معرفی
Guillaume Dumenil is a Professor and Principal Investigator at the Pasteur Institute in Paris, France, where he leads the Pathogenesis of Vascular Infections Unit within the Cell biology and infection department. His research is funded by prestigious grants, including an ERC Advanced Grant (DESTOP) and a previous ERC Starting Grant. He is a leading expert on the pathogenesis of Neisseria meningitidis, the bacterium responsible for meningitis and septicemia.
His research focuses on understanding how N. meningitidis colonizes human blood vessels, evades the innate immune system (particularly neutrophils), and causes vascular damage. His lab employs a highly multidisciplinary approach, integrating microbiology, cell biology, vascular biology, structural biology (using Cryo-EM and cross-linking mass spectrometry), and physics. Key to his research is the use of innovative models, such as a human skin xenograft model in mice and 3D microfluidics-based vessel-on-a-chip systems, to study infection in a physiologically relevant context.
His recent publications (2021–2024) reveal detailed mechanisms of bacterial virulence, including the structural basis of type IV pili function and immune escape, the dynamics of bacterial adhesion under shear stress, and the identification of bacterial safe havens within arterioles. His work bridges fundamental science with therapeutic applications, aiming to develop new preventive and treatment strategies.
His scientific achievements have been recognized with several major awards:
- ERC Advanced Grant (2022)
- Grand prix Fondation NRJ – Institut de France (2021)
- Pasteur Vallery Radot Prize (2019)
- ERC Starting Grant (2012)
Professor Dumenil leads an active research group, mentoring numerous PhD students and post-doctoral fellows. His lab has secured significant grant funding, including multiple ongoing projects like DESTOP and PVMOC, and has produced influential research that is also communicated to the public through videos, media, and science festivals.
The lab utilizes advanced technological platforms, including the Cytometry Platform and microfluidics, and is part of larger collaborative initiatives at the Pasteur Institute such as the Labex IBEID (Integrative Biology of Emerging Infectious Diseases).
