Junior Professor Chair (JPC): Climate change and emerging arboviral diseases / Virology, Host-P[...]

Research - Climate change and emerging arboviral diseases: development of predictive experimental models of non-vector transmission pathways

Detailed description of research activities:

Context and scientific rationale:

Driven by global climate change, vector insects are expanding into Europe, leading to the emergence of severe arboviruses such as West Nile Virus (WNV), Dengue Virus (DENV), Zika Virus (ZIKV), Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus (TBEV), and Chikungunya Virus (CHIKV). While vector-borne transmission is well documented, non-vector human-to-human pathways -specifically via substances of human origin (SoHO) (e.g., organ transplants, medically assisted reproduction) and materno-fetal (vertical) transmission- represent a major public health challenge. The high prevalence of asymptomatic cases further compromises safety in reproductive and transplant medicine.

Core research objectives:

• Characterizing tissue susceptibility: Evaluating how emerging arboviruses infect adult and fetal human urogenital and reproductive tissues.
• Deciphering host-pathogen interactions: Identifying cellular mechanisms, host innate immune responses, and the crossing of tissue barriers involved in non-vector viral spread.
• Establishing predictive models: Developing an integrated pipeline to evaluate the potential for viral persistence and non-vectorial transmission of emerging viruses, in order to better anticipate and mitigate public health impacts.

Approaches

The candidate will carry out research within the UrGenT team at IRSET-Inserm U1085, leveraging a unique experimental pipeline:

• Innovative organ-on-a-chip culture models: Leveraging unique access to a wide range of adult human urogenital tissues and human embryos to establish predictive ex vivo models.
• Multimodal analytical approaches: Combining cutting-edge cellular biology, molecular virology, tissue engineering, and high-throughput profiling techniques (e.g., scRNAseq, spatial transcriptomics) to decode host-virus dynamics.

Expected outcomes:

• Infection risk mitigation: Providing scientific data to improve safety protocols for organ transplantation and medically assisted reproduction (MAR).
• High-Impact publications & funding: Generating high-impact international publications and securing competitive national and international research grants.
• Open science & societal impact: Adhering to open science practices and communicating findings to health authorities and the public to manage emerging infectious risks.

Profile / Skills required:

• You have a PhD in Cell Biology, virology and research experience at the international level.
• You have post-doctoral research experience in France and/or abroad.
• You aim at developing an original and ambitious research activity related to the transmission of viruses between humans and the pathophysiology of emerging viral strains in the context of global change
• You are able to respond to major French and EU calls for research projects in order to make your research financially independent.
• You are prepared to interact with the scientific ecosystem in Rennes and to develop national and international academic and industrial collaborations

Key words:

Emerging arboviruses - Interhuman transmission - Physiopathology - Urogenital tract

Laboratory

Team UrGenT (Physiology and physiopathology of the Uro-Genital Tract) at IRSET, UMR_S INSERM 1085 - Institute for Research in Environmental and Occupational Health (Head of institute: Dr Michel Samson)

Contact

Dr Nathalie Dejucq-Rainsford, Head of team UrGenT

Email

Website

Detailed description of teaching duties:

Teaching component & academic integration: The recruited professor will join the Faculty of Sciences at the University of Rennes within the Molecular, Cellular, and Structural Biology (BMV) department. The candidate will be actively involved in teaching courses focused on virology, host responses, and antiviral defense mechanisms. These contributions directly address the critical need to train students in managing infectious risks in the context of emerging viruses driven by global climate change. Additionally, the successful candidate will offer courses on experimental models and their development, participating directly in the Faculty's certified animal experimentation training program, where experimental models play a central role.

Degree programs & student training

The candidate will contribute to academic training within a faculty that educates 2,700 Life Sciences students annually, including 1,000 at the Master's level. Specifically, teaching responsibilities will align with the university's highly recognized programs in Molecular and Cellular Biology and Microbiology. The candidate will also contribute to the international track within the Bachelor’s program in Life Sciences and participate in the Erasmus Mundus Master’s program, which trains interdisciplinary scientists (biochemists, toxicologists, bioinformaticians) equipped to address global health and exposome challenges.

European & international educational outreach

The person recruited will actively drive the University's European and international expansion. This includes fostering student and academic exchange through physical and/or virtual mobility, as well as participating in the development and delivery of collaborative courses within the framework of the European Digital UniverCity (EDUC) alliance.

The candidate must be proficient in teaching in both French and English.

Teaching component:

Faculty of Sciences, "Biology, life mechanisms" department

FUNDINGS AND RESOURCES:

Material resources:

The newly appointed person will be able to apply to Rennes Métropole for Scientific Installation Assistance (AIS).

Human resources:

The Chair also receives specific financial support, including operating, equipment and personnel funding:

Application procedures and timetable:

Via the ODYSSEE application: from Wednesday, August 26, 2026, through Friday, September 25, 2026