The Leukemia Institute’s governance

Management

Pr Hugues DE THÉ

Hugues de Thé has been the Director of the Leukemia Institute since 2023.

Hugues de Thé, M.D., Ph.D., is a Professor of Molecular Oncology at the Collège de France and a physician at Saint-Louis Hospital in Paris. After making major contributions to retinoic acid signaling during his medical and scientific training (MD/PhD), he played a key role in the discovery of the PML/RARA oncoprotein, which is responsible for acute promyelocytic leukemia. Since then, he has been studying the mechanisms by which PML/RARA drives leukemogenesis, and the molecular basis for the remarkable clinical response to retinoic acid and arsenic.

Jean SOULIER

Jean Soulier is the Deputy Director of the Institute.

Jean Soulier, M.D., Ph.D., is a Professor of Hematology affiliated with Paris Cité University, the Assistance Publique–Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), and INSERM. He also heads the Biological Hematology Laboratory at Saint‑Louis Hospital, and INSERM/CNRS Research Unit UMR 1342.

Jean Soulier investigates the genetic mechanisms underlying the progression of bone marrow failure disorders such as Fanconi anemia, myelodysplastic syndromes, and acute leukemia.

He also studies oncogenic subtypes and clonal evolution to better understand tumor progression and relapse in these blood cancers.

Jean Soulier has been the Director of the Saint-Louis Research Institute since January 1, 2025.

Stéphanie CHAMBAUD

Stéphanie Chambaud is the Institute’s Executive Secretary . As such, she coordinates all administrative activities, helps implement the institution’s strategy, and liaises between decision-making bodies, operational teams, and external partners.

Specialized in public law, Stéphanie Chambaud began her career in local public service and has since held various positions within AP-HP, including in clinical research and human resources.

The IHU Team

The IHU Team supports the Institute’s Director by managing day-to-day operations and implementing the overall strategy devised by the Supervisory Board in a three-year roadmap. It develops scientific projects, proposes corrective actions, and evaluates the strategy. The team organizes project presentations during internal calls for proposals and monitors performance indicators.

The team is composed of:

Lionel ADÈS

Professor Lionel Adès is a recognized specialist in medical oncology, with a particular focus on rare cancers and innovative therapies. He is a Professor of Oncology at Paris-Saclay University and a hospital practitioner within AP-HP. His research focuses on tumor biology and optimizing cancer treatments, particularly targeted therapies.

He is also involved in several international clinical trials to develop new cancer drugs.
Professor Adès is an active member of the scientific community, involved in various oncology associations and research committees.

Françoise PFLUMIO

Françoise Pflumio is a leading researcher in cell biology and biotherapy, specializing in stem cells and gene therapies. She works at the CEA (French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission), where her research primarily focuses on the use of stem cells to treat blood diseases.

She has helped gain significant insights into cellular differentiation mechanisms and develop new therapeutic strategies. Françoise Pflumio is also involved in developing innovative treatments for leukemia and other blood disorders. Her work is regularly published in renowned international journals.

Alexandre PUISSANT

Alexandre Puissant is a researcher at Inserm, specializing in oncology and molecular biology. His work focuses on the molecular mechanisms of cancer, particularly leukemia, and developing new targeted therapies.

He has helped identify novel therapeutic targets for cancers resistant to conventional treatments. His research also examines the interactions between tumor cells and their microenvironment.

Alexandre Puissant is involved in numerous international projects to improve cancer treatments.

Charlotte BOUQUEREL

Charlotte is the Head of strategic development.

Trained as an engineer, she then completed a doctoral research thesis at the Curie Institute, focusing on the impact of hypoxia in the tumor microenvironment and resistance to cancer treatments, through the development of innovative models.

The Supervisory Board

The supervisory board, chaired by Jean-Patrick Lajonchère, is composed of eight ex-officio members representing the founding institutions (Paris Cité University, AP-HP, INSERM, and Collège de France), one representative from the Paris Cité University Foundation (Professor Gérard Friedlander), six qualified individuals (Claire Biot, Professor Stanislas Lyonnet, Pauline De Breteuil, Ali Saib, Nathalie Varoqueaux) from whom the Chair is selected, one researcher representative (Françoise Pflumio), and one user representative (Stéphanie Fugain).

Its main responsibilities are to oversee the institute’s activities and projects and to approve budgets, ensuring the proper management of resources.