Michel Le Moal

Michel Le Moal is Professor Emeritus at the University of Bordeaux.

Michel Le Moal has devoted his research to the functions of the central nervous system, more specifically creating in France a discipline combining behavioral neurobiology and experimental psychopathology. In the background, through the development of appropriate models, he studied the whys and wherefores of inter-individual differences and, more generally, of vulnerability in the transition from normal to pathological. Four models in particular were analyzed: processes leading to addiction, pathological aging, the effects of chronic stress and the consequences of deleterious environments, including perinatal stress. Immunological, hormonal and neuronal markers were measured throughout the animal's life, alongside behavioral, cognitive and genetic approaches. Overall, this research is integrative, not reductionist.

Page last updated: October 27, 2025