Doctoral Nexus
Doctoral Nexus groups are interdisciplinary research initiatives that bring together 3 to 4 doctoral students from different disciplines and research units to address a single complex scientific problem.
Thus, each Nexus consists of:
- A joint research project developed by the principal investigator in collaboration with the participating thesis advisors, encompassing all disciplines, and aimed at studying one or more aspects of the exposome.
- An individual, discipline-specific thesis topicfor each participating doctoral student .
Each dissertation isfunded from the outsetfor a period offour years. This additional year is justified by the implementation of specific training initiatives and the time allocated to interdisciplinary work.
Doctoral Nexus programs are unique to ExposUM and are led by the institute’s training division.
Winning Projects
2026
ECO-MAYOR
e-Cohort of French Mayors: External Exposome, Health, and Entrepreneurial Vitality
Acronym: ECO-MAIRE
Project Leader: Olivier TORRES
UMR: MRM
| The three theses that make up ECO-MAIRE |
| > Etiological study of the external exposome on the physical and mental health of mayors. Ph.D. candidate: Thesis advisor: Tasnime AKBARALY UMR: IDESP |
| > Association between the demands of office and mayors’ mental health – A study of the moderating role of the external exposome Ph.D. candidate: Thesis advisor: François-Xavier LESAGE UMR: IDESP |
| > Study of the Associations Between Mental Health and Entrepreneurial Dynamism Among Mayors Ph.D. Candidate: Thesis Advisor: Olivier TORRES UMR: MRM |
SENS-ALIM
Emotional Sensitivities and Nutrition: Behaviors and Decisions
Acronym : SENS-ALIM
Project Leader: Marie-Christine LICHTLÉ
UMR: MRM
| The four theses that make up SENS-ALIM |
| > A Better Understanding of the Effects of Consumers’ Eco-Emotions on Responsible Behavior: An Application to Food Ph.D. Candidate: Thesis Advisor: Marie-Christine LICHTLÉ UMR: MRM |
| > Food aversion, avoidance behaviors, and immunity Ph.D. candidate: Thesis advisor: Marie CHARPENTIER UMR: ISEM |
| > Food Education and Emotional Skills Ph.D. Candidate: Thesis Advisor: Chrysta PELISSIER UMR: LIRDEF |
| > Impact of Refined Carbohydrate Consumption on Decision-Making in Young Adults Ph.D. Candidate: Thesis Advisor: Bernard GODELLE UMR: ISEM |
EXPERT
The Microbial EXposome and Persistent Infections: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Understanding the Interplay Between Opportunistic Bacterial Pathogens and the Host's Innate Immune System.
Acronym: EXPERT
Project Leader: Anne BLANC-POTARD
Research Unit: LPHI
| The three theses that make up EXPERT |
| > Investigation of the role of macrophage polarization and the bacterial replication state in establishing persistent Pseudomonas infection. Ph.D. student: Thesis advisors: Mai NGUYEN CHI – Anne BLANC-POTARD UMR: LPHI |
| > Bacterial and host determinants of persistent infections caused by the emerging pathogen Achromobacter Ph.D. candidate: Thesis advisors: Annette VERGUNST – UMR: VBIC Hélène MARCHANDIN – UMR: HSM |
| > Mesoscale mathematical modeling of bacterial persistence from a host and bacterial perspective Ph.D. candidate: Thesis advisors: Ovidiu RADULESCU – Anne BLANC-POTARD UMR: LPHI |
Nutri-CART
Nutrition as a New Therapeutic Tool for Improving the Treatment of Malignant Hematologic Diseases with CAR-T Cells
Acronym: Nutri-CART
Project Leader: Valérie ZIMMERMANN
Research Unit: IGMM
| The three theses that make up NUTRI-CART |
| > Assessment of the impact of metabolism on the antitumor response of CAR-T cells Ph.D. student: Thesis advisor: Valérie ZIMMERMANN UMR: IGMM |
| > Assessment of the impact of nutrition on metabolism and T-cell proliferation/persistence through TCR clonotypic analysis in patients and in mouse models Ph.D. candidate: Thesis advisor: Sofia KOSSIDA UMR: IGH |
| > Increasing patient involvement in managing their diet: improving information and communication by scientists and medical staff Ph.D. candidate: Thesis advisor: Marie PEQUIGNOT UMR: INM |
KIDIHEALTH
Modulation of Environmental and Intrinsic Determinants of Physical Frailty in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease: A Holistic Health Approach.
Acronym: KIDIHEALTH
Project Leader: Robin CANDAU
Research Unit: PhyMedExp
| The three theses that make up KIDIHEALT |
| > Assessment and Impact of Diet and Exercise in Chronic Kidney Disease Ph.D. Candidate: Thesis Advisors: Eric PERERA UMR: SantesiH Thomas BRIOCHE UMR: PhyMedExp |
| > Metabolic and Cardiovascular Responses to Environmental Changes (Exercise and Diet) Ph.D. Candidate: Thesis Advisors: Robin CANDAU - Fabrice RAYNAUD UMR: PhyMedExp |
| > Modulation of the microbiome through adapted physical activity and diet to prevent physical frailty in chronic kidney disease Ph.D. candidate: Thesis advisors: Jean Philippe LAVIGNE – UMR: VBIC Karen LAMBERT – UMR: PhyMedExp |
2025
EXPO-PMT
An Integrated Approach to Persistent, Mobile, and Toxic Pollutants in Water Resources: Assessment of Their Contribution to the EXPOsome and Recommendations for Adaptation Strategies
Acronym: EXPO-PMT
Project Leader: Catherine FAUR
UMR: IEM
| The three theses that make up EXPO-PMT |
| > The Contribution of PMTs to the Aquatic Exposome: Assessment and Treatment of Water Resources Intended for Human Consumption Ph.D. Candidate: Martin Gabard Thesis Advisors: Stephan BROSILLON, Elena GOMEZ UMR: IEM – HSM |
| > Modeling the spatio-temporal toxicological impacts of PMTs in the drinking water supply chain Ph.D. candidate: Matéo Melki Thesis advisors: Rémi SERVIEN, Dominique PATUREAU UMR: LBE |
| > Exploring strategies for adapting drinking water services to resource degradation caused by emerging micropollutants: Development of a diagnostic and decision-support method Ph.D. candidate: Antoine Meyer Thesis advisors: Lætitia GUERIN-SCHNEIDER UMR: G-EAU |
This transdisciplinary effort focused on the study of emerging pollutants known as PMTs (Persistent, Mobile, and Toxic) present in water intended for human consumption brings together numerous partners with complementary expertise and initiatives. EXPO-PMT brings together, in particular: the Montpellier Water Authority, BRL Exploitation, the consulting firm Espelia, and the Rhône-Méditerranée-Corse Water Agency.
Related News: Plenary Meeting of the Nexus EXPO-PMT Project
AMYLOPATHY
Exploring Microbe-Induced Amyloidoses Through an Interdisciplinary Approach
Acronym : AMYLOPATH
Project Leader: Andrey KAJAVA
UMR: CRBM
| The three theses that make up AMYLOPATH |
| > Development and application of computational approaches to study the mechanisms of microbe-induced amyloidogenesis. Ph.D. student: Simona MANASRA Thesis advisor: Andrey KAJAVA UMR: CRBM |
| > Gut microbiota and amyloidosis in Alzheimer’s disease Ph.D. candidate: Antoine CARPENTIER Thesis advisor: Sylvie CLAEYSEN UMR: IGF |
| > Co-condensation of yeast prion-like proteins Ph.D. candidate: Coline GIBOUT Thesis advisor: Fabrice CAUDRON UMR: IGMM |
CLIMAnX
Nexus Title: Experienced or Anticipated Climate Change and Mental Health: From Anxiety to Adaptive Well-Being
Acronym: CLIMAnX
Project Leader: Marie-Laure PARMENTIER
UMR: IGF
| The four theses that make up CLIMANX |
| > Impact of Environmental Disasters on the Use of Psychotropic Drugs in France Ph.D. Candidate: Chloé ROSSIGNOL Thesis Advisors: SylvaineARTERO – Marie-Laure PARMENTIER UMR: IGF |
| > Preclinical study of the influence of “heatwave” thermal stress on brain activity and on cognitive and social performance Ph.D. candidate: Maëlle COLLADANT Thesis advisors: CarineBECAMEL – Laurent GIVALOIS UMR: IGF |
| > Climate Anxiety, Mental Health, and Student Success: Factors, Consequences, and Educational Interventions Ph.D. Candidate: Ambrine SEMPERE Thesis Advisors: ManuelBÄCHTOLD – Laurent BRUN UMR: LIRDEF |
| > Patterns of Exposure to Climate Risks, Eco-Anxiety, and Social Cohesion Ph.D. Candidate: Sarah MOHAMED FETI Thesis Advisors: HélèneREY-VALETTE – Cécile BAZART UMR: CEE-M |
LEPTONEX
Leptospires and Exposure Nexus: Interactions Among Humans, Dogs, Nutrias, and the Environment
Acronym: LEPTONEX
Project Leader: Nathalie CHARBONNEL
UMR: CBGP
| The three theses that make up LEPTONEX |
| > Geographic, Social, and Cultural Determinants of Risks Associated with Human-Nutria Interactions Ph.D. Candidate: Camille GIACOMEL Thesis Advisor: SophieCAILLON UMR: CEFE |
| > Multiscale modeling of the spatial dynamics of the coypu Ph.D. student: Camille MOTTIER Thesis advisor: OlivierGIMENEZ UMR: CEFE |
| > Characterization of the diversity and circulation dynamics of leptospires in nutria populations using a combination of epidemiological and landscape genetics approaches Ph.D. candidate: Julie BLANCHET Thesis advisor: NathalieCHARBONNEL UMR: CBGP |
| Thesis advisors | |
| Sophie CAILLON | CEFE |
| Olivier GIMENEZ | CEFE |
| Nathalie Charbonnel | CBGP |
In full
Title: Nexus: Interoception, Exposome, Gut Microbiota, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Artificial Intelligence & Ontological Linking
Acronym: INTEGRAAL
Project Leader: Claire IMMEDIATO DAIEN
UMR: PhyMedExp
| The three theses that make up INTEGRAAL |
| > Ph.D. Candidate: Janeth APONTE Thesis Advisors: EmilieOLIE – Laurent CHICHE UMR: IGF |
| > An Integrative Understanding of the Link Between Environment, Microbiota, Self-Perception, and Rheumatoid Arthritis Ph.D. Candidate: GAFFIN Julie Thesis Advisors: IMMEDIATO DAIEN Claire UMR: PhyMedExp BOURINET Emmanuel UMR: IGF |
| > Hybrid model for predicting rheumatoid arthritis (RA) based on machine learning enriched by a dynamic ontology of the disease and the exposome Ph.D. student: Nushrat Jahan Thesis advisors: SandraBRINGAY – Lylia ABROUK UMR: LIRMM |
2024
EMIPSA
Epidemiology and Trends in Infectious Diseases in Age-Stratified Populations
Acronym: EMIPSA
Project Leader: Sébastien LION
Research Unit: CEFE
| The three theses that make up EMIPSA |
| > Evolution of pathogen life-history strategies: infection age, heterogeneity, and plasticity Ph.D. candidate: Amelle POISSON Thesis advisors: Sébastien LION – UMR: CEFE Sylvain GANDON – UMR: CEFE Ophélie RONCE – UMR: ISEM |
| > Evolutionary dynamics of structured populations under a low mutation regime: application to epidemiology Ph.D. candidate: Caroline GUINET Thesis advisors: MIRRAHIMI Sepideh– UMR: IMAG ROQUEJOFFRE Jean-Michel – UMR: IMT LION Sébastien – UMR: CEFE |
| > Within-host epidemiological and evolutionary dynamics of malaria Ph.D. student: Ndeye KHADY GNINGUE Thesis advisors: DJIDJOU-DEMASSE Ramsès – UMR: MIVEGEC GANDON Sylvain – UMR: CEFE RICHARD Quentin – UMR: IMAG |
| > Preparing the critical care system for future health crises Ph.D. candidate: Ana Guijarro Matos Thesis advisors: SOFONEA Mircea – UMR: PCCEI LEFRANT Jean-Yves – UMR: IMAGINE CHOQUE Rémi – UMR: CEFE |
SECS
Society and the Social Environment in the Context of Suicidal Behavior
Acronym: SECS
Project Leader: Philippe COURTET
UMR: IGF
| The three theses that make up SECS |
| > Social Neuroscience & Inflammatory and Pain Responses to Social Stress in Suicidal Behavior Ph.D. Candidate: Mayssam Chahine Thesis Advisors: COURTET Philippe OLIE Emilie UMR: IGF |
| > Assisted dying, social acceptability, societal demand, paradoxical injunction? Ph.D. candidate: Korane HASSAN BILEH Thesis advisor: FrançoisVIALLA UMR: IHD |
| > Modeling Suicidal Behavior Based on Healthcare Utilization: Links to Pain and Analgesic Use Ph.D. Candidate: Sara IBRAHIM Thesis Advisor: NicolasMOLINARI UMR: IDESP |
PYPHAS
A comprehensive characterization of PFAS activity and elimination in drinking water from the
Acronym: PYPHAS
Project Leader: Julie MENDRET
Research Unit: IEM
| The three theses that make up PYPHAS |
| > Combining nanofiltration with highly effective and stable membranes for the electro-oxidation of persistent pollutants in water Ph.D. student: Joao Henrique Pinton Thesis advisors: MENDRET, Julie BECHELANY, Mikhael LESAGE, Geoffroy UMR: IEM |
| > Understanding the mechanisms and pathways of PFAS degradation by electro-oxidation in drinking water Ph.D. Candidate: Jiaxin YANG Thesis Advisors: , MarcCRETIN , Christine ENJALBAL , Stella LACOUR UMR: IEM |
| > Activation of the PXR receptor by PFAS: effects on intestinal tumorigenesis and response to therapy Ph.D. student: Fanny SALMERON Thesis advisor: VincentCAVAILLES UMR: IRCM |
COCKTAIL
Development of an advanced airway-on-a-chip model to study the effects of a mixture of pollutants and respiratory viruses on lung tissue
Acronym: COCKTAIL
Project Leader: John DE VOS
UMR: IRMB
| The three theses that make up COCKTAIL |
| > Using an advanced “airway-on-a-chip” model to study the effects of the exposome on lung tissue Ph.D. student: ASGARI Negar Thesis advisor: DE VOS John UMR: IRMB |
| > Development of original biophysical tools to evaluate the combined effect of pollutants and viruses on model lung tissue Ph.D. student: SHARKA Iyad Abou Thesis advisor: MASSIERA Gladys UMR: L2C |
| > Studying respiratory virus infections in bronchial airway epithelium models exposed to pollutants Ph.D. student: Elisabeth PINEL Thesis advisor: DelphineMURIAUX UMR: IRIM |
EXPAIR
Development of innovative sensors for measuring
's exposure to airborne pollutants to uncover cardiorespiratory effects.
Acronym: EXPAIR
Project Leader: Aurore Vicet
Research Unit: IES
| The three theses that make up EXPAIR |
| > Development of photoacoustic sensors to assess environmental pollutants and exposure to pollutants in exhaled breath Ph.D. candidate: Fadia ABOU NAOUM Thesis advisors: AuroreVICET – Michael BAHRIZ UMR: IES |
| > Role of the internal exposome, as assessed by exhaled breath samples, on the cardiovascular and pulmonary systems during chronic exposure to emerging pollutants Ph.D. Candidate: Joudi Hello Thesis Advisors: FaresGouzi – Olivier Cazorla UMR: PhyMedExp |
| > Impact of the external exposome, with a focus on air pollutants, on cardiorespiratory health under real-life conditions Ph.D. Candidate: Phamthaovan LUONG Thesis Advisor: KASE TANNO Luciana UMR: IDESP |
2023
Pollheart
Air pollution and pulmonary emphysema affect cardiovascular hemodynamic properties. POLLHEART
Acronym: POLLHEART
Project Leader: ARNAUD Bourdin
Research Unit: PhyMedExp
| The three theses that make up POLLHEART |
| > Environmental pollution and pulmonary emphysema affect cardiovascular hemodynamics Ph.D. candidate: Yasmine COLOMBANI Thesis advisors: OlivierCAZORLA , Arnaud BOURDIN UMR: PhyMedExp |
| > Modeling the correlations between mineral concentrations Ph.D. student: PUIG Martin Thesis advisor: MOLINARI Nicolas UMR: IEM |
| > Air Pollutants and Health. Microplastics: Separation by Membrane Filtration and Advanced Characterization Ph.D. Student: CENAC-MORTHE Emma Thesis Advisors: CORNU David, CAMBEDOUZOU Julien UMR: IDESP |
TEDxPUM
Exploring the Impact of the Chemical Exposome on Amyloid Assembly
Acronym: TEDxPUM
Project Leader: Herve COTTET
UMR: IBMM
| The three theses that make up TEDxPUM |
| > The Impact of the Chemical Exposome on Beta-Amyloid Peptide Aggregation: An Analysis Using Taylor Dispersion . Ph.D. Candidate: Marta GARRIDO ALVAREZ . Thesis Advisor: JosephCHAMIEH . UMR: IBMM |
| > The impact of environmental pollutants on amyloid-beta peptide aggregation and amyloid fibril polymorphism: relevance to Alzheimer’s disease Ph.D. candidate: DABA Celia Thesis advisor: TORRENT Joan UMR: INM |
| > Impact of pollutants on beta-amyloid peptide aggregation: advanced analytical methods and modeling Ph.D. student: CHOPIN Antonio Thesis advisor: CIPELLETTI Luca UMR: L2C |
MATRIX2
External exposome in a polluted environment associated with the extractive industry: different modeling strategies
Acronym: MATRIX2
Project Leader: Emmanuelle CADOT
UMR: HSM
| The three theses that make up MATRIX2 |
| > Residential environment and the external exposome: the potential contribution of machine learning approaches Ph.D. candidate: Mahmoud HASHOUSH Thesis advisor: Emmanuelle CADOT UMR: HSM |
| > Environmental and social inequalities in stillbirth: the role of the external exposome related to extractive activities in Ecuador Ph.D. candidate: Eloïse MATHIEU Thesis advisor: Emmanuelle CADOT UMR: HSM |
| > Exposome, Polluted Environment, and Health Risks: The Contribution of a Sociology of Risk Ph.D. Candidate: Brice TADA SALLEU Thesis Advisor: ChristelleGRAMAGLIA UMR: G-EAU |
I-Care
Impact of Human Activities on the Risk of Zoonotic Arbovirus Emergence in Central Africa. Acronym (I-CARE)
Acronym: I-CARE
Project Leader: Christophe PAUPY
Research Unit: MIVEGEC
| The three theses that make up I-CARE |
| > Human Impact on the Forest Ecosystem in Southern Cameroon and Its Impact on Vector Communities and the Risk of Zoonotic Pathogen Emergence. Ph.D. Candidate: MUCCI Giuliano Thesis Advisor: PAUPY Christophe UMR: MIVEGEC |
| > Impact of human activity on vector community dynamics: modeling, analysis, and simulation. Epidemiological risk control in a peri-forest context in Cameroon. Ph.D. candidate: Marc HETIER Thesis advisor: YvesDUMONT UMR: AMAP |
| > Collective Action and Prevention Against the Risks of Zoonotic Vector-Borne Diseases. Ph.D. Candidate: Brice TADA SALLEU Thesis Advisor: LudovicTEMPLE UMR: INNOVATION |
EZFE
ExpoZone FE
Acronym: EZFE
Project Leader: Laurent VISIER
Research Unit: CEPEL
| The theses comprising EZFE |
| > Analysis of a public health and environmental policy tool, the ZFE-m, in the metropolitan areas of Toulouse and Montpellier. Ph.D. candidate: Vincent BITOUN Thesis advisor: LaurentVISIER UMR: CEPEL |
| > The Low-Emission Zone as an Institutional Environmental Mechanism for a Just Transition in Terms of Economic Activity and Employment. The Case of the Toulouse and Montpellier Metropolitan Areas. Ph.D. Candidate: Vincent JALABERT Thesis Advisor: Sandrine Michel UMR: ARTDev |