CIIL - NEWSLETTER , november 2026 - N° 20

Having long been passionate about the biological sciences, I have a particular interest in HIV research and in strategies aimed, ultimately, at achieving a lasting cure for the infection. I was immediately drawn to my PhD project because of its multidisciplinary nature, at the crossroads of biology, physics and chemistry, with a view to developing an innovative therapeutic approach based on nanoparticles.

My day-to-day life as a CIFRE PhD student reflects this diversity: I divide my time between the Pasteur Institute in Lille, where I work on infectious HIV and biological material, and Centrale Lille Institute, within the Catalysis and Solid-State Chemistry Unit, where I am developing the nanomaterials aspect of my project. I also carry out occasional assignments at the Établissement français du sang (EFS) in Strasbourg, where I had the opportunity to gain an insight into research in the private sector whilst working on blood platelets during the first half of my PhD.

Although working at the interface of such diverse disciplines presents a real challenge, I see this interdisciplinary nature as a great asset. It allows me to broaden my skills, combine complementary scientific approaches and forge a career path which, I hope, will one day enable me to contribute to progress towards a cure for HIV.