Amina Mahi: research work driven by collective purpose

Tell us about your background 

I trained as a biotechnology engineer at Sup’Biotech, graduating in 2022. After a final-year internship at CNRS on the impact of endocrine disruptors on weight gain, I worked in the agri-food sector, an experience that confirmed my interest in working in health research. I am passionate about contributing to research, to furthering our understanding of how the human body works, and developing treatments for diseases. 

What are you working on? 

I have been part of the Brain Development team since July 2024 and I’m working on the major cross-functional project, the Brain Functional Genome Program (BFGP). 

This project aims to better understand gene expression in the human and murine brain during development. I perform spatial transcriptomic tests on different samples (human brains and mouse brains).I develop and optimize tissue clearing protocols to observe gene and protein expression. I’m working with the different core facilities at the Institute and with other research teams. 

What does a research engineer do? 

Being a research engineer at Paris Brain Institute means developing and optimizing methods that help us better understand the brain and its mechanisms. What I love most is unraveling the mysteries of our complex brain, and the challenge of developing and using new scientific techniques. 

Knowing that these methods will be used by other researchers at the Institute to advance their own projects really motivates and inspires me. I love playing my part in collective work that makes a tangible contribution to research progress. No two days are the same, and I love this challenging, enriching and exciting side of my job.