Mini BIO – Audrey Bernut

POSITION

CNRS Researcher (CRCN), PhD, HDR

CONTACT

E-mail: 

Phone: +33 (0)4 67 14 92 04

BIOGRAPHY

Initially trained as a microbiologist, I completed my PhD at the University of Montpellier in 2014, where I pioneered the use of zebrafish as an in vivo model to study M. abscessus infection. I subsequently secured MSCA and FRM fellowships, enabling me to establish an independent research program.

At the Bateson Centre (University of Sheffield, UK), I developed a cystic fibrosis (CF) zebrafish model that recapitulates key disease features observed in patients, providing a powerful platform to dissect CF immune-pathogenesis. I then continued this work at Laboratoire 2I (Inserm, France), further strengthening my research on infection and inflammation in CF. During this period, I uncovered novel mechanisms by which CFTR dysfunction disrupts innate immunity, particularly through deleterious Ca²⁺/ROS signalling, and identified new therapeutic targets supporting the development of host-modulatory strategies.

I was recruited as a CNRS Research Scientist in Montpellier in December 2021.

My group at LPHI investigates impaired host defense and chronic inflammation in CF, with a strong focus on host-modulatory therapies. We combine pioneering zebrafish models with human-based approaches to uncover disease mechanisms and develop innovative anti-infective and anti-inflammatory treatments. More recently, we have established zebrafish models of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), where acquired CFTR defects contributes to impaired immunity and persistent inflammation, extending our approach to other chronic inflammatory lung diseases.