CV Science

alexandre grassart Alexandre Grassart, PhD

Course and current status

Current position

• Team leader, The Centre for infection and Immunity of Lille at the Institut Pasteur de Lille

Education

• 2010        PhD in Biology (Institut Pasteur, Paris - University Paris Saclay)

Positions

• 2022-                  CRCN INSERM (Tenured)
• 2022-2025           Atip-Avenir team leader at the Institut Pasteur de Lille
• 2020-2022           Principal investigator, Institut Pasteur of Shanghai                                                   Professor, Chinese Academy of Sciences
• 2014-2019           Post-doctoral fellow at Institut Pasteur, Paris France.                                               Lab: Pr. Sansonetti (Group Sauvonnet)
• 2010-2014           Post-doctoral fellow at University of California Berkeley, USA.                                   Lab : Pr. Drubin

Selected grants and awards 

• 2025          Start Airr- Région Hauts-de-France
• 2024-2026  80prime CNRS
• 2024-2028  France2030 Cross Disciplinary Project -University of Lille
• 2023-2025  FC3R
• 2023          First Step Inserm
• 2021-2023  PTR - Pasteur Network
• 2020-2025  ATIP-Avenir Award
• 2021          Shanghai Foreign Talent award
• 2014-2016  Roux Fellowship
• 2010          Young research Fellowship , Association ARC
• 2006-2009  MENRT PhD Fellowship
• 2006           EMBO Short Term Fellowship

Scientific summary

My team, The  Mechanobiology of Host‑Microbe Interactions at the Institut Pasteur de Lille investigates how physical forces and microenvironment acting on epithelial barriers influence infectious processes and immunity, with a particular focus on Shigella‑induced diarrheal diseases. This enteric bacterium invades epithelial cells, hijacks their molecular machinery to propel itself, and spreads from cell to cell, resulting in tissue destruction, acute inflammation, and severe diarrhea.

The team has recently shown that Shigella’s infectivity is highly sensitive to mechanical cues and tissue microenvironment, especially stretching forces induced by intestinal peristalsis. Current research seeks to understand how Shigella manipulates host mechanosensitive machinery to promote its dissemination across epithelial tissue.

To elucidate these strategies, the team develops cutting‑edge tools based on microfabrication and microfluidics, including advanced organ‑on‑chip platforms. This interdisciplinary research draws on cell biology, genetics, microbiology, and bioengineering.