Unit Director                                 

   Hervé Blottière (herve.blottiere@inrae.fr) 
               Phone : 02 53 48 20 05                

                                                  

Assistant Director

Gwenola LE DREAN (gwenola.ledrean@inrae.fr)
Phone : 02 53 48 20 09

With a background in digestive physiology and nutrition, I am exploring the concept of DOHaD (Developmental Origins of Health and Disease) through an integrated approach focused on the microbiota-gut-brain axis. I study the role of the early environment particularly perinatal nutrition on gut function (barrier, enteroendocrine cells) and metabolic risk later in life. Before joining INRAE in 2010, I was an Associate Professor at the University of Brest for 10 years. As Deputy Director of the PhAN Joint Research Unit (UMR) since 2023, I aim to maintain and strengthen our unit’s identity centered on the critical role of the first 1,000 days in future health. Having been involved in higher education since the start of my career, I work with my colleagues to promote our unit’s research themes within the MICAS master’s program at the University of Nantes. 
                                   CV Accueil - Archive ouverte HAL                

 

Unit Managers

 

 

Geneviève Fleury et Charline Piton Dudouit (gestion-phan@inrae.fr)
Phone : 02 53 48 20 02 

 

 

Researchers and Engineers:

 

 

Gregory Bouchaud was a research director in the Allergy Team at the INRAE-BIA unit of the Pays de Loire Center. He is an immunologist who studies the mechanisms governing allergic reactions in the intestine and lungs, with expertise in mouse models of chronic inflammatory diseases, cancer, lung transplantation, and allergies. He completed his doctoral thesis in 2009 on the characterization of the complex formed between interleukin-15 and its soluble alpha receptor chain at the University of Nantes within the INSERM U892 unit. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship from 2010 to 2013 on the mechanisms of action and applications of cytokine/antibody complexes at the University of Zurich in Switzerland. He joined the allergy team in 2013 through a regional collective research initiative in allergy to study the role of gluten properties on the immune system and the development of food allergies. He was subsequently awarded an “Agreen Skills” ” fellowship and later a “Marie Curie IEF” fellowship to characterize the immune response in food allergy and its modulation by diet, as well as during the atopic march. Hired as a CR1 on a project in 2014, he has been working on the mechanisms of food and respiratory allergies and their modulation by diet. Promoted to DR2 in 2022, the goal of my research within the Phan unit is to determine the mechanisms by which maternal malnutrition modulates the inflammatory status.
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3794-7287

 

 

 

Jean-Pierre Segain is a research director. He is a biologist specializing in cellular and molecular biology and in the pathophysiology of the colonic epithelial barrier. His current research focuses on the long-term effects of perinatal nutrition on the epithelial barrier and the risks of colonic diseases. In addition, together with other researchers at the UMR PhAN, he is investigating the role of gut-brain communication in regulating food intake and cognitive processes.

 

 

 

 

Marie-Cécile Alexandre-Gouabau is a Research Engineer. Her work focuses on perinatal nutrition and the metabolic footprint in experimental models and human cohorts, in collaboration with physiologists and neonatologists, using high-throughput milk-blood-tissue metabolomics, to elucidate the mechanisms involved in human (preterm infants and gestational diabetes) and animal models and their impact on offspring. She has extensive experience in the field of metabolic programming as well as in research on breast milk and pediatrics.
CV Accueil - Archive ouverte HAL

 

 

Véronique Ferchaud-Roucher is a placentologist and nutrition researcher at UMR 1280 PhAN Nantes University-INRAE. Her research focuses on the regulation of mother-to-child transport of nutrients (lipids, amino acids, etc.) and their placental metabolism during pathological pregnancies (obesity, fetal growth restriction, etc.), as well as the impact on fetal growth and early neurological development. She works with human cohorts in collaboration with obstetricians and pediatricians, as well as with animal models and cell cultures, to better understand the molecular mechanisms involved in changes in placental function and their impact on the health of the offspring.
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6809-1488

 

 

Clair-Yves Boquien is a research fellow at the UMR. An agricultural engineer and biologist, his current research focuses on the medium-term effects of breast milk nutrition on the growth and neurodevelopment of preterm infants. About fifteen years ago, he launched an innovative research initiative on breast milk, its composition, the effect of the mother’s diet on that composition, and the measurement of milk flow from mother to infant. The studies are either proof-of-concept experiments using experimental models or human cohort studies, conducted in collaboration with neonatologists from the UMR. These studies have since been expanded upon by several of my colleagues at the UMR PHAN. Since 2015, I have also served as deputy director of the Human Nutrition Research Center – West.
CV Accueil - Archive ouverte HAL

 

 

Valérie Amarger is a research scientist in biology, specializing in molecular genetics and genomics, as well as genome structure and expression. Her research focuses on the effects of maternal nutrition on fetal neurodevelopment. She seeks to understand the consequences of a deficient or unbalanced diet on the mechanisms regulating gene expression, including epigenetic mechanisms, which control cell differentiation during neurogenesis.
Valerie Amarger (0000-0001-9258-6675) - ORCID

 

 

 

 

 

Emelyne Lécuyer is a research fellow. With a background in nutrition, Emelyne began her research career with an internship focused on the functional characterization of the gut microbiota in overweight patients. After earning her Ph.D. in intestinal mucosal immunology, she joined INSERM and then the Pasteur Institute, focusing on the relationship between the microbiota, the immune system, and nutrition, particularly on type 3 innate lymphoid cells. Recently hired as a research scientist at INRAE, she is working to identify defects in the maturation of the intestinal immune system in newborns related to microbial colonization in the context of perinatal pathologies, such as intrauterine growth restriction, exploring the long-term consequences and developing nutritional strategies for recovery.
 Numéro ORCID: 0000-0002-4396-9511

 

 

 

Catherine Michel  is a research fellow specializing in microbiology. A cellular biologist by training, Catherine MICHEL (CRHC) has focused on studying the fermentative activity of the gut microbiota since completing her Ph.D. She currently directs research focused on the role of host-associated microbiota in perinatal metabolic programming processes. Her goal is to identify bacterial populations or genes of interest for diagnostic or therapeutic applications related to noncommunicable diseases.
CV Accueil - Archive ouverte HAL

 

 

 

Khadija Ouguerram is a professor in the Department of Physiology and Nutrition at the University of Nantes, affiliated with UMR 1280 PhAN. She is a physiologist with expertise in lipid and lipoprotein metabolism, particularly its study using kinetic methods and compartmental modeling with isotopes. The study of this metabolism, which directly addresses cardiovascular risk, is approached through pharmacological modulation (e.g., inhibitors of cholesterol synthesis, transport, or esterification; PRAR activators) and/or nutritional intervention (e.g., omega-3 fatty acids, psyllium, antioxidants). These studies are conducted in animal models (rats, mice, dogs, and hamsters) and in healthy or dyslipidemic humans. 
khadija ouguerram - Search Results - PubMed (nih.gov)

 

 

 

Vincent Paille is a research fellow and renowned expert in the field of the basal ganglia and the reward circuit; he developed his expertise in electrophysiology and patch-clamp techniques at the European Brain Research Center in Rome and at the Collège de France in Paris. Currently a member of the PhAN laboratory in Nantes, his research focuses on the implications of an unbalanced perinatal diet on the gut-vagus nerve-brain axis. Recently, he expanded his scientific expertise at the Monell Center in Philadelphia, USA, as part of Guillaume de Lartigue’s team, exploring cutting-edge tools for studying the vagus nerve and thereby broadening his expertise to better understand the complex interactions between the gut and the brain.
CV Accueil - Archive ouverte HAL

 

 

Patricia Parnet is a research director in biology, specializing in neurobiology and neuroendocrinology. After a career in Bordeaux at the Magendi Neurocenter, where she focused on the brain’s cytokine response and disease behavior during infection, she joined the PhAN Joint Research Unit (UMR) in 2006 to develop the DOHAD concept within INRAE and the Nantes University Hospital. Serving as Deputy Director and then Director of the UMR PhAN from 2010 to 2022, her research focuses on the effects of maternal diet and maternal metabolic status on the neurodevelopment of the embryo and newborn, particularly on the structures that regulate eating behavior and energy balance. In addition, together with other researchers at the PhAN UMR, she seeks to unravel the early-life dialogue (during the first 1,000 days) between the microbiota, the gut, and the brain, and its consequences for the development and functioning of brain structures. 
  CV Accueil - Archive ouverte HAL

 

 

 

Odile Tresse, is a research fellow in microbiology. Her research focuses on the mechanisms underlying the interaction between bacteria and the host during the first 1,000 days of life. This involves exploring the production-transport-function continuum of bioactive molecules secreted by bacteria. Her research focuses specifically on early-colonizing gut bacteria and their extracellular vesicles.  
   https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9833-2510.                                                                                     

 

 

Francisco Bolanos Jimenez is a research fellow. A pharmacist by training, he earned a master’s degree in pharmacology at the Center for Research and Advanced Studies (CINVESTAV) in Mexico City and a Ph.D. in molecular pharmacology at Sorbonne University —Pierre and Marie Curie Campus, during which he acquired solid skills in molecular neurobiology that he subsequently developed during postdoctoral fellowships at the Pasteur Institute in Paris and the Institute oAf Genetics and Molecular and Cellular Biology (IGBMC) in Strasbourg. His current research aims to identify metabolic and molecular factors that may serve as early indicators and/or biomarkers of the risk of metabolic diseases and mental disorders transmitted by an obese mother or father to their offspring. He conducts clinical studies and research using animal models, employing behavioral, omics, and molecular and cellular biology techniques.
CV Accueil - Archive ouverte HAL

 

 

 

Pieter Vancamp has been an INRAe researcher since March 1, 2025. He is passionate about biology, physiology, and research, and joined the lab as a postdoc on March 1, 2023. His research project focuses on studying the effects of a low-protein diet during pregnancy in female rats and how it affects the development of the hypothalamus (the region of the brain that controls body weight and energy homeostasis). The goal is to discover when and how diet impacts the early formation of the neurons responsible for these bodily parameters, using techniques such as single-cell RNA-Seq and epitranscriptomics. The results will help establish dietary guidelines to assist gynecologists, dietitians, and women during pregnancy.
Archive ouverte HAL

 

 

 

Dominique Darmaun is a University Professor and Hospital Practitioner (PU-PH) in Nutrition, head of the interdisciplinary clinical nutrition team (2001–2020) at Nantes University Hospital, director of the PhAN unit (2006–2017), and vice president of the SF-DOHaD (2018–2022). Currently: Professor Emeritus of Nutrition. Areas of expertise: pediatric nutrition, childhood diabetes, enteral and parenteral nutrition, physiology of protein and amino acid metabolism, clinical nutrition research, and long-term effects of perinatal nutrition.

https://orcid.org/my-orcid?orcid=0000-0002-0366-3227

 

Julie-Anne Balouek joined the PhAN Joint Research Unit on March 1, 2026, as a research engineer. She earned her Ph.D. in Neuroscience and Neurobiology from the University of Grenoble Alpes in 2018, during which she studied the biological processes of BDNF maturation and cleavage. She then investigated the impact of childhood adversity on brain development alongside Catherine Peña at Princeton University as a postdoctoral fellow.
Julie-Anne is driven by a desire to understand the biological mechanisms that regulate the brain. She joined the PhAN Joint Research Unit (UMR) as part of the ANR REDEVELOP project, which focuses on the impact of fetal nutritional supplementation on the development of the cerebral cortex and the neurocognitive deficits associated with intrauterine growth restriction.

Eva Guilloteau joined the UMR PHAN on October 15, 2025, as a postdoctoral researcher. She holds a Ph.D. in Human Physiology and Immunology from the University of Lille.
Her research falls within the field of DoHAD (Developmental Origins of Health and Disease) and aims to understand how maternal metabolic and environmental exposures influence fetal development and long-term health.
After completing a postdoctoral fellowship at the Institut du Thorax on the impact of O-GlcNAcylation on placental mechanisms involved in congenital heart defects, she joined UMR 1280 PhAN (INRAE – Nantes University) to collaborate with Emelyne Lécuyer on a project focusing on “defects in the maturation of the intestinal immune system in newborns in the context of perinatal pathologies such as intrauterine growth restriction.” Her diverse experience and interdisciplinary skills align perfectly with the PhAN team’s research focus, which centers on nutritional and developmental adaptations and their impacts on health throughout the lifespan.

 

Engineers and Technicians:

 

 

 

Hélène Billard is a biological research engineer specializing in data processing. She joined the PhAN Joint Research Unit (UMR) in 2010. She manages data from animal and clinical research projects. She serves as the Operational Data Coordinator (RDO) and co-manages the unit’s website.
 Archive ouverte HAL

 

 

Pierre de Coppet is a research engineer specializing in molecular and cellular biology (BMC). After several years of academic research at the Jacques Monod Institute and the Cochin Institute of Molecular Genetics, he worked in the private sector at SmithKline-Beecham and headed the LEHA’s bovine spongiform encephalopathy diagnostics department. He joined INRAe in 2002 to establish and lead the BMC division of the unit, which he continues to coordinate to this day. After contributing to numerous research projects on oxidative stress, melatonin receptors, and functional genomics, he earned his Ph.D. on the effects of butyrate on colonic function under inflammatory conditions. He is now interested in the effects of perinatal nutrition on metabolism, particularly through the study of intestinal epithelial cells.
CV Accueil - Archive ouverte HAL

 

 

Thomas Moyon  is a statistical engineer. He joined PhAN in 2008. His primary responsibilities include evaluating and implementing statistical methods for managing and analyzing data from the Unit’s projects. He analyzes, interprets, and presents the results of statistical analyses. In particular, he has contributed to the Unit’s projects in the areas of clinical research, metabolomics, and lipidomics.
CV Accueil - Archive ouverte HAL

 

 

 

Isabelle Grit has been a versatile engineering assistant since joining the unit in 2005. She performs a wide range of techniques to address various scientific questions, such as conducting animal dissections, measuring metabolites in biological fluids, and analyzing gene expression via RT-PCR. She identifies and quantifies proteins of interest using Western blots or immunohistochemistry.
In recent years, she has also been developing immunohistochemistry techniques on cleared organs using the 3DISCO and X-Clarity methods to visualize, for example, volumes, 3D shapes, or neural pathways. She also serves as the IT liaison. 
Archive ouverte HAL

 

 

Blandine Castellano is a technician at the UMR since January 2012. She joined INRAE in February 2001 as an animal husbandry technician. Today, she specializes in animal experimentation and, in particular, microsurgery. Blandine serves on the Loire-Atlantique Ethics Committee and is co-director of the Animal Welfare Unit at the building’s animal facility. She also independently conducts research in molecular biology, histology, and immunohistochemistry. 
Archive ouverte HAL

 

 

 

 

 

Alexis Gandon joined INRAE in 2018 as an Animal Technician. He is part of the Animal Welfare unit, performs a wide range of experimental and behavioral techniques, and participates in all animal protocols.

 

 

 

Anne-Lyse Panhéleux is an INRAE research technician since 2008. After starting her career at the BioGEVES laboratory in Magneraud, she joined the BIA Research Unit at the Géraudière site in Nantes in 2017. She recently joined the PhAN Joint Research Unit (UMR) as part of an exchange program. Initially specializing in molecular biology—specifically in the detection and quantification of GMOs in seeds and seedlings (corn, canola, soybeans)—her career path has allowed her to diversify her analytical work, particularly in plant biochemistry. At PhAN, Anne-Lyse has taken on the role of performing gas chromatography for the analysis of lipids and bacterial metabolites. She adapts her work to meet the analytical needs of PhAN’s research themes, which focus on perinatal nutrition, the physiology of the microbiome-gut-brain axis, and metabolism. Anne-Lyse serves as a safety officer and is a member of the unit’s CSR group.

 

 

Aurélie Durand earned a master’s degree in Genomics and Proteomics from the University of Lille in 2015. She then worked as a research engineer in an Inserm team in Strasbourg from 2016 to 2018. Her project focused on characterizing cell lines derived from patients with pediatric brain tumors. She then joined a new team in 2018 at the Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology (IBMC) in Strasbourg, where she studied translation initiation in patients with Charcot’s disease. In late 2020, Aurélie seized the opportunity to gain experience in Canada and secured a position as a research associate at the Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC) in Montreal as part of Dr. Sauvageau’s team. Her work focused on characterizing compounds targeting various subtypes of acute myeloid leukemia. In the spring of 2024, Aurélie returned to France and secured a position as a research engineer at the Mediterranean Center for Molecular Medicine (C3M) in Nice, where she studied the impact of heterozygous mutations in a patient with sideroblastic anemia. Finally, she joined our UMR Phan in February 2026 alongside Emelyne Lécuyer, who studies the impact of gestational conditions on the establishment of the immune-microbial symbiosis and the long-term impact on the health of offspring.

 

 

Yvan Choiset is a technician in molecular biology, biochemistry, microbiology, and structural analysis. 
 Archive ouverte HAL

 

Ph.D. Students and Postdocs :

 

 

 

Maxime Naour joined us in September 2023 to pursue a 3-year doctoral thesis. His thesis focuses on “The effect of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) on the maturation of the gut microbiota in newborns and on their susceptibility to developing chronic diseases later in life.” He is supervised by Hervé Blottière and co-supervised by Catherine Michel and Samuel Chaffron. He has been awarded a 3-year INRAE (AlimH department)/Pays de la Loire Region doctoral fellowship.

 

 

 

 

 

Anaïs Halbert began her dissertation on October 1, 2023. Her research aims to explore the postnatal role of extracellular vesicles from early-colonizing Gram-positive bacteria in the symbiotic relationship with the host. The dissertation is supervised by Odile Tresse and co-supervised by Hervé Blottière. Anaïs Halbert holds a three-year institutional doctoral contract awarded by Nantes University.

 

 

 

 

 

Maëva Rebion began her dissertation on October 1, 2024. Her research aims to explore the remodeling of the gut-vagus nerve-brain axis following an unbalanced perinatal diet. A graduate of the Faculty of Sciences in Nantes, she completed a third-year undergraduate internship under the supervision of Vincent Paillé. She continued her academic career with a master’s degree (M1 and M2) at IMAD in the TENS group, under the supervision of Hélène Boudin. It was therefore only natural for her to join us for a doctoral thesis on the GARpe project, led by Vincent and conducted in collaboration with Hélène Boudin.

 

 

 

Francisca Ngenda Kabombo began her dissertation on October 1, 2024. Her topic is “Stimulation of lactation through supplementation of the maternal diet with citrulline during gestation (animal model study) and with plant extracts during lactation (surveys on their use in the Democratic Republic of the Congo).” She is being supervised by Clair-Yves Boquien and Khadija Ouguerram, who also supervised her for her Master’s 2 degree in 2022.

 

 

 

 

Garance Dalix joined the PhAN Joint Research Unit on December 1, 2024, as a doctoral student to study the effect of chia seed supplementation during pregnancy and lactation, 1) on the health of obese mothers and 2) on the health of their offspring, both in the short term and into adulthood, in terms of both improved neurodevelopment and the prevention of cardiovascular disease. A graduate of the Master’s 2 program in Nutrition and Food Sciences at the University of Rennes, Garance completed her Master’s 2 internship in the PhAN unit, supervised by Véronique Ferchaud-Roucher and Clair-Yves Boquien, in collaboration with the company PANAM Semences. Her internship project focused on the effect of chia seed supplementation—rich in the essential omega-3 fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid—during pregnancy in obese female rats on the mothers’ lipid metabolism and the placental transfer of omega-3 fatty acids to the fetal brain during mid- and late pregnancy. The very encouraging results, presented by Garance to the French Society of Nutrition (SFN) on December 6, 2024, in Strasbourg, prompted us to continue this collaboration with PANAM through a CIFRE thesis approved by the ANRT in November 2024. Garance is supervised by Véronique Ferchaud-Roucher and Clair-Yves Boquien.

 

 

 

Armand Dufeil joined the unit on October 1, 2025, as a doctoral student to study gut-brain signaling in the context of perinatal malnutrition: the role of enteroendocrine cells. He is conducting this dissertation under the supervision of Gwenola Le Dréan and Vincent Paillé. He holds a Master’s degree (Master 2), for which he completed his internship in the unit under the supervision of Hervé Blottière; his thesis was titled: “Impact of mode of delivery and postnatal antibiotic therapy on the functional maturation of the gut microbiota in infants.”

 

 

 

Florine Cottaz began her dissertation on September 29, 2025, and her research aims to evaluate the health benefits of a food made from fermented fava beans in preclinical models. The dissertation is co-supervised by Patricia Parnet of the PhAN Joint Research Unit and Marie Bodinier of the BIA Research Unit in the Allergy team. The thesis topic is part of the LETSPROSEED project (2023–2028), led by INRAE and funded by the ANR under the France 2030 program.

 

 

 

Phuong do Truc LAM holds a master’s degree in biotechnology from the Cell Reprogramming Laboratory at the Vietnam National University in Ho Chi Minh City. As part of her master’s studies, she analyzed the effect of various compounds (melatonin, ascorbic acid) on the developmental competence of porcine oocytes derived from early antral follicles. Phuong is joining our unit to pursue a joint Ph.D. program with the National University of Vietnam, funded by the NEXT Health and Engineering program at the University of Nantes. Her thesis project focuses on analyzing the molecular mechanisms of intergenerational transmission of disease risk through the paternal lineage. She will be supervised by Francisco Bolaños-Jimenes and Khadija Ouguerram.

 

 

 

 

Les Cliniciens:

 

 

 

Delphine Mitanchez is a professor of pediatrics at the University of Paris VI, head of the Neonatology Department, and head of the Perinatal Center at Armand Trousseau Hospital in Paris. Her clinical practice focuses on the management of all neonatal conditions, with a particular emphasis on newborns with congenital anomalies. In this capacity, she provides prenatal consultations and postnatal follow-up for these children both within the department and in specialized clinics. Her other areas of interest include the effects on newborns of maternal metabolic conditions such as diabetes and obesity.

 

 

Flamant Cyril is the head of the neonatal medicine department.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adam Jirka is areas of expertise include hepatogastroenterology, gastrointestinal oncology, and nutritional support. He specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the digestive system.

 

 

 

 

 

Norbert Winer is the head of the Department of Gynecology, Obstetrics, and Fetal Medicine. He is the author of several publications in collaboration with researchers from the unit, such as “Citrulline: A New Therapeutic Agent for Intrauterine Growth Restriction (IUGR).”

 

 

 

 

Guy Letellier is a pediatrician and a physician specializing in physical medicine and rehabilitation. He is the Department Chair at ESEAN-APF, a pediatric rehabilitation center in Nantes and a partner of GHT 44. He also conducts clinical and translational research focused on children and young people with disabilities.

 

 

 

 

 

Alban Baruteau is the head of the Pediatric Cardiology Medical-Surgical Unit and the coordinator of the Center of Excellence for Rare Diseases focused on complex congenital heart defects (M3C) at Nantes University Hospital. He coordinates the PreciCare French University Hospital Network (FHU) and is developing a research focus on the ante- and perinatal determinants of neurodevelopmental disorders associated with congenital heart disease.

 

 

 

 

 

Hugues Piloquet is a pediatrician and the head of the pediatric chronic diseases department. He is based at the Children's and Adolescents' Hospital in Nantes.

 

 

Anne Frondas-Chauty est pédiatre au service de néonatalogie et réanimation pédiatrique. Elle a travaillé sur plusieurs articles en collaboration avec Dominique Darmaun comme « La vitesse de croissance néonatale des prématurés : changement du score Z de poids par rapport au modèle exponentiel de Patel ».

Kuster Alice est pédiatre dans le service de réanimation pédiatrique. Elle est spécialisée en maladies héréditaires du métabolisme.

Laure Simon Delfosse est clinicienne et a passé sa thèse en 2018 sur "L’impact de la croissance hospitalière des enfants prématurés sur la croissance et le devenir neurologique". Elle a également travaillé sur la composition en protéine du lait de mères de nouveaux-nés prématurés et la croissance et le devenir à 2 ans sur l’étude LACTACOL.