Education
1983 Master in Animal Physiology (University Paul Sabatier Toulouse)
1984, Advanced Master in physiology and pathophysiology of nutrition
1986 Doctorate in the special field of digestive physiology University of Paris 7
1988 PhD thesis in animal physiology (University of Paris 7- Denis Diderot)
Positions
1992-1998 Senior Researcher, Principal Investigator (PI) at INSERM unit 10 (Head: MJM Lewin) ;
From 1998 at present: Research Director & PI at INSERM U10, U683 and U773
Presently Head of Team 2: Gastrointestinal Physiology and Endocrinology [INSERM U773 (Dir: M. Laburthe)]
Field of Expertise: Physiology – acid secretion, gut endocrine cells, nutrients, intestinal transporters, leptin, nutrition, regulatory peptides.
Scientific activities Member of Scientific Committee of Faculty of Medicine Paris 7– Denis Diderot (2002-2009); - Member of the Scientific Committee of the Francophone Digestive Disease Week [JFHOD] ( 2001 - at present) , Member of the Scientific Committee of the Francophone Society of nutrition ( 2010 - at present) ,
Teaching / Training Activities: Co-Head of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Course in Master 2 ESI at University Paris 7; . Teacher in 4 other Masters in Physiology and Biology of integrated biological systems at University Paris 7, University Paris 5 & 13, University of Montpellier 2; (developed themes of courses: Disorders of Feeding behaviour, Gastrointestinal hormones and feeding, Physiologic of gastric Acid Secretion, Intestinal transporters of Nutrients)
Supervisor of 3 postdoc, 6 PhD thesis (defence completed), 13 master’s students. External Examiner of 14 PhD Theses.
Editorial activities : Regular peer Review for 19 international scientific journals (Journal of Clinical Investigation, gastroenterology, Journal of Neuroscience, Brain Research, TIPS, Diabetes, American Journal of Physiology, Faseb J, , Endocrinology….) Evaluation Expert for scientific foundations, Institute and Associations in France, Europe and USA
Invited Speaker in at least 12 national and international scientific meeting, Chairman/co-chairman in 6 scientific symposia & meetings.
Scientific Output and 10 selected articles
Description of H3-receptor in gastric mucosa, Discovery of leptin in the stomach. 69 original papers, 4 chapters, 102 selected oral or poster presentations at scientic meetings.
Over the last years, my group is being studying the neuropeptidergic control of secretions and absorption of nutriments and their contribution to mechanisms regulating energy homeostasis. One interest is in developing a better understanding of the physiological contribution of meal-generated gastrointestinal signals including gut leptin to the development of obesity and its relation to colon carcinogenesis. Transgenic mice deleted with epithelial cell leptin receptors in the intestine were used. A second interest to better understand the mechanisms by which gastro-intestinal epithelial cells adapt during over-nutrition and malnutrition conditions. This consists in dissecting the mechanisms involved in modifications of expression/ activity of gut endocrine cells, of key transcription factors reprogramming absorptive capacity of the enterocytes and controlling the renewal (proliferation/differentiation) of gut epithelial cells. A better understanding of the mechanisms driving these adaptations are essential for the development of novel and innovative therapies for the treatment of pathologies such obesity.