 2025
    Talk: An algorithm based on calcium electrodiffusion predicting synaptic activity throughout the dendritic arbor.
  • Mathematics seminar, CNRS IRL , CRM, Montreal, Canada Jun 2025
    Talk: Following the max in the heat equation: signal propagation and myelin plasticity.
  • Applied Math seminar, McGill university , Montreal, Canada Feb 2024
    Talk: Numerical resolution of the Poisson-Nernst Planck system of equations using the Discrete-Duality Finite Volume Method: is neuronal plasticity occurring at the scale of the dendritic arbor?.
  • Mathematics seminar, CNRS IRL , CRM, Montréal, Canada Oct 2023
    Talk: Signal propagation in myelinated axons: relating structure to function using mathematical modeling and simulations.
  • Statistics seminar UQAM , Montréal, Canada Oct 2022
    Talk: How to detect synaptic activity in neuronal calcium imaging data.
  • Applied mathematics seminar, CNRS International Research Lab , UQAM, Montréal, Canada June 2022
    Talk: Signal propagation in myelinated axons: relating structure to function using mathematical modeling and simulations.
  • Workshop Mathematical modeling and statistical analysis in neuroscience , Institut Henri Poincaré, Paris, France Fev 2022
    Talk: Multi-scale modeling of vesicular release at neuronal synapses.
  • McGill Physiology seminar , McGill University, Montreal, Canada Dec 2020
    Talk: Signal propagation in myelinated axons: relating structure to function using mathematical modeling and simulations.
  • CAMBAM zoominar , McGill University, Montreal, Canada May 2020
    Talk: Modeling axon-myelin relationships: insights on signal propagation and modulation
  • KIM MUSE Data and Life Sciences, Université de Montpellier, France Feb 2020
    Talk: Asymptotic analysis of the narrow escape problem at a cusp. Application to multi-scale modeling of vesicular release.
  • Workshop Dreams, Université Cote d'Azur, Nice, France Dec 2019
    Talk: Emergence of spontaneous rhythmic patterns in the pre-Bötzinger Complex.
  • Mini-course Institut NeuroMod, Université Cote d'Azur, Nice, France Dec 2019
    Presentation of several tools to address multi-scale modeling in neuroscience
  • Workshop ``Advanced asymptotics of PDEs and applications'', CRM Pisa, Italia Sept 2018
    Talk: Asymptotic analysis and multi-scale modeling of vesicular release at neuronal synapses.
  • Math-Bio Seminar , University of British Columbia Vancouver, Canada March 2018
    Talk: Modeling calcium dendritic activity in Xenopus tadpole neurons.
  • Math-Bio Seminar , University of British Columbia Vancouver, Canada Jan 2017
    Talk: Multi-scale modelling of vesicular release at neuronal synapses.
  • Facultad de Ciencas Exactas y Naturales , Universidad Nacional de CUYO, Mendoza, Argentina October 2016.
    Talk: Multi-scale modeling and simulations to compute the time distribution of vesicular release at neuronal synapses.
  • Seminar of Laboratoire J.A. Dieudonné, Mathematics and interactions , Université Nice-Sopha Antipolis, Nice, France May 2016.
    Talk: Mathematical modeling and multiscale simulations for vesicular release at neuronal synapses.
  • Conference "Les probabilités de demain", Institut des Hautes Études Scientifiques, Bures-sur-Yvette, France May 2016.
    Talk: Asymptotic analysis for vesicular release at neuronal synapses
  • International Workshop on Brownian Motion in Confined Geometries, Max-Planck Institute für Physik Komplexer Systeme, Dresden. March 2014.
    Poster: Diffusion in the confined pre-synaptic terminal.
  • International Workshop on Cell Membranes, Institut Curie, Paris. March 2014.
    Poster: Emergence of spontaneous rythmic patterns in the pre-Bötzinger Complex.
  • IBENS Seminar , École Normale Supérieure, Paris. May 2012.
    Poster: Emergence of spontaneous rhythmic patterns in neural networks.

MSc Modeling for Neuronal and Cognitive System, Institut NeuroMod, Université Côte d'Azur
since 2020
  • Mathematical Modeling at the molecular and cellular level
Sept 2020 - current -- first semester Graduate course
Applied Linear Algebra, Third year, UBC, Vancouver
May-June 2018
Lecturer, Ecole Normale Supérieure, Paris
Sept - Dec 2015
  • Mathematical methods for modeling and analysis of neuronal networks, synaptic transmission and single photon response, Graduate course. In collaboration with J. Reingruber.
Tutoring in Mathematics in Paris VI.
2011-2014
  • Series and Integrals.
  • Differential equations: theory and numerical approximations.
Oral Examination in Classes Preparatoires.
2010-2012, Mathematics for Biology and Engineering.
Tutoring in Mathematics in IUT d'Orsay.
2009-2010, Mathematics for Computer Science.

The main objective of this project is to derive laws governing neuronal integration in networks, through morphological and activity-related changes, and for neurons with both myelinated and unmyelinated axons. This includes laws governing morphological changes - formation of new synapses, synaptic pruning, and protrusion and retraction of filopodia and spines - as well as activity related changes observed experimentally: short- and long-term synaptic plasticity, and adaptative myelination.