His primary research interest lies in the mechanisms of neuronal communication within the brain, especially in neurons that produce dopamine, a key neurotransmitter.

Dopaminergic neurons are central to the action of many medications. For instance, antipsychotics used in treating schizophrenia and psychostimulants for attention disorders target these neurons. Moreover, the degeneration of some of these neurons is a hallmark of Parkinson's disease. This system is also impacted by most drugs of abuse.

Dr. Trudeau's laboratory is dedicated to studying the regulation of neurotransmitter release, with a particular focus on dopaminergic neurons. These neurons are involved in several brain diseases, such as Parkinson's disease, various mental illnesses like schizophrenia, and drug addiction. For his experiments, the laboratory uses mouse neurons, both normal and genetically modified. Techniques employed include electrophysiology, electrochemistry, fluorescence imaging, immunocytochemistry, confocal microscopy, as well as biochemistry and molecular biology methods. The goal is to unravel the cellular and molecular mechanisms regulating the normal functioning of brain dopaminergic neurons and to understand the origins of Parkinson's disease.