Our goal is to identify the role of brainstem and spinal cord cells in locomotor control in tetrapods using electrophysiology, calcium imaging, neuroanatomy and movement analysis in two animal models, salamanders and mice. Salamander is a tetrapod having the remarkable ability to regenerate its spinal cord and dopaminergic neurons, making it an ideal model for studying the mechanisms of nervous system regeneration. Transgenic mice are used to examine the control exerted by dopaminergic neurons on brainstem locomotor networks. The new knowledge will provide a better understanding of the role of brainstem neurons in locomotor control and help identify in the future new clinical strategies to improve locomotor function in people with Parkinson’s disease or with lesions of the spinal cord.