Evelina GATTI

About

I am a CNRS Research Director, HDR and principal investigator at CIML, where I co-founded the DeCiBeL laboratory (Biology of Dendritic Cells). Since my postdoctoral training at Yale University, I study cell-autonomous innate responses in immunity, cellular stress and inflammation, focusing on dendritic cells—the sentinelles de l’immunité—and other antigen-presenting cells. My work explores how intracellular stress, endomembrane dynamics, autophagy, and translational control shape innate sensing, antigen presentation, antiviral signaling, and inflammation, with implications for cancer, autoimmunity, host–pathogen interactions, and neurodegeneration.

Key contributions include the discovery of DALIS, linking antigen processing to autophagy; the role of MARCH ubiquitin ligases in antigen presentation; RUFY3/4, regulating autophagy and organelle positioning; BAD-LAMP/LAMP5, controlling TLR9-dep humaun plasmacytoid DC innate responses; and Vps34–STING crosstalk and ER stress–induced signaling in type-I IFN induction.

Current directions include:

• Endomembrane dynamics in innate signaling, antigen presentation, and cytokine secretion
• Cellular stress and translational control (ISR and UPR) shaping immunity and antiviral defense
• mRNA vaccines and translational immunology, optimizing immune sensing and antigen presentation (with Béatrice Nal-Rogier)

Internal missions: CIML Institute Council (2008–2012), Labex INFORM governance CIML representative (2014–2016), Parité–Égalité Professionnelle (CorEgal, CNRS UMR7208), and mentoring PhD students, postdocs, and international visitors.

External missions: Coordination of CNRS International Lab MISTRA (CIML–IBIMED, Portugal, 2012–2018), Ilídio Pinho Chair (2014–2020), member of ITMO I3M Scientific Council (INSERM), president of HCERES evaluation committee (2024), active participation in scientific societies and 12 conference organization (ASCB, SBCF, SFI, CFATG, CFCD, NAIS). Reviewer for major funding agencies (ERC, AIRC, INCa, swiss SNSF), 9 years at ANRS CSS11. Strong advocate for gender equity and mentorship through Femmes & Sciences, EFIS Gender Equity Task Force, and Women in Autophagy.

Funding: I coordinated or participated in ANR, FCT, FRM, AMIDEX, CNRS, Alfediam, AIRC, Yale Diabetes Center, Marie Curie Sklodowska Prog, ARC, INCa, LLNC, PSL, ANRS-MIE, and AFM-Téléthon grants.