Two researchers from Montpellier awarded Chairs of Excellence in Biology and Health
Giacomo Cavalli and Jérôme Dejardin, researchers at the Institute of Human Genetics, are among the 22 national recipients of the Chair of Excellence in Biology/Health program, one of the key initiatives of the Health Innovation Plan 2030.
The stated goal of the Chairs of Excellence in Biology and Health program is to retain and attract the best researchers in their fields to France, thereby strengthening the excellence of French research. With funding of 2 to 3 million euros each, these chairs are intended to enable the launch of new, large-scale projects in France over a five-year period.
The names of the 22 researchers selected by the jury were announced on Monday, April 22; among them are two researchers from the Institute of Human Genetics (IGH).
Giacomo Cavalli was selected for his EpigeneticMemories project, which aims to decipher the role of regulatory factors in the epigenetic inheritance of alternative chromatin states. EpigeneticMemories will identify the molecular steps leading to epigenetic cancer in Drosophila and will test the role of epigenetic inheritance in mammalian cell differentiation. This project, coordinated by the CNRS, will help decipher how epigenetic components can lead to stable changes in cellular fate over the course of evolution.
Jérôme Dejardin was selected for his project “Endloops: Telomere Loops—Mechanisms and Functions.” Telomeres are nucleoprotein structures located at the ends of chromosomes; their regulation is crucial for maintaining genomic stability and underlies the processes of cellular aging. The Endloops project, coordinated by Inserm, aims to understand the control of telomere length and protection during early development, particularly at their ends, known as “telomeric loops” (t-loops), which may play a role in protecting the ends of chromosomes.