After a MD in Endocrinology and a PhD in Genetics, I started a research group dedicated to the study of pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma (PPGL) in 2002, which was created as an independent research team “Pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas: from genetics to molecular targeted therapies” in the Paris-Cardiovascular Research Centre in 2014. The team demonstrated that the identification of a SDHB mutation is a risk factor of malignancy and of poor prognosis, identified new PPGL susceptibility genes, revealed the interplay between the tricarboxylic cycle, hypoxic-angiogenesis pathway, epigenomic changes and cancer, established experimental cellular models of SDHx deficient tumors, revealed new therapeutic targets and opened the way to personalized medicine in PPGL. Since 2019, I co-lead with Dr Judith Favier the team now entitled “Genetics and Metabolism of Rare Cancers”.
June 2023 Vice-President Research at Université Paris Cité
Jan 2019- Co-Team leader, Genetics & Metabolism of Rare Cancers (Inserm U970-PARCC)
Sept 2021- Co-Head Oncogenetics-Cancer Genomic Medicine department (Centre-Université Paris Cité)
Sept 2021- Coordinator of Federation of Genetics and Genomic Medicine (Centre- Université Paris Cité)
2019- Vice president of the Research Commission of APHP-Centre- Université Paris Cité
Chair of the ‘Rare cancers’ Working Group, Cancéropôle Ile de France (https://www.canceropole-idf.fr/gt-cancers-rares/)
Coordinator of ‘Rare cancers’ pre-indication Plan France Médecine Génomique (www.pfmg2025.aviesan.fr/)
Chair of the COMETE-Bio network (malignant pheochromocytoma/paraganglioma and adrenocortical carcinoma)
Coordinator of the Research Working Group of the French for rare endocrine diseases (www.firendo.fr)
Member of steering committees of French excellence networks for rare endocrine cancers: ENDOCAN COMETE (adrenal cancers), ENDOCAN-RENATEN (neuroendocrine cancers)
Member of steering committee of French excellence networks for rare kidney cancers: PREDIR
Chair of the French registry for SDH-related hereditary paraganglioma: PGL.R
Past-chair of the Pheochromocytoma and Paraganglioma Working Group of the European Network for the Study of Adrenal Tumors (www.ensat.org/)
Past-treasurer & past-member of the executive committee of ENSAT (www.ensat.org/)
Past-chair of the Pheochromocytoma paraganglioma research support organization (www.pressor.org/)
Member of the J Clin Endocrinol Metab editorial board (2013-now)
Member of scientific committee of Université Paris Cité
Our team is interested in rare cancers in which we investigate fundamental mechanisms linking genetic disorders to energy metabolism, angiogenesis, epigenetic reprogramming and carcinogenesis. It is composed of biologists and clinicians involved in the management of patients at different levels (genetics, urology, pathology, hypertension, oncology and nuclear medicine). We address fundamental questions through the study of oncogenic pathways associated with mitochondrial dysfunction and develop translational research projects through human genetics, biomarker identification and validation, as well as proof-of-concept studies for new therapeutics.