The Mondor Institute for Biomedical Research (IMRB, U955 Inserm – Université Paris Est Créteil, UPEC) is one of the main biomedical research centres in the eastern part of the Paris region with national and international influence. The research teams develop high-level translational research in a wide variety of fields in direct connection with healthcare services and a large number of patient cohorts.
The IMRB was established in 2009 and has recently been successfully evaluated as part of the last HCERES E wave. It has been recreated by Inserm and UPEC for 5 years from 1 January 2020. It comprises almost 600 people belonging to 14 research teams, a General Secretary Office in charge of managing the Institute, logistical support for the teams and technological platforms.
The research teams are structured into 3 departments: “Virus, Immunity, Cancer” (VIC, 5 teams); “Neurosciences and Psychiatry” (ESPRY, 3 teams), and “Physiopathology of Cardiovascular and Respiratory Diseases, Development and Senescence” (PHYDES, 6 teams).
The management of the IMRB is supported by a Directorial committee and a Center committee composed of team leaders and elected members from each category of staff: Researchers & Teacher-Researchers, Research Support Staff and Doctoral & Post-Doctoral Students (Figure ppt). A Scientific Integrity cell assists the Director in his field of competence. A Grant office provides support to researchers for the detection of Calls for Proposals and for their applications.
Working groups (WGs) from the general assemblies of the staff and led by their representatives are in charge of the different aspects of the life of the IMRB: scientific animation, international relations, strategy, follow-up of young researchers, etc.
The scientific output of the IMRB over the last 5 years amounts to nearly 3500 original articles and letters and 40 patents. In the field of education and in the same period, the IMRB has produced 110 university theses. The IMRB teams are involved in several European projects and report 150 international collaborations with laboratories all over the world, mainly European and American.
The IMRB’s main assets are:
A location at the Institute of a strong health and clinical research cluster including 3 hospitals, a veterinary university hospital from the Veterinarian School located in Maisons-Alfort (ENVA), a generalist Clinical Investigation Centre with a Biotherapy label, a Biological Resource Centre, the cell therapy unit of the French Blood Bank (Etablissement Français du Sang) as well as 8 centers of reference for rare diseases and 1 national center of reference (CNR Hepatitis B, C and delta). To this was added in 2011 and 2012 the creation of 3 University Hospital Departments (DHU) (out of 3 requested), part of the 16 DHU granted by the Assistance Publique-Hopitaux de Paris, Inserm and Paris universities.
These three DHU have ensured the visibility of the Créteil site’s strong points in the field of health and were at the origin of the three departments that make up the IMRB. These DHU’s expired in 2019. In their continuation, 3 University Hospital Federations (FHU) have been created on our site (out of 3 requested) by the same institutions as the DHU. These FHU emanate from the matrix created by the DHU and are dedicated to research on psychiatric diseases (FHU ADAPT, Manager M. Leboyer), cardiometabolic diseases and senescence (FHU SENEC, Manager G. Derumeaux) and inflammatory and autoimmune diseases (FHU TRUE, Manager P. Grimbert).
Obtaining financing in response to national and international structuring calls for tenders, in particular the CARMMA University Hospital Network (RHU) and the Graduate School (EUR) “LIVE” (both coordinated by G Derumeaux), the EUR “FrontCog” (participation of the AC Bachoud-Levi team), the “Translamuscle” strategic pole of the French Muscular Dystrophy Association (F.. Relaix), and participation in the Scientific Councils of the OneHealth and QI2 IMGs of the Ile de France Region (JD. Lelièvre, JM. Pawlotsky and J. Boczkowski/S. Lanone teams). In addition, IMRB teams coordinate 3 European projects: the Europen HIV Alliance (JD. Lelièvre team), IMI Cardiateam (G. Derumeaux team) and the H2020 Remedia project (S. Lanone team).
These projects follow on from several grants obtained between 2010 and 2015 in response to initiatives of excellence, in particular the “Fundamental” RTRS (Thematic Networks for Research and Care) (Pr M. Leboyer), the coordination of the Labex “Vaccinal Research Institute” (Pr Y. Levy.), the coordination of the Psy-COH cohort, and participation in the “Biopsy” (Pr M. Leboyer), “Institut d’Etude Cognitive” (Pr AC. Bavchoud-Levi), “Serenade” (Pr J. Boczkowski) and the Carnot Institute (CALYM) (Pr P. Gaulard) labexes.
Access to technological platforms for high-throughput genomics and sequencing, bioinformatics, imaging, flow cytometry and pre-clinical exploration These platforms, except for bioinformatics, are ISO 9001 certified. These platforms are equipped with latest-generation equipment, demonstrating the IMRB management’s determination to be at the forefront of technological innovations for the benefit of the Institute’s researchers.
The development of the Institute’s assets, in particular with the development of a cross-cutting theme bringing together a majority of teams around the theme of “environmental diseases and aggressions” (pollution, infections, nutrition, psychosocial stress and occupational exposure) is the main focus of development for the coming years. The IMRB is thus in line with UPEC‘s establishment policy, particularly in the areas of Health, Society and Environment, and in a synergistic approach with ENVA and ANSES on the theme of “One Health”.
This thematic evolution will be accompanied by the construction of a new biomedical research building on the Mondor campus (4000 m2) which will strengthen the scientific potential of the IMRB by improving the installation conditions of certain existing teams, welcoming new teams and installing new platforms and technical platforms.
Key figures
14 research teams
600 members
180
Hospital & university staff
24
Researchers
56
Postdoctoral researchers
68
PhD students
96
ITA titulars
77
ITA contractuals
90
Master students
12 000m2
de laboratories
150
International collaborations
10
European projects
3500+
articles in 5 years
40
Patents
10
Start-ups
