Profile of Claude Desplan

Abstract

“I have been in science for four decades and my enthusiasm is still as fresh as on the first day,” says Claude Desplan, the New York University (NYU) biology and neural science Silver professor, who in 2018 was elected as a member of the National Academy of Sciences. Focusing on Drosophila , among other model organisms, Desplan and his team have made significant contributions to the fields of molecular biology, genetics, developmental neurobiology, and electrophysiology. They have provided insights on body axis formation, the generation of neural diversity, the molecular mechanisms involved in retinal and optic lobe development, and the neural circuits underlying motion detection. Using evolutionary developmental biology, or “evo-devo,” approaches, they have elucidated how sensory systems in various organisms adapt to different ecological conditions. Desplan’s Inaugural Article (1) reviews his laboratory’s work on Drosophila over the past decade and describes neural development principles predicted to apply to most organisms, including mammals. Claude Desplan. Image credit: Danielle Desplan (photographer). Born in Algeria in 1953, Desplan was raised with an appreciation of multiple cultures. His mother's family settled in Algeria in the 19th century. Desplan says his mother, age 91, is one of the world’s oldest yoga instructors. Desplan’s father worked in law, as did many of his relatives, yet Desplan forged his own career path. He says, “I wanted to be a surgeon, but there was no good rationale for it.” When Desplan was 9 years old his family moved to France. There, he drew inspiration from his ninth-grade science teacher, whom he knew as Ms. Joschau. Desplan says, “Even though she was teaching geology at the time, I became interested in the natural sciences and decided to pursue a career in research.” At age 15 he met another woman who influenced his life. “I met Danielle,” says Desplan, …