Francois Schweisguth

Francois Schweisguth is Senior Scientist at the CNRS (Directeur de Recherche Classe Exceptionnelle) and Director of the CNRS Unit UMR3738 at the Institut Pasteur in Paris. He serves as Director of the Department of Developmental and Stem Cell Biology and Head of the GDD Unit at the Institut Pasteur, while also coordinating the LabEX Revive program.

Dr. Schweisguth's educational background includes undergraduate studies (1983-88) at the Ecole Normale Supérieure (ENS), Paris; PhD (1990) from Université Pierre et Marie Curie under J.-A. Lepesant at Institut Jacques Monod; and post-doctoral training (1990-93) with J.W. Posakony at University of California San Diego.

His research focuses on fundamental mechanisms of cell and developmental biology using Drosophila as a model system, with emphasis on Notch signaling, asymmetric cell division, cell polarity, epithelium morphogenesis, and quantitative live imaging. His laboratory investigates how cells divide asymmetrically to generate different cell types during development, providing insights into conserved mechanisms of cell communication and fate determination.

Analysis of Dr. Schweisguth's publication record reveals consistent focus on Notch signaling pathways and asymmetric cell division mechanisms. His work has evolved from early studies on Suppressor of Hairless to more recent investigations of planar cell polarity and endosomal trafficking, bridging molecular, cellular, and developmental biology with advanced imaging techniques.

Dr. Schweisguth has received numerous prestigious awards:

• Charles-Leopold Mayer Prize from the French Academy of Science (2015)
• EMBO member (2012)
• Zermati Prize from the Fondation de France (2012)
• Silver Medal of the CNRS (2006)
• Jaffé Prize from the French Academy of Science (2005)
• Bronze Medal of the CNRS (1996)
• HFSP fellowship (1991)

Dr. Schweisguth has mentored numerous successful scientists including Allison Bardin and Yohanns Bellaiche who became CNRS Group Leaders at Institut Curie, Michel Gho at UMR7622, and Roland Le Borgne at UMR6061. Several former trainees including Fred Bernard and Jose-Eduardo Gomes became Assistant Professors, while others like Soline Chanet pursued postdoctoral work at MIT. His research has been supported by CNRS, LabEX Revive, and other funding sources.

Dr. Schweisguth leads the Drosophila Developmental Genetics team within the Department of Developmental and Stem Cell Biology at the Institut Pasteur. As Director of CNRS Unit UMR3738 and Co-coordinator of LabEX Revive, he plays a pivotal role in advancing stem cell and developmental biology research, integrating quantitative approaches with classical genetic studies to understand fundamental biological processes.