Tryptophan: A Key Player in the Antimigraine Efficacy of Triptans?

We are looking for a candidate who has preferably completed a Neuroscience program. Experience in biomolecular techniques and mouse behavior would be appreciated.
The ultimate goal is to present the candidate to the doctoral school of our university to obtain a ministerial doctoral scholarship. Therefore, the candidate must have achieved at least an AB grade in their M1 and ranked in the top half of their class.Required level of French and English: Upper-intermediate: You can use the language effectively and express yourself precisely.

Migraine is a highly disabling neurological disorder. Triptans, selective agonists of 5-HT1B/1D serotonin receptors, represent the specific treatment for headaches. However, more than 25% of patients do not respond to this treatment. The mechanisms underlying this resistance remain unknown.
Our preliminary results suggest that tryptophan (Trp), the serotonin precursor, plays a key role in modulating the efficacy of triptans. In a murine migraine model, we have shown that Trp deficiency blocks the analgesic effect of sumatriptan, prolongs migraine attacks, and promotes their chronicization.
This PhD project aims to investigate the role of Trp in triptan response, as well as the neurobiological mechanisms involved.

It is a translational project conducted in collaboration with the University Hospital of Clermont-Ferrand and the Headache Emergency Center in Paris. Our findings could highlight the relevance of an integrated treatment approach combining pharmacological therapy with a patient-specific dietary intervention for migraine management.
This project will combine complementary approaches in mice (behavioral assessment, molecular biology, immunohistochemistry, calcium imaging, optogenetics) as well as in patients (HPLC, molecular biology, and the development of self-assessment questionnaires).