Approaching systemic diseases: a crossroads between the social and biomedical sciences. Research questions and current projects

In this session, Catherine Cavalin and Alain Lescoat will take an interdisciplinary look at systemic autoimmune diseases. They will present their long-term work on the nosology and etiology of these diseases, most often taught in medicine as having "complex" or "unknown" causes, as well as current research on these issues. In particular, they will discuss the historical evolution of knowledge on the environmental and occupational determinants of these diseases.

Catherine Cavalin is a CNRS sociology researcher at Cermes3 (Centre de recherche, médecine, sciences, santé, santé mentale, société). Her interdisciplinary work draws on sociology, contemporary history, economics and statistics. This work focuses on social inequalities in health, and the history and sociology of knowledge about systemic diseases of "unknown" origin in medicine and epidemiology.

Alain Lescoat is University Professor and Hospital Practitioner in the Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Immunology at Rennes University Hospital and the University of Rennes. He coordinates the Reference Center for Rare Systemic Autoimmune and Autoinflammatory Diseases of Adults of the North, Northwest, Mediterranean and Guadeloupe Regions (CeRAINOM) in Rennes.