The Inserm chair recruitments opened to Inserm are intended for researchers with strong potential to manage and lead research teams and participate in national, European or international projects.
This recruitment, based on research and teaching projects, is aimed at researchers with a doctorate or equivalent and a first post-doctoral experience. The position is offered on a fixed-term contract (CDD) with a view to tenure in the Inserm Research Directors personnel at the end of the contract.
Application on EVA: https://eva3-accueil.inserm.fr/sites/eva/chaires/2024/Pages/default.aspx
Summuray of the research project: Pain is one of the major signs of inflammation. Following injury or infection, inflammatory mediators activate nociceptive sensory neurons in tissues. These neurons transmit the signal to the brain, eliciting pain. They also release a number of mediators directly at the site of injury, modulating local immune responses. The laboratory of Sophie Ugolini at the CIML, in collaboration with the laboratory of Aziz Moqrich at IBDM (also located in the Luminy campus) recently demonstrated a key role for subsets of sensory neurons in limiting inflammation and promoting macrophage tissue-repair functions. However, the precise mechanisms involved remain poorly understood. The goal of this project is to decipher the role of the nervous system in the regulation of host immune, inflammatory and pro-repair responses, from the molecular to the systemic level. The host laboratory tackle these questions by studying genetically modified mice with ablations, activations or functional inactivations of particular subsets of neurons. These questions are being addressed in models of viral infection, tissue injury and cancer. The scientific strategy is based on a holistic approach based on the analyses of both local neuro-immune interactions in tissues, and of systemic regulation. Indeed, pain perception and inflammatory processes also activate a stress response in the central nervous system. This project will, therefore, analyze the modulation of immune responses by local and systemic neuroendocrine pathways. The potential therapeutic value of the findings for treating inflammatory diseases and cancer will be also explored.
