Pierre Cattenoz

Pierre Cattenoz is a CNRS research fellow within the team "Transcriptional Regulation of Neurogenesis and Hematopoiesis" led by Dr. Angela Giangrande at IGBMC. His research decrypts the molecular mechanisms controlling the development and function of macrophages using Drosophila as a model. Macrophages are immune cells able to assimilate and destroy pathogens such as bacteria through a process called phagocytosis. They eliminate cellular residues and dead cells, play a role in controlling the chemical and nutrient environment, and ultimately constitute one of the first lines of defense against pathogens. Macrophages are recruited in most inflammatory diseases, including neurodegenerative diseases and cancers, and can act as beneficial or aggravating factors depending on the context of the disease. Pierre Cattenoz's work aims to understand how macrophages acquire different functions and react in homeostatic or pathological environments.

Pierre studied molecular biology at the University of Lille until his master's degree (2007). He realized his doctorate on RNA modifications and genome plasticity in mammals with a co-tutelle agreement with Prof. John Mattick at IMB (University of Queensland, Australia) and Prof. Éric Westhof at IBMC (University of Strasbourg) (2008-2012). He joined Dr. Angela Giangrande's team at IGBMC in 2013, obtained a CNRS research position in 2017, and defended his habilitation to supervise research (HDR) at the University of Strasbourg in January 2023.