Agnes Nadjar

Agnes Nadjar is a Professor of Neuroscience and leads the research group ‘Neuroimmunology of metabolic health and disease’ (NOMAD) at the Institute of Neurodegenerative Diseases at the University of Bordeaux. Her research aims at understanding how the immune system and the central nervous system communicate, both under healthy conditions and during disease. She is particularly interested in how this two-way “neuroimmune” dialogue shapes whole-body metabolism, in both males and females. A major focus of her research is the interaction between microglia—the brain’s resident immune cells—and neurons. She explores how these interactions are influenced by diet, with a special emphasis on the role of lipids in regulating microglial physiology. Beyond microglia, she also investigates how other types of immune cells contribute to metabolic regulations. To address these questions, she combines a broad range of approaches, from cell and molecular physiology to in vivo models and behavioral studies. Ultimately, by uncovering the mechanisms of neuroimmune communication, she aims to understand how lifestyle and diet influence whole-body metabolism, and to open new avenues for preventing or treating metabolic and neurological diseases. 

Agnes Nadjar got a PhD in neuroscience from the University of Bordeaux in 2004, followed by two post-docs on neurodegeneration and on glial cells. In 2011, she was appointed Associate Professor at the University of Bordeaux to study the effects of the nutritional environment on microglia–neuron interactions and their role in mood and cognitive disorders. In 2019, she was promoted to Full Professor, and since 2020, she focuses on neuroimmune mechanisms regulating metabolism. In 2021, she became junior member of the 'Institut Universitaire de France' and in 2025, she was promoted to the rank of 'Professeur classe exceptionelle'.  

Selected publications: 

- Cutugno G, Kyriakidou E, Nadjar A (2024) Rethinking the role of microglia in obesity. Neuropharmacology, Aug 1;253:109951.  

- Paolicelli RC, Sierra A, Stevens B, Tremblay ME et al (100+ internationally recognized microglia specialists) (2022) Microglia states and nomenclature: A field at its crossroads. Neuron, Nov 2;110(21):3458-3483 

- Leyrolle Q, Decoeur F, Dejean C, Brière G, Leon S, Bakoyiannis I, Baroux E, Sterley T, Bosch-Bouju C, Morel L, Amadieu C, Lecours C, St-Pierre MK, Bordeleau M, De Smedt-Peyrusse V, Sere A, Schwendimann L, Grégoire S, Bretillon L, Acar N, Joffre C, Ferreira G, Raluca U, Thebault P, Gressens P, Tremblay ME, Layé S, Nadjar A (2022) N-3 PUFA deficiency disrupts oligodendrocyte maturation and myelin integrity during brain development. Glia. Jan;70(1):50-70. 

- C. Madore, Q. Leyrolle, L. Morel, M. Rossitto, A.D. Greenhalgh, J.C. Delpech, M. Martinat, C. Bosch-Bouju, J. Bourel, B. Rani, C. Lacabanne, A. Thomazeau, K.E. Hopperton, S. Beccari, A. Sere, A. Aubert, V. De Smedt-Peyrusse, C. Lecours, K. Bisht, L. Fourgeaud, S. Gregoire, L. Bretillon, N. Acar, N. J. Grant, J. Badaut, P. Gressens, A. Sierra, O. Butovsky, M.E. Tremblay, R.P. Bazinet, C. Joffre, A. Nadjar*, S. Layé* (2020). Essential omega-3 fatty acids tune microglial phagocytosis of synaptic elements in the mouse developing brain. Nature Communications 11, 6133 30 nov 2020, DOI : 10.1038/s41467-020-19861-z  

- Delpech JC, Saucisse N, Aubert A, Casenave F, Sans N, Layé S, Ferreira G and Nadjar A (2015). Microglial activation exacerbates associative taste memory through purinergic modulation of glutamatergic neurotransmission, The Journal of Neuroscience, Feb 18;35(7):3022-33