1. Margaux SILVESTRE
60 Impasse les résidences du Salève
74160 Neydens
France
Phone: +1 617 515 6303
E-mail: margaux.silvestre@epfl.ch
Born on the 8th
of December 1993
Nationality: French
Education
2014-present Master in neuroscience and neuro-engineering
Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland
2011-2014 Bachelor in Life Sciences
Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)
2008-2011 Baccalauréat scientifique with distinction
Lycée Mme de Staël in Saint Julien en Genevois, France
Research experience
March to November 2016 Master project in Tye Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA
- Study of the topography of projector neurons in the basolateral amygdala of mice
- Direct involvement in the entire process (from surgery to data analysis)
- Training of head-fixed mice to associate an appetitive (sucrose) and an aversive (quinine)
gustatory stimuli with two distinct auditory cues
September to December 2015 Lab Immersion in Neuroepigenetics Laboratory, EPFL
- Determine if β-galactosidase is expressed in the hippocampal neurons of TetTag mice after 90
minutes
- Learning of basic techniques in neuroscience (histology and confocal microscope)
October to December 2014 Animal behaviour work in Sensory Processing Laboratory, EPFL
- Daily training of head-restrained mice through water restriction to perform simple behaviours
- Adjustment of settings to enhance their understanding of the task
Summer 2014 Internship in Institute Curie, Paris, France
- Study of the effect of myosin 6 on cell-sized liposomes covered with a polymerising actin
network through fluorescence microscopy
- Replicate results through a given protocol to assess their validity
- Improvement of said protocol by creation of chambers between cover slips that increase the
polymerisation of actin around the liposomes
Master student looking for a PhD position
Strengths
- Hardworking - Motivated - Reliable
- Flexible - Rigorous

2. Scientific skills
Histology: Conventional and immunohistochemistry
Microscopy: Conventional confocal microscope and fluorescence microscope
Head-fixed behaviours in mice: reward and aversive associative learning; tactile whisker-dependent detection
and associative learning
Stereotaxic surgery in mice: tracers and viral vectors injection; optic fibre implantation
Computer: C++ and Matlab
Software: Microsoft office, Neuron, ImageJ and Illustrator
Projects
September to December 2014 Scientific project design in translational neurosciences
Group development of a mock product using epigenetics to prevent Alzheimer’s disease (compound selection,
preclinical studies, clinical trial and product development)
February to June 2014 Bachelor project in Neurodegenerative Disease Laboratory, EPFL
Based on lectures and group discussions, design of a protocol that demonstrates the influence of heat shock
protein Hsp60 on the dopaminergic activity of neurons in Parkinson’s disease
Language
French: Native
English: Good (C1 in oral and written)
Spanish: Basic
Extra-curriculum activities
Associative
2012-2013 EPFL Coaching association
Managing the funding and organization of events throughout the year in order to make the new students feel
welcome and help them along their first year
Summers 2009 to 2015 Volunteering at Festival Au Bonheur des Mômes in Grand-Bornand, France
Receive, help and direct spectators to their seats in a week long festival for children.
Interest and Hobbies
Playing the piano (10 years of lessons), reading, listening to music, horse riding, rock climbing, skiing, travelling
(the USA, Canada, the United Kingdom, Croatia, Finland, Netherland, Japan, Denmark, Czech republic, Austria,
Hungary)
References
Recommendation letters available upon request from:
- Kay Tye Assistant professor Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Anna Beyeler Postdoctoral Fellow Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Johannes Gräff Assistant professor Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale of Lausanne
- Carl Petersen Professor Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale of Lausanne