Coordinators: Vanessa Desplat, Majid Khatib

The "Seminars, Conferences, and International Outreach" working group is responsible for organizing the scientific events of the Department of Biological and Medical Sciences (SBM) and for strengthening connections between research units and international partners. The group operates with a dedicated budget, which is discussed and approved by the Department Council.

It includes members of the Council as well as researchers from various laboratories who are interested in contributing to this mission. Current members include: Katia Boniface, Vanessa Desplat, Nadège Bellance, Lucie Brisson, Virginie Dinet, Aksam Merched, Thierry Noël, Fabienne Rayne, Béatrice Turcq. The group is supported in its work by Alexandra Prevôt, Hande Sena Kandemir and Mélina Abdou.

The department’s seminars aim to bring the scientific community together around the core research themes of its units: cancer, vascular and immune systems, host–microorganism interactions, and rare and inflammatory diseases. 

Seminars are generally held on Tuesdays at the IBGC. Since the COVID-19 crisis, they have taken place in both in-person and online formats. This hybrid model has enabled the department to host high-profile international speakers such as Don Ingber, Douglas Hanahan, and Hans Clevers.

The group ensures that all key areas of interest within the SBM community are represented, and may mediate between competing proposals when necessary. It also regularly encourages researchers to propose and host local seminars.

Each year, the department’s scientific life culminates in the SBM Annual Day, held in December. The group ensures that the organizing committee—renewed annually—delivers a program that reflects the full range of research carried out across SBM laboratories.

The group also supports the broader research community through targeted initiatives, such as providing financial assistance for the organization of local conferences (e.g. Microbioday, Metaboday, etc.).

Additionally, the group plays a role in reviewing proposals submitted to internal or regional Calls for Projects, particularly those involving seminars, conferences, and scientific meetings.

As part of its international engagement efforts, the group actively supports the nomination of honorary doctorates (Docteurs Honoris Causa) affiliated with the department. It is in charge of evaluating and prioritizing applications submitted by SBM members for consideration by the University of Bordeaux’s presidency.

Finally, the group has begun mapping the department’s most frequent international collaborations in order to promote, expand, and strengthen strategic partnerships with institutions such as McGill University (Canada) and Rutgers University (New Jersey, USA).

Coordinator: Bénédicte Salin

In response to the climate emergency and with a strong awareness of the role scientific research must play in addressing these challenges, we have established a Sustainable Development Working Group within the SBM Department. The group’s mission is to raise awareness among research staff about the environmental impact of our activities, to share ideas and existing initiatives related to ecological transition within our units, to foster new ideas, and to coordinate our actions in alignment with the University’s broader efforts.

We work in collaboration with the University of Bordeaux, the local Action Climat Environnement group, and the national initiative Labo1.5.

The working group is structured around a steering committee and sustainability contacts within each of the SBM department’s research units.

To get in touch:
• Steering Committee members: dept-sbm.dev-durable@diff.u-bordeaux.fr 
• Unit Sustainability Contacts: dept-sbm.dd-referents@diff.u-bordeaux.fr

Four sub-groups have been created around key themes:

• Awareness and engagement

• Recycling initiatives

• Carbon footprint assessments

• Laboratory practices and environmental impact

Coordinator: Ophélie Cosnefroy

The Quality of Work Life (QWL) group is dedicated to fostering a healthier and more fulfilling working environment for all members of the SBM Department. Through listening, reflection, and shared initiatives, the group seeks to identify areas for improvement, promote well-being at work, and encourage a positive and inclusive workplace culture.

Members of the group: Virginie Dinet, Jean-William Dupuy, Isabelle Forfar, Alexandra Granger-Farbos, Claude Lalou, Jessica Massière, Loïc Rivière.

Coordinators: Aurélien Richard and Mélina Abdou

The Young Researchers and Doctoral Initiatives Working Group aims to support the growth and well-being of early-career members of the SBM Department, including Master’s students, PhD candidates, and postdoctoral researchers. To achieve this, the SBM’s Young network brings together representatives from each research unit.

Since 2019, the group has helped organize a Young Researchers’ Session during the Department’s Annual Day, offering early-career scientists the chance to present their work through oral presentations, flash posters, or traditional posters. 

Launched in 2021, the Career Seminars introduce PhD students to a variety of post-thesis career paths, through talks by professionals from both academic and non-academic sectors, as well as alumni of the University of Bordeaux.

SBM’s Young also hosts debate Battles on current scientific and societal topics. The first edition -“CRISPR and Society” - was organized in collaboration with Béatrice Turcq and Valérie Prouzet-Mauléon from the CRISP’edit platform, who provided scientific coaching for the participants.

The second debate, “Animal Experimentation? Alternative Methods?”, featured public speaking training thanks to support from the French Federation of Debate and Eloquence and the University of Bordeaux's communication office.

Community-building events such as galette night, a petanque tournament and a back-to-school party "Welcome SBM's Young" are also organized to foster connections among young researchers.

These initiatives, which complement the efforts of each individual unit, are designed to promote communication, peer support and a sense of belonging among young researchers across the department.

Group keywords: Motivation, sharing experiences, learning from peers, centralized resources, collaboration with existing associations, sociability…

Active members of the SBM’s Young include:
Célia Bourguignon, Bérénice Dugué, Elina Mercier, Alexandra Moisand, Mélina Abdou, and Aurélien Richard, with support from permanent staff members Hande Sena Kandemir, Katia Boniface, and Thierry Noël.

Coordinator: Béatrice Turcq

The Communication Working Group is responsible for developing and implementing the communication strategy of the SBM Department.

The group creates and distributes communication materials and editorial content, while also managing the department’s digital communication channels.

Since January 2020, a monthly newsletter has been produced for all department staff. Each issue highlights a platform or piece of equipment from the department, features a scientific article from one of its research teams and includes a spotlight piece on a timely topic such as an interview or a report.

In March 2020, a Twitter account was launched to share departmental news, followed by a YouTube channel that hosts replays of online seminars. The Department also opened a LinkedIn page to communicate updates and news. More recently, a Bluesky account was created to further expand our social media presence.

A brochure, developed in collaboration with the University’s communication office, is also available to all members. It serves as a tool to promote the department’s expertise both internally and externally.

The group is composed of: Béatrice Turcq, Thierry Noël, Isabelle Vigon, Marion Bouchecareilh, Fridolin Gross, Virginie Rocher, Katia Boniface, and Hande Sena Kandemir.

Coordinator: Véronique Guyonnet-Duperat

The Platforms and Core Facilities Working Group aims to:

1. Support the department's technical platforms and core facilities to enhance their performance and expertise, particularly in terms of equipment.
2. Promote the visibility of the department's platforms.
3. Identify platform needs whether in terms of equipment or staffing.
4. Gather feedback and needs from platform users.
5. Facilitate user access to the platforms.

Key actions carried out in 2019–2020 included:

• Conducting a survey targeting all platforms.

• Inviting each platform to present their work (via presentations and/or posters) at the SBM Department Day, the CGSO meeting, and the VIP Day (Oncosphere).

• Supporting researchers and platforms through the Department’s internal calls for projects, such as the “Pilot Project” calls (2020 and 2021) and equipment funding calls.

• Supporting staffing requests for platform operations.

• Featuring one platform in each issue of the departmental newsletter.

Working Group Members

Members of the Department Council:

• Véronique Guyonnet-Duperat (Vect’UB)

• Arnaud Mourier (CR): platform user

• Giovanni Bénard (DR): platform user

Members from SBM Research Units:

• Géraldine Siegfried: Platform development – Zebrafish facility

• Valérie Prouzet-Mauléon: CRISPR edit’ platform

Coordinator: Jessica Massière

The Calls for Projects (AAPs) Working Group implements the research funding policy of the SBM Department.

In close dialogue with the Department Council, the group defines funding priorities, drafts the call texts and establishes evaluation criteria. It also oversees the evaluation process, solicits reviewers and compiles a synthesis of the expert assessments. When necessary, it ranks proposals by priority and presents a rationale to the Department Council, which then validates the final selection.

In 2020, the group established two funding streams.
The first, known as “Generic Calls”, included three subcategories aimed at:

• Supporting early-career researchers

• Funding shared equipment

• Launching pilot projects involving the use of university technical platforms or core facilities

The second stream focused on initiatives that strengthen departmental communities, in alignment with the strategic priorities of both the University and the SBM Department.

Group members: Samuel Amintas, Laëtitia Andrique, Giovanni Bénard, Katia Boniface, Véronique Guyonnet-Dupérat, Majid Khatib, Floriane Lagadec, Olivier Mansier, Thierry Noël, Emmanuel Tetaud, Béatrice Turcq.

Coordinator: Thierry Noël

The Workforce Planning Working Group (PGE-RH) of the SBM Research Department is responsible for identifying and assessing staffing needs for technical and administrative personnel (BIATSS) within the research units and the support unit (UMS) under its scope, typically between April and May. It also proposes potential solutions to meet those needs.

In line with the scientific priorities of the Department, the group is further tasked with defining research profiles for the recruitment of new faculty members (May–June). These identified needs are then internally prioritized and presented for discussion within the Department Council (July).

The next phase involves aligning and ranking these needs with those expressed by other University structures; other research departments, academic training units, and colleges (June - September), before being discussed at the central administration level (September - October).

The PGE group also contributes to the annual promotion campaigns for faculty members. In February, it proposes one of the two reviewers required to evaluate each application on behalf of the University, before the files are forwarded to the relevant sections of the National Council of Universities (CNU).

Group members:
Katia Boniface, Clothilde Billotet, Marion Bouchecareilh, Vanessa Desplat and Pierre Soubeyran. Additional members from the SBM Department may be invited based on specific needs.

Coordinator: Arnaud Mourier

A key responsibility of the Institutional Affairs Working Group is to define how the Department's annual budget allocation is distributed among research units. Each year, the group works in collaboration with unit managers and directors to update the inventory of permanent and contractual staff within the research units. These data feed into a funding allocation algorithm developed by the working group and validated by the Department Council. This system accounts for changes in staff numbers or unit restructuring.

The goal is to propose a fair and equitable distribution of the Department’s funding, one that supports and encourages the units' involvement in student training and research contracts, through a vote by the Department Council.

In addition, the working group is responsible for updating the Department’s bylaws. This includes setting the framework for the next renewal of the Department Council while ensuring continuity and momentum in the Department’s initiatives to support research and education.

Group members:
Arnaud Villacreces, Sabine Pereyre, Thierry Noël, Katia Boniface, and Arnaud Mourier.

Coordinator: Katia Boniface

A dedicated reflection on the identification of strategic objectives is being conducted within the SBM Department. Our goal is to foster scientific excellence, enhance the department’s visibility, promote collective initiatives and establish a coherent and forward-looking scientific policy.

This initiative is driven by the ambition to build a dynamic and united research community enriched by a wide range of scientific expertise. The department brings together research in cancer, microbiology, genetics, immunology, and vascular biology.

To assess and define strategic priorities, a working group made up of several department members was assembled. This group is responsible for drafting assessments and proposals based on feedback collected from the heads of the research units.

Members of the Strategy Working Group: Samuel Amintas, Giovanni Benard, Myriam Capone, Macha Nikolski, Thierry Noël, Claire Peghaire, Pierre Soubeyran, Emmanuel Tétaud, Aurélien Trimouille, Arnaud Villacreces.