Serge VAN DE PAVERT

About

Dr. Serge van de Pavert is a group leader since 2015. He is employed by Inserm as a Research Officer (CRCN, senior scientist), and his work focuses on the development of the immune system, particularly on how tissue-resident immune cells emerge and function during development. In addition to leading his laboratory, he served as Associate Director of the CIML from 2021 to 2023, during which he played an active role in institutional leadership, strategic development, recruitment, and fostering interdisciplinary collaborations. He also set up and currently facilitates the lightsheet technology part of the microscopy platform at CIML, enabling whole-mount analysis of tumors and organs for the local research community in Marseille as well as for collaborating teams across France and internationally. He is part of the Centuri Steering Committee.

Serge began his academic career at Utrecht University, where he obtained his PhD in 2001 from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. His thesis, entitled “Embryonic development and uterine influence in the pig,” was supervised by Professor MAM Taverne. Following his doctoral studies, he moved into neuroscience research as a postdoctoral researcher at the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience in Amsterdam, under the supervision of Dr. Jan Wijnholds. There, he worked on the Crumbs complex in photoreceptor cells, contributing to a better understanding of retinal development and visual function. He held a second postdoctoral position at the VU University Medical Center in Amsterdam in the Department of Molecular Cell Biology and Immunology, led by Professor Reina E. Mebius. During this period, he focused on lymph node development, the role of stromal cells in the immune system, and the influence of retinoic acid signaling, publishing several high-impact studies. This work positioned him as a leading contributor to the field of immunological development. In 2013, he joined the Hubrecht Institute in Utrecht as a postdoctoral researcher in the group of Professor Stefan Schulte-Merker. His work there concentrated on lymphatic vasculature and a proof of concept on viral therapy to restore lymphatic vasculature. In 2018, he received his Authorization to Direct Research (HDR) from Aix-Marseille University, allowing him to supervise PhD students independently. His team continues to explore fundamental mechanisms of immune system development, with strong emphasis on imaging, maternal diet, Innate Lymphoid Cells, and tissue microenvironments.

Awards

2015. A*MIDEX chair of excellence
2015. FRM young teams
2015. CR1 Inserm position