Chairs in Life Science & Engineering

Connected health, biomechanics, new technologies

The ongoing revolution in medicine that involves the development of more personalized, connected and targeted medical practice presents significant challenges. To respond to these challenges, the « Biomedical Engineering Seed Grant Program », an Ecole Polytechnique-based Program supported by the Bettencourt-Schueller Foundation, provides funding for innovative research collaborations between researchers in the physical sciences/engineering and clinicians. Launched in 2018, this Program held by Abdul Barakat accelerates the integration of pioneering techniques and technologies in the medical field.

Holder: Abdul Barakat, CNRS researcher at the Laboratoire d’Hydrodynamique (LadHyX – joint research unit CNRS – Ecole Polytechnique) and associate professor at the Ecole Polytechnique of the Institut Polytechnique de Paris
Sponsorship type: chair
Creation date: 09/05/2019
Partners: Fondation de l'X

Mécanique des fluides, mécano-biologie, facteurs de risque

Through an approach centred around physics and biomechanics, the chair « Cardiovascular Cellular Engineering » studies the role of mechanical factors in the onset of cardiovascular diseases. Held since 2010 by Abdul Barakat this research chair is supported by the AXA Research Fund and supports research projects to study the role of biological mechanical actions in cardiovascular diseases.

Holder: Abdul Barakat, CNRS researcher at the Laboratoire d’Hydrodynamique (LadHyX – joint research unit CNRS – Ecole Polytechnique) and associate professor at the Ecole Polytechnique of the Institut Polytechnique de Paris
Sponsorship type: chair
Creation date: 18/05/2010
Partners: Fondation de l'X

Outils statistiques, dynamique des populations, évolution

Since 2009, the Chair « Modélisation mathématique et biodiversité » reunites these two disciplines to position itself at the heart of environmental issues. Stemming from a partnership between the École polytechnique and the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, the Chair is supported by Veolia and held by Sylvie Méléard. The Chair’s research aims to better understand and model today’s and tomorrow’s ecosystems, in particular by developping new probabilistic evolution models or new biodiversity scenario builders.

Holder: Sylvie Méléard, professor at the Centre de mathématiques appliquées (CMAP – joint research unit CNRS – Ecole Polytechnique) at the Ecole Polytechnique of the Institut Polytechnique de Paris
Sponsorship type: chair
Creation date: 17/06/2009
Partners: Muséum national d'histoire naturelle, Fondation de l'X

Genome editing, breast cancer, personalised medicine

Created in 2019, the « Reconstitution personnalisée du processus tumoral » teaching patronage aims to understand the processes leading to tumour formation in breast cancer patients. To do so, the patient’s genetic alterations are sequentially introduced in healthy cells in order to grow a tumour’s avatar. These artificial tumours would allow to try several chemotherapies and to adapt treatments to the specific pathologies of each patient. This Servier Group patronage held by Alexis Gautreau initiates students of the Ecole Polytechnique to personalised cancer medicine and to genome editing techniques, thanks to a complete laboratory immersion.

Holder: Alexis Gautreau, CNRS research director at the Laboratoire de Biologie structurale de la cellule (BIOC – joint research unit CNRS – Ecole Polytechnique) and professor at the Ecole Polytechnique of the Institut Polytechnique de Paris
Sponsorship type: sponsorship
Creation date: 29/08/2019
Partners : Fondation de l'X