Research in Pierre Drapeau’s laboratory focuses on development of the motor nervous system in the zebra fish by combining cellular neurophysiology and molecular genetics. The work lead to the discovery of a new mechanism of so-called rapid synaptic transmission at the neuromuscular junction and made it possible to show what role synaptic activity plays in determining the identity of neurons during development. The long-term objective of this research is to elucidate the molecular movements involved in formation and development of motor networks. Since 2006, Dr. Drapeau has been contributing to a vast genomics project aimed at identifying the mutations in synaptic genes that cause autism and schizophrenia, by validating the effect of the mutations in the zebra fish.