I obtained my PhD in Cell Biology from the Institut Curie – Paris, France – where I studied how dendritic cells couple their migration to their antigen uptake function. To address this question, I was using micro-fabricated channels which offer a way to recreate the confined space of peripheral tissues while allowing precise microfluidics manipulation and high spatiotemporal resolution imaging.
I then moved to UNSW – Sydney, Australia – to investigate how the arrest of T cell upon activation is orchestrated. I have developed an approach combining microfluidics and micropatterning to create migration and activation zones. This approach allowed me to precisely follow the dynamic process of antigen-induced T cell arrest. I was interested by the remodeling of the cell cytoskeleton and by the mechanical aspect of this process.
Overall, I would say that what drives my research is the desire to develop experimental designs that recreate in an elegant and simple manner the complexity and singularity of physiological environments with the ultimate goal to better characterize biological processes. This has led me to join the Biomaterials and Microfluidics platform to develop state-of-the-art approaches such as “Organ-on-Chip”.
