Pre-eclampsia (PE) is a specific complication of pregnancy associated with hypertension and hypoperfusion of the placenta, leading to an increased risk of adverse fetal and maternal neonatal outcomes and consequences for neurovascular function. However, pre-eclampsia is not limited to pregnancy, and more than 20 years later, women are still at increased risk of stroke and cognitive impairment. Clinical studies have shown that these patients have brain lesions on MRI scans. MAB2's work in a mouse model of PE has demonstrated the direct involvement of prokineticins (PROKs) and their receptors (PROKRs) in the establishment of PE and its symptoms. Our recent results demonstrate a direct link between the preeclamptic event and the onset of late cerebral lesions and inflammation. Finally, we have shown in a cellular model of brain vessels, the blood-brain barrier (BBB), that PROKs modify vascular permeability. The aim of the PhD project is to characterize the vascular changes that occur at the time of PE and their long-term consequences on cognitive function, and to determine whether PROKs and PROKRs may represent therapeutic targets for a preventive treatment of PE. These objectives will be addressed by studies using mouse model of PE and cellular models of the BBB. The studies will rely on the expertise of the MAB2 team and on collaborations with experts in blood-brain interface, MRI and behavioral testing. To correlate our results with the clinic, collaborations with clinicians and hospitals will give us access to blood and tissue samples from patients who have suffered from PE.