Camille BerthelotView profile
Researcher
Camille Berthelot is a Principal Investigator and head of the Comparative Functional Genomics research group at the Institut Pasteur in Paris, France. Her work lies at the intersection of evolutionary biology, genomics, and reproductive physiology, with a focus on understanding how genomic changes drive evolutionary innovations in vertebrates, particularly the evolution of menstruation in primates. Her research leverages cutting-edge technologies including single-cell RNA sequencing, organoid models, and computational frameworks to compare gene expression and regulation across species such as humans, macaques, and mice. She investigates how evolutionary changes in gene function contribute to novel traits and how these relate to diseases like endometriosis. A major focus is the use of menstrual fluid as a non-invasive biomarker source for endometriosis, a direction highlighted in her systematic review published in Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology . Her recent publications span high-impact journals such as Science , Genome Research , and Nature Ecology & Evolution , covering topics from teleost fish phylogeny to regulatory evolution in mole-rats. These works reveal a consistent trend in using comparative genomics to decode deep evolutionary questions, often in collaboration with institutions like QMUL and INSERM. ERC Starting Grant (EVOMENS) – Decoding the genetics of menstruation evolution in primates Collaborative project on hypoxia adaptation in mole-rats Development of bioinformatics tools like FINSURF for non-coding variant classification She actively mentors a team of postdocs, PhD students, and master’s interns, including Claire Lavergne, Leo Zeitler, and Eulalie Liorzou. Former members such as Malgorzata Gazda and Axelle Brulport have gone on to independent academic positions, reflecting her role in training next-generation scientists. Camille Berthelot returned from maternity leave in June 2024 and remains actively engaged in research, publication, and team leadership at the Institut Pasteur.










