Bertrand CARIOU

As a clinician (Professor in Endocrinology) and researcher (Team leader of a group working on dyslipidemias and cardiometabolic diseases at Inserm UMR 1087), I have developed during the last 15 years a multi-disciplinary team (12 permanent researchers, including 5 clinicians, 10 PhD students, 13 research assistants) with complementary expertise in the fields of animal physiology, cellular biology, genetic and multi-omics approach and clinical research. Thanks to this specific structure, I have been able to develop high-level translational research, highlighted by my recognized expertise on PCSK9 (77 publications). I have also developed the Clinical Investigation Center (CIC) in Endocrinology, Diabetology & Nutrition (12 people) at l’institut du thorax in which I conduct clinical trials (phase 2 & 3) and proof-of-concept studies (including lipoprotein kinetics studies) in the field of cardiometabolic diseases. Our center was the leading French center in terms of number of inclusions in clinical trials with PCSK9 inhibitors. I was also involved in advisory boards in close contact with pharmaceutical companies (Amgen, Genfit, Eli Lilly, Novartis, Novo Nordisk, Regeneron, Sanofi) in the field of cardiometabolic diseases and I have developed several investigator-initiated projects with them.

In 2015, I have been elected as director of l’institut du Thorax (a structure with 1,000 staff), a position that gives me some insights for managing teams and large collaborative projects as RHU CHOPIN, an ambitious nationwide program (involving 9 academic teams and 4 industrial partners) aiming at improving the management of hypercholesterolemia. Recently, I was involved in the MEDITWIN project, a collaborative research program with Dassault Systèmes on the creation of Digital Twins as an aid to medical decision-making in ASCVD.  I am also the co-coordinator (with Pr Jérôme Boursier, hepatologist) of the FHU GO-NASH, a multidisciplinary network aiming at improving the medical management of patients with Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH). At an international level, I participated as a partner in a Trans-Atlantic network of Excellence of the Leducq Fundation on PCSK9.

PRIZES
2017 - Auguste Loubatières Prize (SFD: Société Francophone du Diabète)
2009- Apolilinaire Bouchardat Prize (Research in Diabetology)
2009-2014: Contrat d'interface INSERM

SCIENTIFIC PRODUCTION
Patents
PCT/FR2023/050714. Variant LIPC in the treatment of atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease
PCT/EP2019/0345500. Methods and pharmaceutical compositions for modulating stem cells proliferation or differentiation
Peer-reviewed publications : ORCID-ID: 0000-0002-1580-8040
Total number of publications: 331 (PubMed);
H index: 61 (Clarivate, Web of Science); 74 (Google Scholar)
Citations: (Clarivate, Web of Science): 15 800; average citation per item: 34.17

ADMINISTRATIVE AND MANAGEMENT RESPONSABILITIES

Since 2012 Head of CIC Endocrinology-Diabetology-Nutrition, CHU Nantes
Since 2013 Head of Team 4 “Dyslipidemia and Lipotoxicity” (-2022) and “Cardiometabolic Diseases” (2022-), Inserm UMR 1087 – CNRS UMR 6291, Nantes, France
Since 2015 Director of l’institut du thorax, Nantes, France
Since 2020 Vice Dean Research, Medical School, Nantes University
Since 2021 Vice Director Research, Pôle Santé, Nantes Université
2021 - 2023 Co-coordinator of the axis “Future Health” for I-SITE NExT
Since 2022 Co-Head of FHU GO-NASH

grants, Previous and current research support

2024-2029 I-Démo France 2030 (BPI France): MEDITWIN project with Dassault Systèmes (1.99 M€). Co-WP leader on the development of digital twins to predict ASCVD risk.
2022-2024 ANR GENESIS:  Gpr146 a novel targEt agaiNst lipid-rElated cardiovaScular dISeases (410 k€) – Co-Coordinator with Dr Antoine Rimbert (Team 4: Cardiometabolic Diseases).
2020-2023 Grant « Equipe » FRM: INSTINCTIVE (INtegration of LDL determinantS and Translation Into biological Targets for cardiovascular diseasE” (380 k€). Coordinator as Team 4 leader.
2020-2022 PHRC National (Competitive National Grant for clinical study): CORONADO (Coronavirus SARS-Cov2 and Diabetes Outcomes). 378 k€. Principal investigator: design and drafting of the study, obtaining regulatory approvals, coordination.
2018 Award of AMGEN PCSK9 competitive grant. Deciphering the role of PCSK9 in food allergy and asthma (200 000US $). Co-Coordinator with Dr Cédric Le May (Team 4: Cardiometabolic Diseases).
2016-2021 Coordinator of RHU CHOPIN (CHOlesterol Personalized INnovation): 8.3 M€. Project design and drafting, consortium management and coordination, interaction with the funder.
2015. Award of Pfizer ASPIRE Cardiovascular Competitive Research Grants Program. Respective roles of intestinal and hepatic PCSK9 on triglyceride rich lipoprotein metabolism (100 000 US $). Co-Coordinator with Dr Cédric Le May (Team 4: Cardiometabolic Diseases).
2014 Fondation de France competitive grant.  HYPOCHOL (77 k€)- Principal investigator, design of the clinical trial, obtaining regulatory approvals.
2013-2018 Core member in Transatlantic Network of Excellence of Leducq Fundation: The function and regulation of PCSK9: a novel modulator of LDLR activity (325 k€). WP leader.