Official Launch of the ExposUM Institute

A winner of the ExcellenceS – France 2030 call for proposals and strongly supported by the Occitanie Region, the ExposUM Institute is an initiative aimed at establishing a leading, cross-disciplinary, off-campus institute dedicated to the study, training, and science-society interaction regarding the environmental determinants of human health.  ExposUM is funded to the tune of €46.4 million for the period 2022–2030.

Following the official opening by Philippe Augé, President of the University of Montpellier, and Nadia Pellefigue, Regional Minister for Higher Education, Research, Europe, and International Relations for the Occitanie Region, the ExposUM Institute, its role 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 the UM’s Strategic Programs Division:

8:30–9:00 a.m.: Welcome coffee

9:00–9:30 a.m.: Opening remarks

• Philippe Augé – President of the University of Montpellier
• Nadia Pellefigue – Vice President for Higher Education, Research, Europe, and International Relations for the Occitanie Region
• Sophie Béjean – Rector of the Occitanie Academic Region, Rector of the Montpellier School District, Chancellor of the Universities

9:30 a.m. – 11:20 a.m.: Presentation of the ExposUM Institute
Organization, scope, and general program:

• Éric Delaporte – Director of the ExposUM Institute

Specific initiatives, funding, and opportunities for the research community, and answers to frequently asked questions:

• Mircea Sofonea – Head of the Research Division
• Charlotte Boullé – Head of the Training Division
• Aurélie Binot – Head of the Interfaces Research Area
• Philippe Combette – Vice President for Partnerships and Innovation (UM)

11:20–11:45 a.m.: Scientific presentations
: European/international overview of exposome projects and the unique 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 – Associate Professor, Rheumatology Department (Montpellier University Hospital / UMR PhyMedExp UM-CNRS-Inserm)

12:10 p.m. – 1:45 p.m.: Lunch

1:45–2:35 p.m.: Keynote Lecture
: Exposome Analytics: Questions, Achievements, andPerspectives
. 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: an exposome approach to the onset of autism spectrum and neurodevelopmental disorders
Amaria Baghdadli – Associate Professor, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (MPEA / Montpellier University Hospital) and Director of the Languedoc-Roussillon Autism Resource Center and the Center of Excellence on Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders

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

3:25 PM – 3:50 PM
Presentation of an ExposUM theme as part of the AAP Research
Didier Fontenille – Deputy Director of IRD, MIVEGEC, member of COVARS, member of COSS, and Director of RIVOC

3:50–4:20 p.m.: Q&A session: questions and discussion
Moderator: Jacques Mercier – Vice President Research UM)

4:20 p.m.: Closing