F. Bourrât, studied biology at the University Paris VI and Ecole Normale Supérieure, His Thèse d'Etat dealt with the ontogenesis of precerebellar (inferior olive and other nuclei) neurons in the rat. He is currentiy working in the laboratory of Fish Genetics, INRA Jouy-en-Josas, on gènes regulating fish optic tectum development and on CNS morphogenesis (neuronal prolifération and migration phases in brain ontogenesis).