CV Science

Olivier VITTECOQ MD, PhD, Professor

Course and current status

Olivier Vittecoq, MD, PhD, 43 years-old, Master’s degree in immunology (Pr J.F. Bach, UFR Necker, Paris V) in 1996; Board certified rheumatologist and doctorate of medicine in 1997; Doctorate of sciences, Inserm U519 (Pr F Tron), Rouen university, in 2001; Post-doctoral fellowship (Pr GS Panayi, King’s College of London, Guy’s hospital, London, UK) in 2002; Professor of Rheumatology since 2004 (Teaching in Rheumatology in Rouen university); Head of the Rheumatology Department at the Rouen University Hospital since 2008

Scientific summary

Clinical activity is located in the Department of Rheumatology (Rouen University Hospital, F76031 Rouen cedex) and focused on chronic inflammatory rheumatic diseases, primarily rheumatoid arthritis and very early arthritis, with great experience concerning the management of biologic agents and clinical trials devoted to new biotherapies. Research activities are conducted both in the department of Rheumatology and since 1999 in the Inserm unit 519 headed by Pr F Tron and by Pr O Boyer from January 2008 (unit 905). The research program  is based on translational research including clinical studies in the field of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases of the locomotor apparatus, notably very early rheumatoid arthritis, and to a lesser degree on basic research. In this respect, the rheumatology group belonging to the team whose theme is " Pathogenesis and biotherapy of inflammatory diseases of the locomotor apparatus"  has acquired experience and skills in functionnal genomics and pharmacogenomics of rheumatoïd arthritis with the identification and characterization of new pathophysiological targets and the identification of new diagnostic and prognostic markers as well as of predictive factors of the response to new molecular biotherapies.Molecules identified by genomics are evaluated in the collagen-induced arthritis model to determine their immunomodulatory or arthritogenic properties.