Presentation
The “Epigenetics and Cell Fate” unit is a multidisciplinary research centre, founded in 2009, and located on the Grands Moulins campus of Université Paris Cité.
The research within the centre focuses on the importance of epigenetic regulations in the determination of cell fate and differentiation programs in mammals, under normal and pathological conditions.
Unit retreat in 2021
© Fabrice Ferron
The unit brings together six teams with complementary expertise in the molecular mechanisms of epigenetics (DNA methylation, histone variants and modifications, and non-coding RNAs), their involvement in development and differentiation processes, and their contribution to pathological processes.
Research in the unit is facilitated daily by a set of technical platforms and support services.
The unit is led by Dr. Slimane AIT-SI-ALI (director) and Dr. Pierre-Antoine DEFOSSEZ (deputy director). Together, they have established a managerial structure allowing the sharing of responsibilities and the delegation of tasks to the senior researchers of the unit. The Management Committee, which includes all the team leaders, makes the strategic decisions. The Lab Council, gathering the team leaders and elected members representing the different categories of personnel, discusses the general decisions concerning the centre’s functioning.
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Welcome to Léa, new engineer in the team!
Léa joins the lab as a research assistant. She holds a Master's degree in Molecular and Cellular Biology from Sorbonne University. She will contribute to investigate DNA methylation maintenance mechanisms in response to UV damage in mammalian cells. Léa Girard À lire...
Well done, Dr Mori!
Margherita successfully defended her PhD on DNA methylation maintenance in response to UV damage. Brava! Margherita and her thesis jury. From left to right: Sophie Polo, Sandra Duharcourt (on screen), Déborah Bourc'his, Margherita Mori, Nataliya Petryk, Jean Molinier,...
Congratulations Dr Giacomini!
Giulia defended her PhD on the impact of high grade glioma-associated histone H3 mutations on genome integrity. Congratulations to her on a fantastic thesis defense! Giulia Giacomini and her thesis jury. From left to right: Beatrice Rondinelli, Keith Caldecott,...
Congratulations to Dr. Maeva Zamperoni!
On September 15, 2025, Maeva successfully defended her thesis: “Role of the lysine methyltransferase SETDB1 in TGFβ-induced fibrosis in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD).”Maeva and the jury members: Pascal Maire, Nicolas Reynoird, Sestina Falcone, Frédérique...