RELAIX LAB
PEOPLE
A Collaborative & International Group
Team director
Prof Fred Relaix
Team director
Research Interests:
My research programme aims at deciphering the mechanisms underlying skeletal muscle maintenance and function in physiological or pathogenic conditions such as Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, preclinical modelling and establishment of innovative therapy with a strong focus on muscle stem cells development and function, impact of environmental stress, muscle stem cell heterogeneity, metabolism and interactions with the niche and local environment.
Contact: frederic.relaix {at} inserm.fr
Fred Relaix
Team
co-director
Philippos
Mourikis, PhD
Academic Researcher (DR)
Research Interests:
Regulation of satellite cell quiescence with a focus on Notch signallng. Using innovative cell isolation techniques, our aim is to identify and characterize the factors that drive satellite cells into quiescence (development/ regeneration), maintain them at this cell state during homeostasis, but also the factors that ignite their activation (regeneration and pathological conditions).
Contact: philippos.mourikis {at} inserm.fr
Philippos Mourikis
Financial Assistant
Lila
Bendameche
Financial Assistant
Activities:
Financial support to the team for service/product ordering, budgeting, grant follow-up, and new recruits.
Lila Bendameche
Academic researchers & Professors
Jean-Loup
Duband, PhD
Academic Researcher (DR)
Jean-Loup Duband
Sylvie Dufour, PhD
Academic Researcher (DR)
Research Interests:
We develop a multidisciplinary research program, integrating molecular genetics, cell and developmental biology, and mechano-biology to understand how neural crest cells adapt to the metabolic, mechanical and biochemical constraints imposed by their micro environment to regulate their plasticity, migration and cell differentiation during development.
Contact: sylvie.dufour {at} inserm.fr
Sylvie Dufour
Sophie Fereol, PhD
Associate Professor
Sophie Fereol
Jules Gilet, PhD
Associate professor
Jules Gilet
Peggy
Lafuste, PhD
Professor
Research Interests:
Trying to decipher interactions between satellite cells and perivascular cells during growth and adulthood in physiological and pathological conditions.
Contact: peggy.lafuste {at} u-pec.fr
Peggy Lafuste
Marianne
Gervais-Taurel, PhD
Academic Researcher (CR)
Research Interests:
We are studying the impact of environmental stress, notably low oxygen and pollutants, on satellite cells, vascular cells and the myo-angiogenic coupling during muscle homeostasis and repair.
Contact: taurel {at} u-pec.fr
Marianne Gervais-Taurel
Olivier Stettler, PhD
Professor
Olivier Stettler
Stephanie
Michineau, PhD
Associate Professor
Research Interests:
I am working on the impact of environment on muscle biology and more specifically on the impact of pollution and hypoxia on satellite and endothelial cells.
Contact: michineau {at} u-pec.fr
Stephanie Michineau
Advanced Technical Support
Sylvie Manin
Research Assistant
Research Interests:
Involved in projects evaluating the pollution as environmental stress on muscle homeostasis in vivo as well as in lab logistics.
Contact: sylvie.manin {at} inserm.fr
Sylvie Manin
Juliette
Berthier
Imaging Manager
Research Interests:
I work on a specific preparation of biologic samples : The clearing. The purpose of the clearing is to make optically transparent a whole or thick biological sample so that it can be observed in depth.
Contact: Juliette.berthier {at} inserm.fr
Juliette Berthier
Anais
Bleuzen
Gene editing assistant engineer
Research Interests:
Being passionate about biotherapies, I have been involved in a gene therapy project for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, using the Crispr/Cas9 technology to restore or partially restore dystrophin.
Contact: anais.bleuzen {at} inserm.fr
Anais Bleuzen
Kaouthar
Kefi
Research Assistant
Kaouthar Kefi
Redouane Fodil
Biophysisist
Redouane Fodil
Frederic
Aurade, PhD
Molecular Biologist
Frederic Aurade
Erica Kimber
Research Engineer
Research Interests:
I work with Dr Philippos Mourikis and his group on Notch signalling and its effect on the regulation of muscle satellite cell quiescence.
Contact: erica.kimber {at} inserm.fr
Erica Kimber
Post-docs
Matthew
Borok, PhD
Post-doc
Research Interests:
I am using cytometric and viral approaches to investigate external and internal factors that regulate satellite cell quiescence.
Contact: matthew.borok {at} inserm.fr
Matthew Borok
Iwona Bronisz-Budzyńska, PhD
Post-doc
Research Interests:
Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy pathology and treatment.
Contact: iwona.bronisz-budzynska {at} doctoral.uj.edu.pl
Iwona Bronisz-Budzyńska
Eleni
Chrysostomou, PhD
Post-doc
Research Interests:
The main focus of my project is to understand how and why muscle stem cell quiescence is maintained and regulated by the extracellular matrix niche and specifically by Notch signalling.
Contact: chrysostomoueleni {at} gmail.com or eleni.chrysostomou {at} inserm.fr
Eleni Chrysostomou
Joana
Esteves de Lima, PhD
Post-doc
Research Interests:
I am interested in understanding how the generation and maintenance of skeletal muscle progenitors/stem cells is regulated by epigenetic mechanisms.
Contact: joana.esteves-de-lima {at} inserm.fr
Joana Esteves de Lima
Alessio
Rotini, PhD
Post-doc
Research Interests:
I aim to get insights into the cellular and molecular mechanisms by which the sympathetic neurons can putatively modulate the maintenance of SCs and pericytes in their myovascular niche.
Contact: alessio.rotini {at} inserm.fr
Alessio Rotini
Valentina
Taglietti, PhD
Post-doc
Research Interests:
I’m actively working on a new rat model for Duchenne muscular dystrophy to decipher the patho-physiological processes involved in DMD progression. Moreover, I'm currently studying the pathways underlying muscle regenerative defects of DMD on the path to therapeutic development.
Contact: valentina.taglietti {at} inserm.fr
Valentina Taglietti
PhD students
Nassim Anis Ahmine
PhD student
Research Interests:
With an engineering science background, I'm working on the multi-scale characterization of the mechanical properties of murine preclinical models in the context of the DMD disease. To reach this aim, I implement different experimental approaches as Traction Force Microscopy and Atomic Force Microscopy.
Contact: ahminenassimanis {at} gmail.com
Nassim Anis Ahmine
Reem
Bou-Akar
PhD student
Research Interests:
I’m differentiating ESCs towards the myogenic lineage. Exploring this population, I plan to reveal new direct targets of upstream regulators of myogenesis.
Contact: reem.abou.akar {at} gmail.com
Reem Bou-Akar
Christelle
Dubois
PhD student
Research Interests:
My project is about the impact of environmental stress on the vascularisation of skeletal muscle, using exposure to a pollutant (TCDD) and chronic activation of the AHR stress-response pathway.
Contact: dubois2.christelle {at} gmail.com
Christelle Dubois
Perla
Geara
PhD student
Research Interests:
Genetic and molecular characterization of the role of the Krüpple - like factor KLF4 in adult skeletal muscle stem cells.
Contact: perla.geara {at} inserm.fr
Perla Geara
Stamatia
Gioftsidi
PhD student
Research Interests:
Establishment and regulation of quiescence on muscle stem cells.
Stamatia Gioftsidi
Nioosha Nekooie-Marnany
PhD student
Research Interests:
My aim is to establish the critical role of metabolites on each step of developmental neural crest cells: delamination, migration and differentiation.
Contact: nioosha.nekooie-marnany {at} inserm.fr
Nioosha Nekooie-Marnany
Mathilde
Rodrigues
PhD student
Research Interests:
Evaluation of the impact of a combination of standard treatment and innovative gene therapy in a rat preclinical model of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.
Contact: mathilde.rodrigues16 {at} gmail.com
Mathilde Rodrigues
Associated members
Leo
Machado
PhD student
Research Interests:
I work in understanding how cells react to dissociation and subsequently promote ubiquitous and cell-specific transcriptional programs with a specific interest in skeletal muscle stem cells.
Contact: leo.machado {at} orange.fr
Leo Machado
Joseph
Touma
PhD student
Research Interests:
I'm working on the characterization of muscle stem cells status and capacities in human samples of lower limn skeletal muscle from patients presenting peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and their relation to endothelial cells under the effect of ischemia.
Contact: josephtouma.md {at} gmail.com