CV Science

Corinne Bousquet VMD. and PhD in Pharmacology and Cell Biology

Course and current status

Corinne BOUSQUET, Director of Research, INSERM U1037, Cancer Research Center of Toulouse  (CRCT) France

Co-Leader of the Team 6 “Protein synthesis & secretion in carcinogenesis”

http://www.crct-inserm.fr/06-s-pyronnet-c-bousquet-protein-synthesis-secretion-in-carcinogenesis-548.html

Researcher ID: P-2917-2014

Mail: corinne.bousquet@inserm.fr

Tel: (33-5) 82 74 16 53(33-5) 82 74 16 53

• PERSONAL INFORMATION

BOUSQUET Corinne Born of the 30th of September, 1970

French nationality Married - 4 children

• EDUCATION

2011                   Capacitation as Research Director, University of Toulouse, France

2001                   Capacitation in animal experimentation: state diploma, National            Veterinary School of Toulouse, France

1999                   Thesis in Veterinarian Medicine, Laureate of University of Toulouse, France

1999 (Dec 20^th) PhD in Biological Sciences, Specialty in Molecular and Cellular Biology & Pharmacology, grade A+, congratulations of the jury, University of Toulouse, France (PhD under the supervision of P. S. Melmed, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles USA)

1995                   Master in Molecular Pharmacology, University of Toulouse, France

1994                   Degree in Veterinarian Medicine, National Veterinary School of Toulouse, France

• PREVIOUS POSITIONS

2004 – 2012     Research Scientist 1^rst class, INSERM U858, Institute of Molecular Medicine, Toulouse

2001 – 2004     Research Scientist 2^nd class, INSERM U531, Digestive Biology & Pathology Laboratory, Toulouse, France

• FELLOWSHIPS AND AWARDS

Fellowships

1999 – 2000      Assistant Professor, Department of Endocrinology & Metabolism, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, USA, Research theme: "Mechanisms of immuno-neuroendocrine interfacing in the pituitary"

1996 – 1999       PhD Student, Department of Endocrinology & Metabolism, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, USA, Supervisor: Pr. S. Melmed, Research theme: "Negative regulation of pituitary corticotroph function".   My University of PhD inscription was Toulouse but I was trained as a PhD student by Pr. S. Melmed (PhD in co-direction with INSERM U151 headed by Dr. N. Vaysse).

1994 – 1995      Master Student, INSERM U151, Digestive Biology & Pathology Laboratory, Toulouse, France, Supervisor: Dr. C. Susini, Research theme: "Antiproliferative signals mediated by somatostatin and its receptors"

Awards               

2012                   Best project price of the French Group for Endocrine Tumors (GTE)

2010                   Project selected and communicated by french Research Association of Cancer (ARC)

2006                   Best project price of the French Endocrine Society (SFE / PFIZER)

2005                   Best Abstract Novartis Young Investigator Meeting, Barcelona

2002                   French INSERM Contrat d'Interface Award

1995                   Ministère Francais de la Recherche et des Technologies studentship.

• SUPERVISION OF GRADUATE STUDENTS AND POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWS

2002–2015       Supervision of 3 Postdocs / 8 PhD (5 completed and 3 ongoing) / 5 Master Students / 5 under-Graduate Students (University of Toulouse France & Rabat Morroco)

• TEACHING ACTIVITIES

2004 – 2005     Master in HepatoGastroenterology, University Paris 7, "Molecular Basis of Pancreatic Cancer": 4 h /year

2004 – 2015     Master in Oncology, University Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, "Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition & Invasion in Tumors - role of the microenvironment": 20 h /year 

• ORGANISATION OF SCIENTIFIC MEETINGS

2015                   Organizer of the International "Pancreatic Cancer Symposium", Marseille France (250 pers.)

2015                    Co-organizer of the "PI3K Symposium", Toulouse France (100 pers.)

2011 - 2015      Organizer of the annual French Pancreatic Club, France (100 pers.)

2014                   Organizer of the Symposium on Pancreatic Cancer, Paris France (100 pers.)

2014                   Faculty Member of the International "Pancreatic Cancer Forum", Munich Germany (250 pers.)

2013                   Organizer of the "Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts & Tumor cells: Dangerous liaisons" Symposium, Toulouse France (120 pers.)

2004                   Organizer of the International "Regulatory Peptides" Meeting, Toulouse France (400 pers.)

• INSTITUTIONAL RESPONSABILITIES

2011 –  2015         Elected Faculty member at Toulouse Cancer Research Center Executive Board

2013 – 2015         Member of the scientific grant review committee for the "Ligue Contre le Cancer", France

2014 – 2015         Member of the scientific grant review committee for the "Cancéropole Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur", France

2012 – 2015        IUPHAR somatostatin subcommittee Member

2013                   Examiner in 1 "Capacitation as Research Director" Committee, University of Lyon, France

2014 – 2015        Examiner in 2 "PhD Defence" Committees, University of Marseille, France

2010     – 2011         Examiner in 2 "European PhD Defence" Committees, University of Cordoba, Spain

2011 – 2015         Advisor in 4 "Graduate Student" Committees, Universities of Toulouse, Marseille,  Montpellier, France

• MEMBERSHIPS OF SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES

2015 – 2016        Elected Associate Treasurer, Research Network “Société Française d'Endocrinology”(SFE)

2011 – 2016        Elected Treasurer and Member, Research Network “Club Français du Pancréas” (CFP)

2014 – 2015        Member, Research Network "French Association for Pancreatic Cancer Research" (AFRCP)

2014 – 2015        Member, Research Network “American Association for Cancer Research” (AACR)

2013 – 2015        Member, Research Network “European Pancreatic Club” (EPC)

2001 – 2015        Member, french Research Network “Epithelial Digestive Cell study Club" (CECED)

• MAJOR COLLABORATIONS

Dr Richard Tomasini, Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts, INSERM U1068, Marseille France

Dr Herbert Schmid, Pasireotide in Pancreatic Cancer, Novartis Basel

Dr Dieter Saur, Primary cultures of murine pancreatic cancer cells, Munich University

Dr Albrecht Neesse, Primary cultures of murine pancreatic stellate cells, Göttingen Univ, Germany

• PUBLICATIONS

42 publications, H index 21

Scientific summary

With a diploma of Doctor in Veterinarian Medicine (1994) and a Thesis in Veterinarian Medicine obtained with a University Laureate Prize (1999), I have then obtained a PhD in Cell Biology and Pharmacology (1999).

I have performed my Master Training at INSERM Toulouse (Digestive PhysioPathology Laboratory) under the supervision of Dr. Nicole Vaysse and Dr. Christiane Susini. I have then obtained a University PhD grant and decided to join the Endocrinology Department at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, to perform my PhD training under the supervision of Pr. Melmed. I have then obtained a Research Assistant Professor position at Cedars Sinai Medical Center to complete my Post-Doctorate studies (until December 2000). My work aimed at identifying signaling pathways converging from G protein coupled and cytokine receptors and involved in regulation of hormone secretion and tumor growth, in pancreatic cancer and pituitary adenoma. My work has unraveled critical mechanisms for negative regulation downstream of these receptors, understanding the role of protein tyrosine phosphatases and suppressors of cytokine signaling (SOCS) (published in PNAS, JCI).

I have then successfully entered INSERM (competitive exam in 2000) to work as Research Scientist in Dr Christiane Susini's team in Toulouse. I have developed a project aimed at demonstrating and understanding the antitumor function of the somatostatin receptor subtype 2 (sst2) in pancreatic and pituitary tumors. Using genetically-engineered mouse models as well as primary cultures obtained from pituitary or pancreatic tumors, I have unraveled that inhibition of the PI3K-mTOR by sst2 is critical for its tumor suppressive function, and demonstrated that sst2 is a tumor suppressor for pancreatic cancer identifying mechanisms for its expression loss at tumor onset (published in PNAS, EMBO J, Oncogene, Gastroenterology).

From 2011,  I have taken additional research directions focusing on the tumor stroma in pancreatic cancer, with the goal to decipher the biology of the most abundant stromal cell component, i.e. Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts (CAFs). My first data in this field have been recently recognized by an EMBO Molecular Medicine. I have demonstrated that CAF pro-tumoral features rely on the intrinsic activation in CAFs of a PI3K-mTOR-protein synthesis pathway, resulting in the abundant secretion of chemoprotective factors driving complete pancreatic cancer cell resistance. I have unraveled a pharmacologic strategy to target CAF-induced chemoprotection using a novel somatostatin analog (SOM230, Pasireotide®, Novartis) that activates the somatostatin receptor subtype sst1 specifically expressed in CAFs, but not in "normal" pancreatic fibroblasts or in pancreatic cancer cells. Upon sst1 activation, the PI3K-mTOR-protein synthesis pathway is completely inhibited, reverting CAF-driven chemoprotection on tumor cells.

My research interest is now to continue understanding the biology of tumor stroma with the goal to develop therapeutic targeting tools.

With a capacitation to direct research (obtained in 2011), I have strong experience with tutoring students (Master and PhD) and post-doctorates. I drive a group of 8 scientists. My team has the INSERM and Labex labels and is funded by INSERM, INCa, French associations for Cancer Research (LNCC, ARC, FRM, Fondation de France), and private companies (Novartis).