president Michel Cosnard

Angelo Corti

Evaluation report

This report is the sole result of evaluation by the expert committee, the composition of which is specified below.

The assessments contained herein are the expression of an independent and collegial reviewing by the committee. The unit is located in the campus of the Faculty of Sciences, University of Rouen Mont Saint Aignan. The unit will move in January 2016 to a new building next to its current located, the "Centre Universitaire de Recherche et d'Innovation en Biologie (CURIB) -Ms Marianne GRUNBERG-MANAGO". This building has a useful area of 8700 m 2 . The unit will occupy 1800 m 2 and will be grouped with 3 other laboratories, 2 technological platforms and an animal facility.

Management team

The unit is composed of four teams (Team 1, Functional genomics and neuronal neuroendocrine pathophysiology; Team 2, Neuropeptides, neuronal death and cell plasticity; Team 3, Astrocytes and vascular niche; Team 4, Neuroendocrinology and pathophysiology of the adrenal cortex).

The unit general management is conducted by Mr Youssef ANOUAR (Director). Team coordinators are Mr Youssef ANOUAR (Team 1), Mr David VAUDRY (Team 2) Mrs Hélène CASTEL (Team 3), and Mr Nicolas CHARTREL and Mr Hervé LEFEBVRE (Team 4).

HCERES nomenclature

SVE1 LS5 SVE1 LS4

Scientific domains

The unit has gained a high international reputation in peptide research, neuroendocrinology and neuroscience. This reputation relies on its work on the involvement of peptides and neuropeptides in neuroendocrine mechanisms, and on their roles in certain diseases (neuroendocrine tumors, brain tumors, and brain damage following ischemia).

Unit workforce

Unit workforce

Number The main scientific interest of the unit is to elucidate the cellular and molecular mechanisms of neuronal/neuroendocrine differentiation and cell-to-cell communication involving neuropeptides, and to transfer the results toward medical and biotechnological applications. In particular, the objectives of the unit are: a) to contribute to understand the mechanisms of neuronal and neuroendocrine differentiation and the pathophysiological cell-to-cell communications in the nervous and endocrine systems; b) to identify new diagnostic/prognostic markers and therapeutic targets in neurodegenerative diseases and in cancer; and c) to develop new treatments for neurodegenerative diseases, brain tumors, neuroendocrine tumors, cardiovascular and metabolic pathologies.

To achieve these goals, in the last quinquennial, the unit has recruited 4 assistant professors (from outside the unit), 3 INSERM or University engineers, 4 professors, 1 INSERM investigator and 6 assistant professors (from other laboratories). Two assistant professors were promoted full professors. Such a growth allows the 4 teams to develop ambitious programs on basic, preclinical and clinical research in the above-mentioned fields. The majority of the projects received important funding from different agencies and organizations. Some of these funds were used to recruit 30 people -post-docs (9), qualified technicians and administrative staff, which will further facilitate addressing the above-mentioned aims.

Global assessment of the unit

The unit has now the necessary critical mass for making competitive basic and translational research. Furthermore, taking into account the long-standing experience in peptide research, neuroendocrinology and neuroscience, the internationally recognized expertise of the scientists of the Unit and the recent development of animal models and novel genomic, proteomic, physiological approaches for addressing the proposed objectives, this unit is well positioned in the international competition to make significant contributions in these fields. This is also favoured by the location within the University of Rouen (with various platforms, services and facilities available), the good collaborations at national and international level, the scientific networks, and the important connections/collaborations with clinicians of the Rouen CHU, CIC and other clinical research networks (COMETE, REHOS, PGL.EVA, Canceropole Nord-Ouest clinical).

Considering the potential impact, the overall productivity, the international visibility of the director and of the team coordinators/members, the international collaborations, the interaction with local partners, and the intense training activity, the global assessment of this unit is excellent.

Strengths and opportunities in the context

The unit has a deep and well-documented expertise in neuroscience, neuroendocrinology, and in the identification and characterization of neuropeptides, their receptors and their functions. This expertise is well recognized by the scientific community and by socio-economic actors, as documented by the high quality scientific publications, the patent applications, and the successful fundraising activity of this unit.

Each team of the unit is structured in a balanced manner in terms of human and financial resources, and has specific complementary scientific competences. The integration of clinicians and pharmaceutical specialists with experience in formulation, intellectual property and start-up management, is an important asset, as this may facilitate the development of new drugs derived from the peptides discovered by the unit.

The unit has an excellent publication track record in the field of neuroscience and neuroendocrinology: on average, the unit has published around 40 peer-reviewed articles each year since 2010, including 70 articles published in peer-reviewed scientific journals with impact factor above 4.3, and 8 patent applications.

Visibility and notoriety at national and international levels are undoubtedly points of strength of the unit, considering the impressive number of scientific networks involving staff members, the numerous worldwide collaborations, the high number of invitations to present their work at conferences, and the large number of national and International scientific meetings, symposia, and conferences organized in the last five years. This may increase the appeal of the unit and facilitate further collaborations and preparation of joint projects.

Attractiveness for researchers, post-docs and students is another point of strength considering that, during the last contract, the unit has attracted 12 researchers and hosted 9 post-docs and 37 PhD students. Furthermore, during the last term, the unit has recruited 4 assistant professors, and 3 engineers to support the different teams.

The unit benefits from high-tech platforms located in the same building, such as the "Plateforme Régionale de Recherche en Imagerie Cellulaire de Normandie" (PRIMACEN) and the proteomic facility (PISSARO), which are powerful technological supports for the success of the projects.

The unit has a proven ability to raise private and public contracts, in addition to recurrent funding by INSERM and the University of Rouen, for running costs and salaries.

Weaknesses and threats in the context

The unit is currently pursuing many interesting and ambitious projects, including studies aimed at identifying new diagnostic/prognostic markers and therapeutic targets and at developing new treatments for neurodegenerative diseases, brain tumors, neuroendocrine tumors, cardiovascular diseases and metabolic pathologies. Pursuing innovative, high risk and diversified projects could be a good management strategy for a large unit with many different independent investigators. However, excessive diversification in too many (different) pathophysiological fields risks to be dispersive for small teams.

Several staff members have important teaching loads and administrative duties, and the unit has relatively restricted funding to support some aspects of the projects. The low ratio of qualified technicians in the lab represents a point of weakness.

Recommendations

-project prioritization is recommended; -the scientific productivity of this unit is of very high quality. The unit members should pursue their efforts, initiated during the last contract, to increase the number of articles published in high profile journals; -the four teams have been organized based on scientific grounds and equilibrated resources. The Lab organization could benefit from increasing the ratio of qualified technicians/researchers and from increasing the collaborations and the interactions between teams; -the web site should be updated, as this is important for the visibility of the unit.

  Mr Angelo CORTI, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy Experts: Ms Marie-France BADER, INCI, Strasbourg Ms Marie-Bernadette DELISLE, CHU, CMEAB, faculté de Médecine de Rangueil, Toulouse (representative of the INSERM CSS) Ms Sylvie THIRION, CNRS, Université Aix-Marseille (representative of the CNU) Scientific delegate representing the HCERES: Mr Jean-Marie ZAJAC Representatives of supervising institutions and bodies: Mr Samir OULD ALI, INSERM Mr Cafer ÖZKUL, Université de Rouen Head of Doctoral School: Mr Patrice LEROUGE, EdNBISE, ED 497 "Normandy's Doctoral School of Integrative Biology, Health and Environment" 1  Introduction History and geographical location of the unit The INSERM unit 982, directed by Dr Youssef ANOUAR, was opened in 2010 as a joint INSERM-University of Rouen laboratory,after the restructuration of unit 413 (Molecular and Cellular Neuroendocrinology, directed by Dr Hubert VAUDRY between 1995 and 2007). The unit was evaluated by the AERES at mid-term, and started this quinquennial in 2012 (to synchronize the new Unit 982 with the quinquennial contract of Rouen University).

on 30/06/2015

	N1: Permanent professors and similar positions N2: Permanent researchers from Institutions and similar positions N3: Other permanent staff (technicians and administrative personnel) N4: Other professors (Emeritus Professor, on-contract Professor, etc.) N5: Other researchers from Institutions (Emeritus Research Director, Postdoctoral students, visitors, etc.) N6: Other contractual staff (technicians and administrative personnel) N7: PhD students TOTAL N1 to N7 Qualified research supervisors (HDR) or similar positions Unit record PhD theses defended Postdoctoral scientists having spent at least 12 months in the unit Number of Research Supervisor Qualifications (HDR) obtained during the period 2	Number on 01/01/2017 10 28 12 From 01/01/2010 to 11 28 13 1 5 18 76 19 30/06/2015 19 11

 Overall assessment of the unit Introduction


Evaluation report

This report is the sole result of evaluation by the expert committee, the composition of which is specified below.

The assessments contained herein are the expression of an independent and collegial reviewing by the committee.

Unit name:

Glycobiologie et Matrice Extracellulaire Végétale In 2015 Glyco-MEV comprised 19 permanent staff (including 12 professors/assistant professors and 7 technicians). These numbers have been broadly static since 2010. Over the contract period, the staff was aided by 13 PhD students which is a significant increase since 2009.

Glyco-MEV is currently based in an old biology building on the Mont-Saint-Aignan campus (occupying 1,200 m 2 of space) and is set to move in January 2016 to 1,600 m 2 of new space in CURIB ("Centre Universitaire de Recherche et d'Innovation en Biologie"). This will enable increased interaction with Cell Imaging and Proteomics IBiSA-affiliated platforms to which Glyco-MEV staff members are major contributors. 2015 has also seen access to new plant growth/greenhouse facilities the nearby "Plateforme expérimentale Normand Serre". This plant growth facility has over 700 m 2 of space, including space dedicated to transgenic plants and for studies of plant-pathogen interactions.

The research focus of Glyco-MEV is plant glycobiology.

Management team

Since 2010 Glyco-MEV has been managed by a research unit director aided by a deputy director. Administration and financial services are managed by 8 members of staff. Through the evaluation period Glyco-MEV encompassed three scientific research teams on defined topics although with extensive interactions and significant synergistic cooperativity.

HCERES nomenclature

Domaine: SVE

Sous-domaine: SVE2

Sous domaine principal: SVE2-LS3

Scientific domains

The research area of the unit is plant glycobiology and this includes plant root secretions/defense, cell wall biosynthesis/remodelling and N-glycosylation in plants and algae. The research on root defense focuses largely on experimental systems and a range of plant cell wall molecules including pectic polysaccharides and the O-glycosylated plant proteoglycans arabinogalactan-proteins (AGPs). The complex pectin family of polysaccharides are also a clear focus in topic II and this, and the increasing use of small inhibitor molecules, allows for excellent cross-fertilization between topics I & II. The proposed strategy for the next contract requires only a minor re-defining of the 3 topics -but includes a proposal for two cross-cutting projects/technology platforms i.e. cell imaging of glycomolecules and the use of small inhibitor glycomolecules. This proposal should integrate the laboratory even more strongly.

Unit workforce

Global assessment of the unit

Glyco-MEV is a small research unit that is a center of excellence in plant glycobiology and one of the major such centers in Europe. The centre is run as a one-team research laboratory with clear flexibility in the use of its technical support. Glyco-MEV has an admirable research focus, and this has resulted in exceptional interactions and synergy between its research topics -and in particular between topics I and II. All teams have been successful in attracting funding. Outputs over the previous 5 years provide evidence of an increasing research trajectory in terms of publication outputs, the number of PhD students and the number of research contracts. The number of private contracts appears to have been increased significantly. Publication outputs are at a high level and are generally in top ranking international plant science and associated specialist journals.

Strengths and opportunities in the context

under the current direction the unit has an exceptional supportive research environment that is appreciated by all staff and student researchers. This positive and participative environment clearly contributes to the strength of the research unit and its outputs;

young researchers are actively encouraged to take an active role in research activity;

planning has been made for the training of future directors; -active participation in regional, national and international research programmes; -internationally recognized research;

laboratory acts as one research team, which maximizes outputs from a limited number of projects;

very high level of research interactions and co-authorship; -upward trajectory in terms of research activity (outputs/PhD students/research contracts); -excellent research culture across the research unit with regular series of meetings that address different needs;

enhancement of capabilities by improved infrastructures including imminent movement to a new building and access to new plant growth facilities;

increasing research links and partnerships with industry including Agilent;

good employability of PhD students; -proposal for transverse projects/tool development that cut across all topics that should boost synergy; -technical staff is deployed flexibly and is responsive to shifting research needs.

Weaknesses and threats in the context

the absence of a formal association with the INRA or CNRS; -provision of technical support is currently overstretched and there are issues around the continuity of specialist expertise; -there is a risk that the limited technical resources may become further overstretched by providing technical services to external users;

is technical support sufficient in areas of plant pathology and diatom genetic analysis? -limited use of molecular and genetic tools in the microalgal work;

the high teaching load and the inclusion in the unit of teaching-focused staff threatens the research competitiveness in particular in some fast-moving research topics; -geographical isolation as the only plant laboratory in the Rouen area.

Recommendations

The panel recognizes the effectiveness of the strong one laboratory-one team ethos and its focus on collaborative projects. In relation to its small size and geographic isolation, the unit has been highly successful in its scientific outputs. Over the evaluation period a trend towards a research strategy being driven by funding opportunities can be observed, and the panel recommends that the unit builds upon their strengths, including innovative tools and expertise; and there is a particular potential in research on the wider biological questions related to root-microbe-soil interactions and microalgal glycobiology.

In relation to the first recommendation, the panel suggests the unit considers the training or the hiring of new research staff that would bring to the unit relevant expertise in, for example, plant root-microbe interactions, microalgal genetics and molecular biology.

In relation to the unit's small size and isolation, it should also consider the development of strategic partnerships with, for example, CNRS and/or INRA and with other university units. Such partnerships will enable the unit to fully exploit its expertise and its strengths as an internationally important unit for plant glycobiology.

Technical support to unit researchers at all levels is apparently overstretched -a problem that will be exacerbated with some staff deployment to the new plant growth facility in 2016. The unit should find ways to overcome these issues as much as possible. It is recommended that the unit finds a way to implement the establishment of new permanent technical support positions to both ensure the continuity of research expertise and to maximise research outputs.

Concerning the technical support, there appears to be serious concerns around career structures and career opportunities in terms of both permanence and promotions and the unit should address these issues.

The panel recommends that the unit increases its internationality by considering the coordination or participating in more ANR and EU programs. This would be facilitated by improving the administrative support available for the submission of grant applications and related activities.

There is clear potential to increase the number of PhD students & their internationality and the unit should devise strategies to increase the number of HDRs and their attractiveness to international candidates.

  Pierre JACQUOT, Université de Lorraine (representative of the CNU) Scientific delegate representing the HCERES: Mr Steven BALL Representatives of supervising institutions and bodies: Mr Cafer ÖZKUL, Université de Rouen Mr Laurent YON, Université de Rouen Head of Doctoral School: Mr Vincent RICHARD, Doctoral School n°497, NBISE, École Doctorale Normande Biologie Intégrative, Santé, Environnement 1  Introduction History and geographical location of the unit Glyco-MEV "Glycobiologie et Matrice Extracellulaire Végétale" is a plant science research unit in the region of "Haute-Normandie" that has evolved from previous research units extending back to the 1970s. Glyco-MEV has been in its current incarnation since 2010 when it was established by Mr Patrice LEROUGE and Mr Azeddine DRIOUICH.

7 N4:N5:N7

 7 Permanent researchers from Institutions and similar positions N3: Other permanent staff (technicians and administrative personnel) 7 Other professors (Emeritus Professor, on-contract Professor, etc.) 1 Other researchers from Institutions (Emeritus Research Director, Postdoctoral students, visitors, etc.) 3 N6: Other contractual staff (technicians and administrative personnel) 1 spent at least 12 months in the unit 7 Number of Research Supervisor Qualifications (HDR) obtained during the period 2 2  Overall assessment of the unit Introduction Glyco-MEV is a single laboratory that researches in the area of plant glycobiology. Within this research area, Glyco-MEV has three research topics in the current contract: I) plant root defenses including root border cells; II) cell wall glycomolecules & cell growth; III) N-glycosylation pathways in plants and microalgae.


president Michel Cosnard

David O'callaghan

Evaluation report

This report is the sole result of evaluation by the expert committee, the composition of which is specified below.

The assessments contained herein are the expression of an independent and collegial reviewing by the committee.

Unit name:

Groupe

 Introduction

History and geographical location of the unit

The "Groupe de Recherche sur les Antimicrobiens et les Micro-organismes" (GRAM 1.0, EA 2656) was created in 1998 to structure work on infectious diseases at the Medicine and Pharmacy Faculties of the University of Rouen. The group is located in the Rouen Martainville campus, and benefits from both university research laboratories and hospital bacteriology and virology diagnostic laboratories. The group is part of the Institut de Recherche et d'Innovation Biomédicale de Haute-Normandie which federates biomedical research in the Region and provides mutualised technological platforms.

In the new project, the Rouen group plans to merge with one of the teams of the unit U2RM (EA4655), a team of clinicians and microbiologists from the University Hospital laboratories in Caen to reinforce the strengths in virology, but it also brings together researchers from the team "Antibiotic-Resistance" (E2) of U2RM and a researcher of a team of Rouen working on respiratory disability (from EA 3613).

Management team

Since 2011, the laboratory has been directed by Mr François CARON. He will remain as laboratory director with Ms Astrid VABRET and Mr Jean Christophe PLANTIER as deputy directors.

HCERES nomenclature

SVE1_LS6 Immunology, microbiology, virology, parasitology.

Scientific domains

The laboratory works on human infectious diseases, in the fields of bacteriology and virology.

Unit workforce

Unit workforce

Number

Introduction

The unit works on several aspects of clinical microbiology. In the field of bacteriology, unit members are investigating the dynamics of the bacterial cell wall (Clostridium difficile and Staphylococcus lugdunensis), antibiotic resistance and urinary tract infections. They have been also strongly involved in the control of a local epidemic of meningococcal meningitis. The virologists in the group work on the genetic diversity of HIV and its impact on diagnosis accuracy and anti-retroviral therapy. The laboratory is a "Laboratoire Associé" of the French national reference centre (CNR-LA) for HIV and is a collaborating laboratory for the "CNR Anaérobies" providing expertise on C. difficile.

The team members and research interests of the unit have been stable since the last evaluation in 2011. The committee noted that the unit has reinforced the virology aspects of the projects, as suggested in the last evaluation report. In the new project, the Rouen group plans to merge with one of the team 3 of the unit U2RM (EA4655), reinforce the strengths in virology, but it also aggregates researchers from the team « Antibiotic-Resistance » (E2) of U2RM and a researcher of a team of Rouen working on respiratory disability (from EA 3613).

Global assessment of the unit

The performance of GRAM 1.0 is very good. Despite the modest size of the group and the important workloads of clinical duties and teaching, the group is very productive. Over the last 5 years, GRAM 1.0 has published 118 original articles in peer-reviewed journals with a high impact; the unit also shares with the University of Paris Descartes a patent describing a method for the detection and quantification of HIV-2. The unit has demonstrated its ability to obtain funding from public sources and from industry. The national and international visibility of the laboratory is good; unit members have several collaborations with groups in France, Europe, Africa and the USA, including providing rare HIV isolates to FDA and NIH (USA). The director and co-director of the laboratory have participated in the organization of several international conferences (including RICAI and IRIB), and are advisors of national health and regulatory agencies (ANRS, ANSM). The laboratory is very attractive to young scientists, although it still has difficulties in attracting post-doctoral fellows.

The planned merger with research teams in Caen is a great opportunity to further increase the laboratory potential. It represents, however, a new challenge since the groups must learn to work together, despite the geographic distance.

Strengths and opportunities in the context

 the lab is very productive, with a good publication record (numbers as well as impact);

 the lab has original research projects;

 the lab has good interactions with the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire and various Centre National de Référence (CNR); the lab has access to patients, clinical samples and isolates;

 the unit has a strong local, national and international network of collaborations and national and international recognition;

 lab members have a strong implication in teaching, providing visibility and ability to attract students; there is a high level of professional insertion of PhD students after graduation;

 the planned merger with teams of unit U2RM will increase the critical mass of the unit and the synergy in virology will increase the international competitiveness of the lab;

 the unit benefits from the strong financial support from the region, for research and infrastructures.

Weaknesses and threats in the context

• the team is built on university hospital clinicians who have a considerable teaching load and numerous responsibilities at the hospital. There are no permanent full-time scientists or full-time post-docs. The laboratory has small technical staff, with only one "adjoint technique" who has a considerable teaching load (practical courses in microbiology) and, as the laboratory has no secretarial staff, administrative duties;

• the committee noted a lack of clear scientific focus for such a small group: there are too many research themes;

• while the merger with researchers from U2RM (EA4655) of Caen will increase the potential of the unit, it is a double-edged sword; there must be a clear planning of how such geographically distant groups will work together as a single unit. It also increases the diversity of research themes.

Recommendations

The unit has been very successful so far.

• the unit should define its ambitions for the middle term future (from 2022); do they wish to stay as an EA, or are they tempted to apply for an INSERM label? This will be of importance for the scientific strategy and scientific direction and for the recruitment of scientists;

• the recruitment of a permanent scientist (open position or mobility) would help to reinforce the experimental work of the group;

• obtaining funding for the recruitment of post-docs seems essential, with a recommendation to increase the international diversity in the laboratory;

• the lab should continue to recruit master and PhD students. This is essential for the continuity of the group;

• the lab should continue its interactions with industrial partners but encourage team leaders to apply for national, European and international institutions academic research grants;

• the lab should ensure a good scientific and administrative communication between the Rouen and Caen groups;

• the lab should continue, and reinforce, internal scientific communication in English, essential for the international competitiveness.

  de Recherche sur l'Adaptation Microbienne

	Unit acronym:	GRAM 2.0
	Label requested:	EA
	Current number:	2656
	Name of Director (2015-2016):	Mr François CARON
	Name of Project Leader (2017-2021):	Mr François CARON
	Expert committee members
	Chair:	Mr David O'CALLAGHAN, Université de Montpellier
	Experts:	Mr José ENTENZA, Universié de Lausanne, Switzerland
		Mr Philippe VAN DE PERRE, Université de Montpellier
	Scientific delegate representing the HCERES:
		Ms Catherine SCHUSTER
	Representatives of supervising institutions and bodies:
		Mr Cafer ÖZKUL, Université de Rouen
		Mr Laurent YON, Université de Rouen
	Head of Doctoral School:

Mr Patrice LEROUGE, Doctoral School n°497, Normandy's Doctoral School of Integrative Biology, Health and Environment, NBISE.

  Other professors (Emeritus Professor, on-contract Professor, etc.)

		on	Number on
		30/06/2015	01/01/2017
	N1: Permanent professors and similar positions	7	13
	N2: Permanent researchers from Institutions and similar positions	4	4
	N3: Other permanent staff (technicians and administrative personnel)	2	1
	N4: N7: PhD students	8
	TOTAL N1 to N7	21
	Qualified research supervisors (HDR) or similar positions	4
	Unit record	From 01/01/2010
		to 30/06/2015

N5: Other researchers from Institutions (Emeritus Research Director, Postdoctoral students, visitors, etc.) N6: Other contractual staff (technicians and administrative personnel)

paragraph 5) 2 The evaluation reports "are signed by the chairman of the expert committee". (Article 11, paragraph 2) PhD theses defended 8 Postdoctoral scientists having spent at least 12 months in the unit Number of Research Supervisor Qualifications (HDR) obtained during the period


Evaluation report

This report is the sole result of evaluation by the expert committee, the composition of which is specified below.

The assessments contained herein are the expression of an independent and collegial reviewing by the committee.

Unit name:

Role of intra-clonal heterogeneity and leukemic environment in therapy resistance of chronic leukemias The unit "Role of intraclonal heterogeneity and leukemic environment in therapy resistance of chronic leukemias" (CHELTER) is a re-structured research team issued from the haematology focussed research group of the previous unit "Cancer Resistance Exploring and Targeting" (CREaT). Re-structuring is taking place because the director of the current contract is relocating to the Curie Institute in Paris. The neuro-oncology research component of CREaT will join Imagerie MOleculaire et Strategies Theranostiques (IMOST). The re-structured unit, CHELTER will be established at the Clermond-Ferrand University Hospital (Estaing) in order to be close to the clinical units to which its members are attached and also to the technology platforms being used.

Management team

For the future contract, the management team is formed by Mr Marc BERGER as head of the unit and Mr Olivier TOURNILHAC as deputy head.

HCERES nomenclature

SVE1_LS6, SVE1_LS7

Scientific domains

The restructured unit CHELTER will focus on chronic leukaemias (Chronic lymphocytic leukaemias [CLL], chromic myeloid leukaemias [CML] and Waldenström Macroglobulinemia [WM]), domains in which they have substantial clinical expertise and collaborations. Key research techniques and resources available within the research group include FACS analysis, cell culture, confocal microscopy and biobanking. The newly formed CHELTER unit takes forward the haematological components of the CREaT (EA7283) contract. The main scientific focus is on chronic leukaemias. Since the last evaluation report in 2011, the team has focussed on acquired chemotherapy resistance in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL). Moving forward, CHELTER plans to expand the area of research interest to include chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) and Waldenstrom's macroglobulinanaemia (WM), focussing specifically on (i) intra-clonal heterogeneity, (ii) bone marrow microenvironment, and (iii) the leptin-NRP1/OBR axis in CLL and CML; and (iv) TCL1 in WM.

Global assessment of the unit

The group is small with no full time staff members and only 4.8 full time equivalent staff members. Despite very modest funding, the unit has presented extensively at both national and international conferences, has published in peer-reviewed journals and have had students complete PhD and MSc theses. Over the period, the most significant publication from the unit is a large collaborative study demonstrating that multiple recurrent mutations in CLL confer poor outcome.

The unit has strong and experienced leadership from the director and associate director, and is clearly very motivated to continue and expand their ongoing research. Because the unit is so small, it will be important for them to continue to establish collaborations, within their centre, and nationally and internationally. There is a concern that without this, they may not attain the critical mass required for successful research projects in the future. The unit has very good support from the University Hospital which they are affiliated to. Support from the University was more modest.

The panel had concerns regarding the research project presented for the next research contract period, both in terms of the scope of the project and the technical detail provided, as the proposed areas of research are extremely competitive with a number of large, well-funded groups in the same area. Due to the small size of the group and lack of a full time researcher/technician, it was felt that the plan of work may be too ambitious, and should be more focussed on one or two key research questions only.

Strengths and opportunities in the context

Researchers from the unit have contributed to more than 100 articles in international peer reviewed journals since 2010. This consists of 101 clinical and 10 research articles. There are also extensive publications in national peer-reviewed journals and national and international conference proceedings. The majority of these publications are collaborative projects.

There is evidence of extensive national and international collaborative activities. The future project leaders are well known in the French Clinical Networks. The collaborative work recently published in collaboration is of particular strength.

The unit has a clear focus on chronic leukaemias. The research team is well established and there is access to biobank samples from clinical trials with associated clinical data.

Ability of the team to train master degree and PhD students.

Weaknesses and threats in the context

Laboratory-based publications are limited, probably reflecting the small size of the unit and lack of any full time research staff.

There is a requirement for consolidation of collaborations, which are key to the success of this research group, regionally, nationally and internationally. There seems to be limited collaboration between the two threads (CML and CLL/WM) of the research proposal.

Due to the small size of the unit and its relative isolation, it may be difficult to recruit high calibre researchers.

The molecular biology and biomarker research field in chronic leukaemias is extremely competitive with many big groups using NGS technology, which has yet to be set up in this centre. It may be that this lab cannot be competitive in this arena.

Outreach activities are very limited, again reflecting the small size of the group. The unit needs to raise its new profile so that it is more visible to the university and that the local community are aware of it.

Due to the small size of the team, skills are limited. There is currently a lack of a researcher with expertise in molecular biology or bio-informatics. There are currently no full-time post-doctoral researchers in the group. For the proposed studies of the bone marrow microenvironment, access to animal models will be important to validate any results.

Funding is very limited, and there is currently no private or university funding.

Recommendations

This is a small clinical team undertaking both clinical and laboratory research with little support from or interaction with the university. The hospital has been very supportive to allow staff the time to generate research. The success of the unit is reliant of collaboration. The unit should continue to strengthen these productive collaborations. At this time, the unit has no private or university funding. The unit staff are encouraged to apply for university/private funding, and also to get more involved in the university life so that they are more visible to the senior academics and administrative staff there. Consideration should be given to setting up a website for the unit to raise its profile both locally and nationally/internationally.

For the laboratory-based scientific research and supervision of PhD students, there was insufficient group leader and post-doctoral researcher representation at the research laboratory. The research proposed was considered to be very ambitious, and the unit was encouraged to focus on fewer aims in order to achieve their publication goals. Their main strengths are biobanking and flow cytometry. The committee noticed a good atmosphere in the unit. For the PhD students a journal club leading to exchange of scientific information would be an important addition. Consideration should be given to this regular discussion being in English. As the unit is currently in the set up/reorganisation phase, the committee recommends frequent (~monthly) meetings among the group leaders and staff members in order to develop their research strategy fully and identify/apply for funding sources.

  Ms Florence CYMBALISTA, Université Paris 13/AP-HP Mr Éric DELABESSE, Institut Universitaire de Cancérologie de Toulouse (representative of the CNU) Scientific delegate representing the HCERES: Mr Kamel BENLAGHA Representatives of supervising institutions and bodies: Mr Alain ESCHALIER, Université d'Auvergne Mr André SALAGNAC, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Clermont-Ferrand Head of Doctoral School: Mr Jean-Marc LOBACCARO, Doctoral school N°65 « Sciences de la Vie, Santé, Agronomie, Environnement » 1  Introduction History and geographical location of the unit

N3: 4 N4:N7

 4 Permanent researchers from Institutions and similar positions 6 Other permanent staff (technicians and administrative personnel) 1 Other professors (Emeritus Professor, on-contract Professor, etc.) N5: Other researchers from Institutions (Emeritus Research Director, Postdoctoral students, visitors, etc.) N6: Other contractual staff (technicians and administrative personnel) 1 scientists having spent at least 12 months in the unit Number of Research Supervisor Qualifications (HDR) obtained during the period 2  Overall assessment of the unit Introduction


 Introduction History and geographical location of the unit

A research team named "Microbiologie du froid" was started in Evreux in 1986 by N. ORANGE. At the beginning, this team was part of the Laboratory of Microbiology, which also included a team in Rouen. In 2008, the Evreux team became a "mono-équipe" (Laboratoire de Microbiologie du Froid -Signaux et Micro-Environnement -LMDF-SME) M. Marc FEUILLOLEY took the lead of the LMDF-SME in 2008 after N. ORANGE became vice-president of the University. In 2010, the team was renamed "Laboratoire de Microbiologie Signaux et Microenvironnement" (LMSM). In 2012, a small number of scientists localized in Rouen (Mont-Saint-Aignan) joined the LMSM. In Evreux, the LMSM will soon move to the new building of the "Centre de Sécurité Sanitaire de Normandie". The LMSM is closely linked to the "Institut Universitaire et Technologique (IUT) d'Evreux", where most LMSM scientists teach.

Management team

Head: Mr Marc G.J. FEUILLOLEY Deputy head : Ms Sylvie CHEVALIER HCERES nomenclature SVE1_LS6 Immunologie, microbiologie, virologie, parasitologie

Scientific domains

The team studies the role of communication and of environmental/eukaryotic factors in bacterial adaptation and virulence (microbiology/molecular biology/genetics/biochemistry).

Unit workforce

Unit workforce

Number The unit, known as the "Laboratoire de Microbiologie des Signaux et Microenvironnement" (LMSM), is the largest microbiology unit of Rouen University. Most unit members are located in Evreux, but a few are localized in Mont-St-Aignan (Rouen). The major focus of the team is the study of the role played by communication with environmental/eukaryotic factors in bacterial adaptation and virulence. During the past 5 years, 6 partially overlapping research topics have been conducted (membrane sensors and signal transduction, mechanisms of virulence expression, intestine-microbiota interactions, skin-microbiota interactions, lung-bacteria interactions, and interactions within the rhizosphere).

The team uses several bacterial model organisms, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Streptococci, Rhodococcus and Bacillus. The unit has grown significantly since the last evaluation ( 2011), the total number of scientists increasing from 18 to 34. In 2011, the team was very nicely evaluated. The team has done a good job in trying to follow the recommendations of the previous report, in particular regarding the number and quality of scientific publications.

Global assessment of the unit

The LMSM is the largest microbiology unit of Rouen University. Most of the team members are localized in Evreux, but a few are localized in Mont-St-Aignan (Rouen). The unit has grown significantly since the beginning of the current contract (2010)(2011)(2012)(2013)(2014)(2015), the total number of scientists increasing from 18 to 34. The involvement of most of the unit members in the academic and scientific life of the Evreux IUT is remarkable. The major research topic of the unit is the study of the role of environmental factors and of communication in bacterial adaptation and virulence. Although the unit scientists use mostly Gram-Negative bacteria as experimental models, Pseudomonas aeruginosa being the major one, they also have begun to work on other microorganisms including Streptococcus and Bacillus. The unit is well structured and organized. There is a common focus between the different research projects carried out in the unit, which reinforces the unit and increases its national visibility. The complementary expertise of the unit scientists is also an important asset. The unit is extremely well established in Normandy, playing an important scientific and societal role in the western part of France. It did a great job in attracting funding, in particular from the region. It is also well connected to local companies as well as to the "Cosmetic Valley" network and is involved in several other networks ("Grand réseau"). The unit has been outstandingly successful in transferring its expertise to the private sector, having established collaborations with several industrial companies. The scientific production of the unit is very good. The number of papers published in international journals has significantly increased during the last 5 years, compared to the previous evaluated period. Key interesting discoveries have been made, highlighting the quality of the on-going research. It is also important to note here that members of the LMSM play a crucial role in the operations of the IUT.

Strengths and opportunities in the context

The unit has a number of important assets. First, it benefits from a well-thought-out and solid organization, allowing to a relatively large group of scientists to work efficiently and to experience scientific freedom while pursuing common objectives. The fact that the team will soon move to a brand new building specifically designed to host microbiology research and having a modern equipment of high quality is definitely a plus. In addition, the new building will offer the opportunity to fundamental scientists to share the workspace with start-up companies.

Over the years, the unit has been extremely good in building strong connections with a number of research networks and major industrial partners. The local network of the LMSM is really outstanding, providing strong scientific and economical support. The level of funding and the fact that it originates from a variety of sources (regional, national, European and industrial) is also remarkable.

The research topics of the unit are very interesting. Studying the interactions taking place between bacteria and the host (skin, gut and lung) and between bacteria and the rhizosphere is of great importance. The expertise of the lab in the study of the human microbiota, a major emerging research field, should help the unit attract further funding.

The scientific production of the unit is very good, several articles having been published in nice international journals.

Weaknesses and threats in the context

The scientific production of the unit is very good. However, the unit would benefit from more clearly identifying the most ambitious research projects among all the research projects currently carried out and fearlessly pursue them. Sufficient manpower should also be granted to these projects. The unit would also benefit from a greater international exposure. Inviting more high-level foreign scientists to work in and visit the unit could be of help.

The unit has done an outstanding job in finding industrial and regional support. However, it is often difficult to combine ground-breaking research with industrial collaboration. The unit has published a large number of articles, but most of them were published in specialized to very specialized journals. Focusing more on high impact research is required to publish in top scientific journals.

An informal meeting gathering all the unit members is organized every week. However, a more formal, weekly scientific "lab meeting" during which the unit members, and particularly the PhD students, could present their data in a more structured way is missing.

As already mentioned in the previous review report, there is an imbalance between the size of the technical staff and the amount of technical work required, for instance to run the different pieces of equipment of the unit. There is also a lack of bioinformatic resources to analyze the data generated by high-throughput approaches. The lack of technical staff might become an even greater threat if the unit keeps growing.

If the growth of the unit continues, which is likely given the current momentum, it will be important to pay attention to unit cohesion, to the quality of recruitment (attracting international scientists would be a plus) and to prepare the transition. New structures will need to be put in place to maintain an efficient organization. Managing growth and clearly identifying the goals of the unit for the future will be particularly important.

Recommendations

The unit has been extremely good in attracting money from a variety of sources. They are extremely well integrated in the region of Normandy, playing an important societal, academic and economical role. They should continue doing what they have been doing so successfully so far.

The scientific production of the unit is very good. In order to further increase the overall quality of the research carried out by the LMSM and become even more competitive at the international level, special attention should be given to the most scientifically ambitious projects. The training of the PhD students could also be further improved by encouraging them to benefit from the courses offered by the university and by organizing formal scientific meetings.

The unit should also carefully prepare the upcoming transition in LMSM leadership and make sure that the solid network built over the years does not suffer from it and, in fact, continues to grow and prosper.

Unit record From 01/01/2010 to 30/06/2015

	on 30/06/2015 16 7 2 9 4 8 46 12 Number of Research Supervisor Qualifications (HDR) obtained during the period 2  Overall assessment of the unit N1: Permanent professors and similar positions N2: Permanent researchers from Institutions and similar positions N3: Other permanent staff (technicians and administrative personnel) N4: Other professors (Emeritus Professor, on-contract Professor, etc.) N5: Other researchers from Institutions (Emeritus Research Director, Postdoctoral students, visitors, etc.) N6: Other contractual staff (technicians and administrative personnel) N7: PhD students TOTAL N1 to N7 Qualified research supervisors (HDR) or similar positions PhD theses defended Postdoctoral scientists having spent at least 12 months in the unit Introduction	Number on 01/01/2017 20 7 16 13


president Michel Cosnard

Stéphane Heymans

In the name of HCERES, 1

Evaluation report

This report is the sole result of evaluation by the expert committee, the composition of which is specified below.

The assessments contained herein are the expression of an independent and collegial reviewing by the committee.

 Introduction History and geographical location of the unit

The cardiovascular research group was founded in the early 1990s as a university research group ("équipe d'accueil") and received its first INSERM label in 1999 (as "équipe mixte INSERM", EMI 9920). This was followed by creation of an INSERM unit (U644) in 2004 that was renewed in 2008. All these research groups were directed by Mr Christian THUILLEZ, professor (PU-PH) in pharmacology. In 2012, the unit was created again as INSERM U1096 (new pharmacological treatments on endothelial protection and heart failure) under a new direction (Mr Vincent RICHARD). The present application thus corresponds to a renewal of this research group, under the same direction (Mr Vincent RICHARD, professor [PU-PH] in pharmacology at Rouen University medical school and Rouen University Hospital).

The unit is situated at the medical campus and University Hospital in Rouen. The main location is within Rouen University medical school's research building that hosts all the pre-clinical research activities of the unit, while clinical research is performed at the clinical departments of Rouen University Hospital ("CHU") located immediately adjacent (5 min walk) to the medical school. This main hospital (hôpital Charles Nicolle) hosts most of the clinical departments for whose research is fully or partly included in the unit (i.e. cardiology, cardiac surgery, thoracic surgery, vascular surgery, pharmacology, hematology, intensive care, imaging) while 2 departments (Internal medicine and nephrology) are still located in a nearby (6 kms) hospital (hôpital de Bois Guillaume). The unit is integrated within the local research federation ("Structure Fédérative de Recherche", SFR) Institute for Research and Innovation in Biomedicine ("IRIB" and also coordinates an inter-regional network (Amiens, Caen, Lille, Rouen) that received at the end of 2014 a "FHU" label ("Fédération Hospitalo-Universitaire").

Management team

The unit will be directed by Mr Vincent RICHARD.

HCERES nomenclature

SVE1_LS4

Scientific domains

Endothelium, valvulopathy and heart failure.

Novel pharmacological approaches for endothelial protection.

Innovations in aortic stenosis/aortic valve implantation.

New strategies for the treatment of heart failure.

Unit workforce

Unit workforce

Number 2  Overall assessment of the unit

Introduction

The scientific domain of the cardiovascular research group consists of research topics on endothelium, valvulopathy and heart failure. This research focus is in line with the preclinical and clinical history and strengths of the unit at the Rouen University medical school and research.

Global assessment of the unit

Overall, this unit has major strengths, including an excellent translational approach of research, a strong platform for endothelial phenotyping in the cardiovascular and pharmacological field, and many very experienced technicians and researchers. With this approach, the unit is strongly supportive for the clinical professors, and the experimental and clinical units work together in an outstanding mutual understanding.

The next challenge should be to increase the European visibility of the group by getting even more involved in EU networking opportunities. In line with this, developing (from inside) or attracting (from outside) young or senior talents may help to overcome the missing layer between PhD students and the researchers. In a limited time frame, it may help to choose some very promising projects and put existing technicians and researchers within the unit on 2-3 focused projects to increase the impact of the projects. Also making use of novel technologies and the availability of clinical samples will increase the impact of the translational work of the unit.

Strengths and opportunities in the context

 excellent translational approach of research;  the research lab is very supportive for clinical professors;  many clinical professors are within the research group and hospital holding dual positions;

 there are excellent relationships between the preclinical and clinical parts of the unit, with many residents that hold a master or PhD on an experimental topic;

 unit members have a strong activity of publication, both within the unit (n = 87) and outside (n = 104, particularly clinical papers);

 there is an excellent transfer of research results to the clinics or as patents (3 patents filed over the previous period).

 strong pharmacological, endothelial phenotyping and platform in the cardiovascular field;

 ISO9001 quality process was recently awarded;

 there is an excellent organization of the unit in subgroups and technical platforms;

 the imaging and phenotyping platforms are excellent (in particular magnetic resonance imaging, MRI).

 the unit has good relationship with industrial companies;

 the unit includes young talented people heading new research lines;

 unit members have an excellent participation in teaching and training programs;

 unit members show major participation in coordinating master courses and in the different programs of the doctoral school;

 the unit's director has a major participation in coordinating the doctoral school.

Weaknesses and threats in the context

 there is an unclear strategy how to get involved in European projects and networks;

 the unit has little involvement in EU projects;

 the unit has little involvement in EU working groups or committees of the ESC, HFA or other EU based societies.

 there is a lack of interlayer between PIs and PhD students;

 there are many PhD and master students, but few post-docs;

 the unit's attractiveness for post-docs is unclear (also related to EU visibility).

 prospective patient cohorts and biobanks are lacking;

 despite a strong translational focus of research, biobanking and databases are lacking behind.

 focus in research projects and international visibility may be improved;

 there are many therapeutic and pharmacological targets;

 few papers were published in journals with the highest impact factor in the specialized domains.

 technological innovations and opportunities are somewhat slow;

 methodological meetings in between (otherwise excellent) technicians are lacking;

 in vitro setups, and omics are somewhat lacking.

Recommendations

 the committee recommends to build up prospective clinical cohorts and biobanks, and combine this with easily available technological innovations such as omics in tissue samples, genetic analysis, and in vitro work (cells derived from human samples in vitro). The committee also recommends to invest in -or collaborate intensively with labs involved in -bio-informatics in order to integrate different levels of information, in tissue, blood and phenotyping;

 the committee recommends to collect not only valves, but also blood, DNA and other biosamples in different diseases;

 the committee recommends to develop a clear strategy on what to do with those samples, to focus more specifically, to diversify technologies, and to develop a more integrated research on aortic stenosis, from bench to bedside;

 the committee recommends young that PIs as well as established investigators get proactively involved in European networks, working groups, committees, meetings, etc… in order to increase the visibility of the excellent work of the laboratory, and also to network for getting involved in existing and new EU projects & applications;

 the committee recommends to invest time in methodological developments together with the existing excellent technicians:

The unit may envisage using transcriptomic, proteomic and/or metabolic investigations together with their animal and clinical models to help evaluating more globally the implication of the different pathways in the endothelium dysfunctions they tackle, and modulators thereof;

 the committee recommends to make timely choices of more focused projects, to reduce their diversity and to invest in high impact and promising research projects. The unit should organize the coordination of the different clinicians and researchers, reorganize the different themes around one central focused project once it looks promising (example: lymphangiogenesis). This will also increase the visibility internationally, and the impact of the publications.

The unit may compare more systematically in all their animal/clinical models the pertinence of the different pathways they have been studying, as it does not appear clearly why only certain targets are studied in any given model;

 in concert with the university, the committee recommends to develop young talent program.

Effort should be done to increase the numbers of full-time researchers as well as of international postdoctoral fellows in the different themes.

  Mr Régis BORDET, University of Lille 2 (representative of the CNU) Mr Thierry COUFFINHAL, University of Bordeaux Mr Pierre MARQUET, University of Limoges (representative of the CSS INSERM) Mr David SMADJA, University Paris Descartes Ms Soraya TALEB, University Paris Descartes Scientific delegate representing the HCERES: Mr Patrick LACOLLEY Representatives of supervising institutions and bodies: Ms Marie-Josephe LEROY-ZAMIA, INSERM Mr Cafer ÖZKUL, University of Rouen Head of Doctoral School: Mr Patrice LEROUGE, Doctoral School n° 497, « École doctorale Normandie de Biologie Intégrative, Santé et Environnement -BISE ».

on 30/06/2015

			Number on
			01/01/2017
	N1: Permanent professors and similar positions	17	15
	N2: Permanent researchers from Institutions and similar positions	1	1
	N3: Other permanent staff (technicians and administrative personnel)	12	14
	N4: Other professors (Emeritus Professor, on-contract Professor, etc.)
	N5: Other researchers from Institutions
	(Emeritus Research Director, Postdoctoral students, visitors, etc.)
	N6: Other contractual staff (technicians and administrative personnel)
	N7: PhD students	16
	TOTAL N1 to N7	46
	Qualified research supervisors (HDR) or similar positions	19
	Unit record	From 01/01/2010 to 30/06/2015
	PhD theses defended	12
	Postdoctoral scientists having spent at least 12 months in the unit	1
	Number of Research Supervisor Qualifications (HDR) obtained during the period	4


Evaluation report

This report is the sole result of evaluation by the expert committee, the composition of which is specified below.

The assessments contained herein are the expression of an independent and collegial reviewing by the committee.

Unit name:

Neuro-psycho-pharmacologie des systèmes dopaminergiques sous-corticaux The team EA 7280 "neuro-psychopharmacology of subcortical dopaminergic systems" was created in 2004 from the collaboration among basic researchers, neurologists and psychiatrists sharing a common clinical and scientific interest on the dopaminergic system in neurological and psychiatric disorders. Initially the focus was on the study of the non-motor symptoms in Parkinson's disease but subsequently they decided to concentrate on the psychobehavioural disorders, and particularly Impulse Control Disorders (ICD), in both idiopathic Parkinson's disease and in addictive behaviours. The team is located at the faculty of medicine at Clermont-Ferrand and is currently under contract with Auvergne University.

Management team

The team is led by Mr Franck DURIF.

Scientific domains

The team "neuro-psychopharmacology of dopaminergic subcortical systems" focuses primarily on physiology and psychology, as well as clinical disciplines like neurology, psychiatry and addictology in two models of dopaminergic dysfunction, namely Parkinson's disease and addictive behaviours. The expertise of its members is multidisciplinary, and includes physiology and psychology as well as preclinical studies of PD. 2  Overall assessment of the unit

Unit workforce

Unit workforce

Introduction

The team "neuro-psychopharmacology of dopaminergic subcortical systems" has been active in the field of psycho-behavioural disorders in Parkinson Disease (PD) and addictions, focusing on the phenomenology of these disorders, and on developing assessment scales in parkinsonian and non-parkinsonian subjects. The research team makes use of experimental models in humans and rodents, behavioural analysis and neuroimaging to improve description, measurement and comprehension of the pathophysiology underlying psycho-behavioural disorders (i.e. Impulse Control Disorders), in two models of dopaminergic dysfunction, namely Parkinson's disease and addictive behaviours. They also published some preclinical studies aiming to investigate the pathophysiology of impulse control disorders in preclinical models of Parkinson's disease. Achievements of the team include the demonstration of an association between Impulsive behaviour disorders and REM sleep behaviour disorders in Parkinson. They also conducted a descriptive study on clinical phenomenon associated with alcohol misuse in patients admitted to the emergency department. The team has also contributed to validate an international scale assessing the whole field of psycho-behavioural disorders in Parkinson and has developed and translated scales to evaluate psycho-behavioural dysfunction associated with addiction. At the preclinical level, the team has investigated the relationships between degeneration of specific dopaminergic pathways and the rewarding properties of dopamine agonists.

Global assessment of the unit

The unit is multidisciplinary and involves different clinical teams particularly in the field of psychiatry and neurology. Several permanent members of the lab have clinical and/or teaching responsibilities in different departments of the university hospital, either at the Neurology or at the Psychiatry department. An established collaboration is effective with clinicians at the Neurosurgery department for studies of deep brain stimulation in Parkinson's disease. Members regularly interact with lay patients associations (France Parkinson, etc...) and the general public. They also regularly contribute to scientific French medical journals. They were also able to attract funding from private companies and industry, either direct funding or through participation in clinical trials, to support their projects. The team is engaged in national and international scientific networks.

Strengths and opportunities in the context

The unit's projects focus on the description, measurement, comprehension of the pathophysiology underlying psycho-behavioural disorders, and more precisely impulse control disorders, in two models of dopaminergic dysfunction, namely PD and addictive behaviours. Overall they are presenting a total of 14 subprojects in 3 different axes including clinical and preclinical studies. If successful, the implementation of a comprehensive and multidisciplinary research strategy will increase our understanding of the various processes associated with impulse dis-control.

Weaknesses and threats in the context

There are too many subprojects ongoing in a scientifically very competitive research environment and this may represent a challenge considering the available research facilities and human resources. In particular given the past research background of the unit, studies on the description and measurement (including development of clinical scales) of behavioural disorders underlined by dopaminergic dysfunctions in addiction should be prioritized.

Recommendations

The scientific content of the projects and the outlook are very good. However, given the number of researchers and current characteristics of the unit, some of the objectives may be too ambitious. The recommendation would be to focus on a restricted number of projects.


president Michel Cosnard

Marie-Paule Roth

In the name of HCERES, 1

Evaluation report

This report is the sole result of evaluation by the expert committee, the composition of which is specified below.

The assessments contained herein are the expression of an independent and collegial reviewing by the committee.

Unit name:

Genomics

 Introduction History and geographical location of the unit

The proposal consists in the fusion of three existing structures located in Rouen: Inserm UMR 1079 (Genetics of Cancer and Neuropsychiatric Diseases), headed by Mr Thierry FREBOURG (2 teams), Inserm UMR 918 (Genetics ad Clinics of Mature Lymphoid neoplasms), headed by Mr Fabrice JARDIN, and ERI Inserm/Region 28 teams (Microvascular endothelium and neonate brain lesions), headed by Mr Bruno GONZALEZ, to form a novel entity "Genomic and Personalized Medicine in Cancer and Neurological Disorders (GPMCND)" affiliated to Inserm, University of Rouen and University of Caen, and of which Mr Thierry FREBOURG will be the director. Notably, two groups located at the "Centre de Lutte Contre le Cancer" (team Oncogenetics) and at the University of Caen (team MICAH) will join the new entity and be integrated in the Frebourg and Jardin teams, respectively. Joining forces working on the genetics of cancer and of intellectual deficiencies in the Normandy region as well as pooling resources are justified on scientific grounds and will allow the participants to take a further step toward international visibility.

The four components of the new structure are located on a single geographical site, the Medical Campus of Rouen, in the immediate proximity of the Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, the University Hospital and the Comprehensive Cancer Centre. The Frebourg, Campion and Gonzalez teams are located on different floors of the same building, whereas the Jardin team is in an adjacent building. Modern means of communication are used for interactions with scientists in Caen.

Management team

The governance of the future research unit is the responsibility of its director, who meets with his team leaders on a weekly basis to discuss both the organizational (budget allocation, grant applications, equipment needs, recruitments….) and the scientific strategy. This mode of functioning seems well accepted not only by the team leaders but also by the different categories of staff (research scientists, technicians, students and post-docs). The fusion project has been discussed with the staff and received general approval.

HCERES nomenclature

SVE1_LS2 Genetics, Genomics, Bioinformatic SVE1_LS4 Physiology, Physiopathology, Systemic medical biology

Scientific domains

The scientific domains of research of the unit include inherited or somatic forms of cancer, as well as intellectual deficiencies associated with newborn cerebral lesions or with early onset Alzheimer disease, with human genetics as the unifying link.

 Overall assessment of the unit Introduction

The main research projects of the unit consist in characterizing, using NGS-based technologies, genetic bases of both cancer and neuropsychiatric disorders. The stated objective is to develop personalized markers and treatments for these diseases.

Two of the teams are investigating either inherited or somatic forms of cancer, with a clear focus on Li-Fraumeni syndrome, breast and ovarian cancer, colorectal carcinoma and lymphomas.

The other two teams are working essentially on intellectual deficiencies associated with newborn cerebral lesions or early onset Alzheimer disease, and have complementary expertise in neurobiology and genomics.

Human genetics constitutes the unifying link between the four teams. Bringing the four teams together in the same unit will permit to mutualise expensive equipment as well as expertise in bioinformatics and biology. The restructuration will favour interactions of researchers with complementary backgrounds and facilitate multidisciplinary translational research in medical genomics and personalized medicine. It will also increase the critical mass of the unit sufficiently to enhance its attractiveness at the national and international levels.

Global assessment of the unit

The new constellation will bring together researchers with complementary expertise in the field of cancer and neuropsychiatric disorders. The scientific interests are clearly and coherently oriented on promoting a better knowledge of the genetic bases of these diseases and on developing translational research in the field. The committee felt that the projects presented have high relevance and clinical impact.

The four founding teams have a strong record of publications in internationally recognized journals. The committee noticed a number of fruitful initiatives in applying for research grants and in participating in key consortia at the national and international levels. Members of this unit have a good capacity to interact with non-academic partners (research and development), demonstrated by production of several patents, by partnerships with start-ups and collaborations with industrial partners.

The director has a real and efficient leadership, with a clear vision of the future and good expectations in terms of scientific coherence and outputs, and all team leaders actively participate in the decision making process.

In addition, team members have a strong involvement in educational programs and research training.

In conclusion, the overall impression of the panel on the accomplishments, relevance of the projects, level of publication, funding, interaction with non-academic partners, training through research, as well as the new organization proposed and governance was excellent.

Strengths and opportunities in the context

 Lab members have very strong interactions with the clinics, which is a major strength for developing translational programs.

 Lab members have the capacity to build large cohorts of particularly well-phenotyped and documented patients (Li-Fraumeni syndrome, Alzheimer disease, prematurity…) and to address the most relevant questions.

 Lab members participate in key consortia at the (inter)national level.

 Lab members have an excellent ability to raise funds, and the high throughput genomic platforms are exceptionally well equipped.

 The lab has an excellent expertise in bioinformatics and biostatistics.

 Lab members make continuous efforts to develop translational research and knowledge transfer to the clinics.

 The 4 team leaders have a strong leadership in their respective fields.

 The director has a strong leadership and has management skills that promote motivation and create a positive atmosphere.

 The Normandy region is strongly supportive, as are the Universities of Rouen and Caen.

Weaknesses and threats in the context

 There are too few permanent researchers in the different teams, which may limit the capacity to develop functional investigations.

 Functional studies on lymphoma are carried out on a distant site (Caen), but, apparently, there is a good integration strategy of team 2, and this was not considered as a major obstacle by the committee.

 There is risk of dispersion due to the high number of projects.

Recommendations

 The committee recommends to implement a more aggressive strategy to attract senior post-docs and junior leaders with AVENIR, ANR or ERC grants, particularly in order to reinforce functional aspects, and to encourage them to apply for Inserm positions.

 The committee recommends to keep the number of projects in agreement with the size of the four teams.

  and Personalized Medicine in Cancer and Neurological Disorders

	Representatives of supervising institutions and bodies:
		Ms Anne GUESDON, Université de Caen Basse-Normandie
		Ms Marie-Josèphe LEROY-ZAMIA, INSERM
		Mr Laurent YON, Université de Rouen
	Head of Doctoral School:
		Mr Vincent RICHARD, Doctoral school ED NBISE n° 497, "Normandy's Integrative
	Unit acronym:	GPMCND Biology, Health, Environment".
	Label requested:	UMR
	Current number:	Fusion of INSERM U1079 + U918 + ERI INSERM/REGION 28
	Name of Director
	(2015-2016):
	Name of Project Leader (2017-2021):	Mr Thierry FREBOURG
	Expert committee members
	Chair:	Ms Marie-Paule ROTH, Centre de Physiopathologie de Toulouse Purpan, Toulouse
	Experts:	Mr Marc BILLAUD, Institut Albert Bonniot, Grenoble
		Ms Mary CALLANAN, Institut Albert Bonniot, Grenoble (Representative of INSERM
		CSS 2)
		Mr Pierre GRESSENS, Hôpital Robert Debré, Paris
		Ms Elisabeth TOURNIER-LASSERVE, Université Paris Diderot (Representative of the
		CNU 4704)
	Scientific delegate representing the HCERES:
		Mr Pierre COUBLE