CV Science

Fatima MECHTA-GRIGORIOU PhD, DRCE

Course and current status

After a classic university course, I have been recruited at the Pasteur Institute, where I have worked on the role of the AP-1 family of transcription factors (Jun genes) in oncogenesis. After being recruited as research Director in Inserm, I have created my own lab called "Stress and Cancer" at Institut Curie, in 2006. Our activity is mainly devoted to the role of oxidative stress in tumour development and response to treatment.

Academic position

Since 2021: Research Director of Exceptional Class (DRCE) – Inserm
Since 2019: Scientific Director of the Cancéropôle Ile de France
Since 2014: Deputy Director of the “Genetic and Biology of Cancer” Unit, U830 Inserm
Since 2006: Director of the “Stress and Cancer” laboratory - Institut Curie, Paris
2011: Research Director 1^st (DR1) – Inserm
2006: Research Director 2^nd (DR2) - Inserm
2000-2005: Researcher (CR1) - Institut Pasteur

Participation to scientific committees

• 2020: Scientific Director of the Canceropole Ile de France
• 2020: Deputy Director of Institut Curie Site. Research Center Institut Curie
• 2020: Co-direction with Pr. François-Clément Bidart of the Medical & Scientific Program on Breast Cancer at I. Curie
• 2020: Member of the Scientific council of the french Pink Ribbon
• 2019: Member of the Scientific council of the Research Institute St-Louis Hospital
• 2018: Nominated Member of the International Scientific Committee University of Warsaw Pologne (2018-2020)
• 2017: Elected Member of the Conseil d’Administration / Conseil de surveillance Institut Curie (2017-2021)
• 2016: Elected Member of the Scientific Advisory Board - FRM (2016-2020)
• 2015: Nominated Member of the Scientific Advisory Board - INSB CNRS (2015-2018)
• 2012: Nominated Member of National commission CSS2 Inserm (2012- 2016)
• 2012: Nominated Member of National commissions ARC (n°4: 2012-2016) - Vice-president
• 2012: Nominated Member of Scientific Commission of the Curie Hospital (2012-2017)
• From 2009: Member of evaluation committees AERES/HCERES (2009-Now)
• From 2006: Member of the French Network of Angiogenesis

Awards

• 2021: Prix Rosen of the Foundation for Research and Medicine (FRM)
• 2018: Grand Prize of the Foundation Simone et Cino del Duca - French academy of Science
• 2017: Grand Prize of the Pink Rubbon
• 2013: Knight of the French National Order of Merit
• 2009-2021:  Prizes of Scientific Excellence Inserm
• 2006: Prize of Cancerology Simone & Cino del Duca Prize - French academy of Science
• 2006: Olga Sain Prize - Ligue Nationale Contre le Cancer
• 2005: Gustave Roussy Prize – French academy of Science

Scientific summary

F. Mechta-Grigoriou (ORCID: 0000-0002-3751-6989), PhD HDR, is a biologist, Director of the  “Stress and Cancer” laboratory at Institut Curie and Research Director of Exceptional Class at Inserm. She has also been nominated the Scientific Director of the Cancéropôle Ile de France. She is an internationally recognized expert investigating the impact of tumor heterogeneity in immunosuppression, metastatic spread and resistance to treatment. In particular, her lab has identified different CAF subpopulations in several cancer types, such as breast, ovarian, lung cancer.  Importantly, she revealed that some specific CAF subsets are involved in immunosuppression and resistance to immunotherapies. Moreover, her lab also demonstrated the paradoxical effects of Reactive Oxygen Species. Although they are involved in tumor growth and spread, she proved that they can also improve sensitivity to chemotherapy, such as Taxanes. Thus, by combining studies on human patient cohorts, models in 3D using primary cells from patients and functional assays, her lab established key findings on tumor micro-environment and oxidative stress in immuno- and chemotherapy resistance, highlighting the clinical relevance of her findings.

 Her main recent publications, as last author, are the following: Cancer Cell, 2022 (editorial invitation); Cancer Discovery, 2020; Cell Metabolism 2019; Cancer Cell 2018; Nature Communications 2020, 2018, 2017, 2016; EMBO Mol Med 2016; Autophagy 2014; Nature Medicine 2011. She has several reviewing activities and institutional responsibilities. Currently, she is member of Institut Curie board of trustees; member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Medical Research Foundation and member of the Scientific Council of the Research Institute St-Louis hospital. She is the co-coordinator, with FC. Bidard, of the Medical and Scientific Program on Breast Cancer at Institut Curie. She is the PI of the Cassiopeia RHU project providing new treatments to triple-negative breast cancer patients.

F. Mechta-Grigoriou belongs to various networks, such as AACR and EACR, and has been elected EMBO member in 2013. She received several awards (Prix Rozen FRM 2021; Grand Prize of the Foundation Del Duca 2018; Grand Prize of the Pink Ribbon 2017) and has been nominated Knight of the French National Order of Merit in 2013. She has a long-lasting experience of PhD supervisions, including 18 Master students, 12 PhD, 12 post-doctoral fellows in the last 10 years. Every two-years, she co-organizes with Dr. A. Vincent-Salomon, clinician specialist of breast cancer, the international course on Breast Cancer: from biology to clinics.