Sophie Aimon
Postdoctoral Researcher
M1126
+49-7531-88-xxxx
Bio#
I study how coordinated activity across the brain gives rise to behavior and internal states. My work combines whole-brain imaging, light-field and 2-photons microscopy, and computational analysis to identify reproducible functional ensembles across animals.
I develop experimental and computational tools to record and analyze brain-wide activity at high speed, including light-field microscopy and virtual reality setups for behaving animals. This allows us to capture neural population dynamics during naturalistic behavior.
By combining imaging, behavior, and modeling, I aim to uncover principles of how distributed neural circuits generate flexible and adaptive behavior.
Projects#
Methods#
CV#
Positions
Since 2024
Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Konstanz (Bahl Lab)
2021–2024
Postdoctoral Researcher, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics
2019–2021
Postdoctoral Researcher, Technical University of Munich
2012–2019
Postdoctoral Researcher, UCSD / Salk Institute
Education
2007–2011
PhD in Biophysics, Curie Institute / University of Paris VI
2006–2007
M.Sc. in Theoretical Physics of Complex Systems, University of Paris VI & VII
2001–2005
B.Sc. in Physics and Chemistry, Clermont Ferrand University
Fellowships
2016–2019
Simons Fellowship (Simons Collaboration for the Global Brain), Simons Foundation
2010
FRM Fellowship (4th year PhD), French Medical Research Foundation
Awards
2024
Drosophila Image Award (Honorable Mention)
2017–2018
Kavli Institute Innovative Research Grant (co-PI), Kavli Institute for Brain and Mind
2014
Young Investigator Award (Honorable Mention), IEEE EMBS BRAIN Grand Challenges
2013
Young Researcher Award, Bettencourt Schueller Foundation
2002
JANUS Undergraduate Research Funding
Publications#
2026
- Slangewal K., Aimon S., Capelle M. Q., Kämpf F., Naumann H., Slanchev K., Baier H., Bahl A. (2026) Visuomotor decision-making through multifeature convergence in the larval zebrafish hindbrain. Nature Communications. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-69633-4
2023
- Aimon S., Cheng K. Y., Gjorgjieva J., Kadow I. C. G. (2023) Global change in brain state during spontaneous and forced walk in Drosophila is composed of combined activity patterns of different neuron classes. eLife. https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.85202
2020
- Siju K., Štih V., Aimon S., Gjorgjieva J., Portugues R., Kadow I. C. G. (2020) Valence and State-Dependent Population Coding in Dopaminergic Neurons in the Fly Mushroom Body. Current Biology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2020.04.037
- Aimon S., Kadow I. C. G. (2020) Studying complex brain dynamics using Drosophila. Journal of Neurogenetics. https://doi.org/10.1080/01677063.2019.1706092
2019
- Aimon S., Dubnau J., Katsuki T., Jia T., Grosenick L., Broxton M., Deisseroth K., Sejnowski T. J., Greenspan R. J. (2019) Fast near-whole–brain imaging in adult Drosophila during responses to stimuli and behavior. PLOS Biology. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.2006732
2014
- Aimon S., Callan-Jones A., Berthaud A., Pinot M., Toombes G. E., Bassereau P. (2014) Membrane Shape Modulates Transmembrane Protein Distribution. Developmental Cell. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.devcel.2013.12.012
2011
- Aimon S., Manzi J., Schmidt D., Larrosa J. A. P., Bassereau P., Toombes G. E. S. (2011) Functional Reconstitution of a Voltage-Gated Potassium Channel in Giant Unilamellar Vesicles. PLoS ONE. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0025529
- Domanov Y. A., Aimon S., Toombes G. E. S., Renner M., Quemeneur F., Triller A., Turner M. S., Bassereau P. (2011) Mobility in geometrically confined membranes. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1102646108