P. Bregestovski is professor of physiology at the Kazan State Medical University, Kazan, Russia and an Emeritus Directeur de recherche, Institut de Neurosciences des Systemes, Aix-Marseille University, Marseille, France. He is the co-author of several important discoveries and implementations including: (i) the direct demonstration in neurons that the acetylcholine receptor changes its conformation state during activation (Nature, 270:71-73, 1977); (ii) the first estimation of the calcium permeability of acetylcholine receptor channels (Nature, 274:638-639, 1979); (iii) the discovery of the voltage-dependent block by Mg2+ of the glutamate subtype (NMDA) receptor channels (Nature, 307:462-465, 1984); (iv) the visualization of glycine receptor channels in living cells (Neuropharmcol., 38:785-792, 1999); and (v) the development of genetically encoded optical sensors for monitoring of anions and anion-selective channels (J Neurosci Methods.,170:67-76, 2008; 2010). His main research interests include: molecular physiology and biophysics of ionic channels; electrophysiological and image analysis of synaptic transmission; fluorescent monitoring of ions and proteins; confocal imaging; modulation of synaptic function; genetically encoded probes.