Official launch of the ExposUM Institute

Winner of the ExcellenceS – France 2030 call for projects and strongly supported by the Occitanie Region, the ExposUM Institute is an initiative aimed at establishing an open, off-site institute of reference for the study, training, and science-society interaction of the environmental determinants of human health.  ExposUM is funded to the tune of €46.4 million over the period 2022-2030.

Following the official opening by Philippe Augé, President of the University of Montpellier, and Nadia Pellefigue, Higher Education, Research, Europe, and International Relations for the Occitanie Region, the ExposUM Institute, its position within the academic and scientific ecosystem, and the funding opportunities it offers will be presented throughout this day of discussions.

On the agenda for today

Hosted by Magali Roubieu, Director of Structuring Programs at UM:

8:30–9:00 a.m.: Welcome coffee

9:00–9:30 a.m.: Introductory remarks

• Philippe Augé – President of the University of Montpellier
• Nadia Pellefigue – Vice President of Higher Education, Research, Europe, and International Relations for the Occitanie Region
• Sophie Béjean – Rector of the Occitanie academic region, Rector of the Montpellier academy, Chancellor of universities

9:30 a.m. – 11:20 a.m.: presentation of the ExposUM institute
Organization, scientific scope, and general program:

• Éric Delaporte – Director of the ExposUM Institute

Specific actions, funding, and opportunities for the research community, and answers to questions:

• Mircea Sofonea – Head of Research
• Charlotte Boullé – Head of Training
• Aurélie Binot – Head of Interfaces
• Philippe Combette – Vice President in charge of Partnerships and Innovation (UM)

11:20–11:45 a.m.: Scientific presentations
European/international overview of exposome projects and specific features of ExposUM
. Isabella Annesi-Maesano – Research Director and Professor of Environmental Epidemiology (IDESP UM and INSERM)

11:45 a.m.–12:10 p.m.
Exploring the exposome to understand the onset of rheumatoid arthritis
Claire Daien – Professor and Head of Department, Rheumatology Department (Montpellier University Hospital/PhyMedExp UM-CNRS-Inserm Joint Research Unit)

12:10 p.m. – 1:45 p.m.: lunch

1:45 p.m. – 2:35 p.m.: keynote lecture
Exposome Analytics: Questions, Achievements, and Perspectives
. Marc Chadeau-Hyam – Professor of Computational Epidemiology and Biostatistics (Imperial College London – UK)

2:35–3:00 p.m.: Scientific presentations
Presentation of the Marianne family cohort: exposome approach to the onset of autism spectrum disorders and neurodevelopmentaldisorders
Amaria Baghdadli – PU-PH Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department (MPEA / Montpellier University Hospital) and head of the Languedoc-Roussillon Autism Resource Center and the Center of Excellence on Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders

3:00 p.m. – 3:25 p.m.:
Biocampus Network – MAMMA (Montpellier Alliance for Metabolomics and Metabolism Analysis): presentation of the platform and opportunities within the instituteExposUM
Frédérique Courant – Research professor at UMR Hydrosciences (UM) & Maria Elena Gomez Hernandez – Research professor at UMR HydroSciences (UM)

3:25 p.m. – 3:50 p.m.
Illustration of an ExposUM theme as part of the AAP Research
Didier Fontenille – DR IRD, MIVEGEC, member of COVARS, member of COSS, and director of RIVOC

3:50 p.m. – 4:20 p.m.: Discussion time: questions and discussions
Moderator: Jacques Mercier – Vice President Research UM)

4:20 p.m.: closing