ElIXIR team members
© Irset
Research programs
Our research focuses mainly on exposure to endocrine disruptors and to chemical and microbiological agents liable to contribute to the developmental origin of certain diseases. Our studies also take into account the subjects' constitution and genetic background (interactions).
Our approach is based on the design and implementation of large scale epidemiological studies. These studies enable us to test the links between different types of exposure and certain health-threatening events, by using the appropriate tools (i.e. individual and aggregate data analysis and statistical modelling). We focus on populations or sub-populations at risk (pregnant women, children) mainly in areas particularly exposed to the risks under study, especially: Brittany, due to its extensive farming activity, and the French West Indies in the Caribbean Islands due to environmental chlordecone pollution.
In order to improve exposure assessment during pregnancy and infancy, we have developed approaches that allow us to characterize multiple exposure factors and to develop the Exposome concept, using "omic" tools applied to biological matrices. We also carry out surveys focusing on indoor environments, designed to identify the sources of the chemical and microbiological agents causing the greatest exposure levels for children and intend to explore the factors affecting bioaccessibility.
