1987: Master of Science : « Chemistry of biomolecules », Université Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
1991: Ph.D. in “Biological chemistry”, Université Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
Dissertation Title: Synthesis and use of specific ligands for the characterization and the purification of the antiestrogen binding protein
1991-92: Sanofi Post-doctoral fellow, Sanofi Synthelabo, Labège France
1992: research scientist (tenure) Inserm U-397, Toulouse
1993-96: Visiting Scientist in the Steroid Hormone Section, LMCB, NIDDK/National Institute of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
2003: Founder of the biotech company Affichem
2003: « habilitation à diriger les recherches » (HDR), Toulouse University, Toulouse France
2005: Second class Research Director (DR2), INSERM CSS7, Interface Chemistry-Biology.
2007: Chief, team « Metabolism, oncogenesis and cell differentiation”, CPTP, Inserm U-563, Toulouse, France
2011: Chief, team “Sterol metabolism and therapeutic innovations in oncology”, CRCT, UMR 1037 Inserm/ Toulouse University, Toulouse, France
2015: First class research director (DR1), INSERM CSS8 Health technologies, therapeutics and biotechnologies
2016: Chief, team “Cholesterol metabolism and therapeutic innovations”, CRCT, UMR 1037 Inserm/ Toulouse University, Toulouse, France
My research activities focus on the following themes:
1) the identification and the characterization of off-targets of tamoxifen, one of the main drug in use in the hormonotherapy of breast cancers to define mechanisms of acquired and intrinsic resistance
2) the characterization of a new cholesterol metabolic pathways producing tumor suppressors and tumor promoters metabolites to get new therapeutic targets and new drug candidates
3) the study of cholesterol metabolism deregulations in cancers to improve tumor stratification.