CV Science

Claire Soudais PhD in immunology, research associate CR1 INSERM

Course and current status

-INSERM Research associate CR1 (May 2007-Present) Institut Curie (Paris), with Dr. Olivier Lantz, Inserm U932: Dr.Sebastian Amigorena.

-INSERM Research associate CR2 (March 2001-May 2007) Faculté Necker (Paris), Inserm U550: Pr. Jean-Laurent Casanova and Dr. Laurent Abel.

-Research associate (February 1998-February 2001) Généthon (Evry), with Dr. Eric J. Kremer

-Postdoctoral research associate (January 1997-January 1998) Hôpital Necker (Paris), with Dr. Jim DiSanto; Inserm U429: Pr. Alain Fischer.

-Postdoctoral research associate (January 1995-December 1996) with Dr. Bernard. Malissen. CIML (Marseille), Inserm  U631-CNRS UMR6102.

-Postdoctoral research associate (September 1993-Decmber1994) with Pr. Jeffrey M. Leiden. Dept. of Medecine, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA.

-Ph D fellowship (1990-1993): Hôpital Necker (Paris), Inserm U429; Pr. Alain Fischer.

Scientific summary

Mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells are a population of T cells that display a semi-invariant T cell receptor (TCR) and are restricted by the evolutionarily conserved major histocompatibility complex related molecule, MR1. MAIT cells are abundant in human blood, gut and liver, and display an effector phenotype. They follow an atypical pathway of development and preferentially locate to peripheral tissues. Human and mouse MAIT cells react to bacterially infected cells in an MR1-dependent manner. They migrate to the infection site and can be protective in experimental infection models. MAIT cells secrete interferon-g, and interleukin-17 under certain conditions. The species conservation, as well as the wide microbial reactivity, infer an important role for this cell population in mucosal immunity.