Mehdi Badaoui

Dr. Mehdi Badaoui is an Assistant Professor at the University of Geneva (UNIGE), affiliated with the PHYM Department. His research focuses on understanding how bidirectional cell-environment communication regulates epithelial repair and regeneration, particularly in cystic fibrosis (CF) pathophysiology. He holds a MSc in Molecular Interactions and Therapeutics from Jules Verne University (Amiens, France) and completed his PhD on tumor microenvironment impacts on breast cancer progression. Since 2018, he has investigated CF airway epithelial remodeling under Prof. Marc Chanson.

His work explores mechanisms underlying CF airway infections, including surface hydration, ion channel regulation, and bacterial adhesion pathways. Key contributions include studies on HuR-Vav3 mRNA interactions and β1-integrin/YAP1 signaling in CF epithelia. He has received multiple awards, including Young Investigator Awards at Swiss Physiology Meetings (2021, 2019) and a Best Poster Award at the ECFS Basic Science Conference (2019).

Badaoui’s research bridges molecular biology, cell biology, and clinical CF challenges. He collaborates with multidisciplinary teams and has contributed to press releases and media interviews explaining CF infection mechanisms despite therapeutic advances.