Lab Members

Current Members

  • PI: Françoise HELMBACHER, PhD
francoise-p1070195-_500-667

I am group leader at IBDM since 2005, with a CNRS Researcher position (CRHC). The team has been supported by several competitive grants, including: ANR, FRM Equipe, AFM, the Australian FSHD global organization and the FSH society.

As of February 2025, we are affiliated with the MMG (INSERM U1251) in Marseille, merging with the team of Frederique MAGDINIER, continuing our research, supported by CNRS, by the MARMARA Institute at AMU, and more recently by grants from the AFM-Telethon and FRC, and fellowships from AFM and the AMU-Doctoral school ED568. We will physically join the MMG at the end of 2025.

Prior to my appointment at CNRS/IBDM, I was a Post-doctoral fellow at the Max-Plank Institute of Neurobiology, in Munich (Germany), in the lab of Dr. Rüdiger Klein (2000-2004). Before this, I completed a PhD in Cellular and Molecular Biology in 1999 at the Pierre and Marie Curie University (UPMC, Paris 6), conducting research work in the Lab of Patrick Charnay at IBENS (1995-1999).

Publication list :

Scopus Author ID: 6506307667 | orcid.org/0000-0001-6822-1246 |Google scholar profile |

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  • Dominique FRAGANO, Lab Technician

I have been trained and worked as veterinary lab assistant.

I joined the IBDM in 2004 to work in the mouse facility, and became head of the platform.

I joined the Helmbacher lab as technician in 2015.

  • Charline YTIER, Master Student 2023-2024, PhD student 2024-2027

Charline performed her Master 2 internship in the lab (01 to 06/2024), as part of the Master 2 in Integrative Biology and Physiology of the Claude Bernard University in Lyon, Program “Environmental and Muscle Physiology” option “Muscle physiology and pathologies”. She was awarded a PhD fellowship from the AFM-Telethon, started her PhD at IBDM in November 2024, and will move with me to MMG in 2025.

  • Clara DAVID, PhD student 2025-2028 (starting 10/2025)

Clara DAVID obtained her Master 2 in Integrative Biology and Physiology at Aix Marseille University in June 2025, and was awarded a PhD fellowship from the AMU Doctoral School ED568 (Life Sciences). She will start with us in October 2025, at the MMG/INSERM UMR1251.

JOIN Us !

You would like to join our team ?

We are always interested in welcoming enthusiastic young scientists in our group, at any stage of your career (undergrads, PhD, post-doc, researcher), whether or not we have specific positions to offer. More information.

Former Members

Former Students

  • Salomé PATRY, Aix-Marseille Université (10-12/2022, Gap year M1/M2)
  • Pierre-Antoine Ferracci, Aix-Marseille Université (Master 2, 2018-2019)
  • Matteo Saas, Aix-Marseille Université (Master 1, 2016, Master 2, 2016-2017)
  • Aaron McMahon, Oxford University (Summer internship 2016)
  • Tarana Nigam, Vellore Institute of Technology (India), (Summer internship, 2015)
  • Alexis Danjou, Aix-Marseille Université (Master 2, 2014-2015)
  • Geoffrey Stuart-Lopez, Aix-Marseille Université (Master 1, 2014)
  • Sandrine Lacroix, Aix-Marseille Université (Master 2, 2013-2014)
  • Laetitia Marcadet, Aix-Marseille Université (Master 2, 2012-2013)
  • Simon Denadai, Aix-Marseille Université ( Master 1, 2012, Master 2, 2012-2013)
  • Agnès Tessier, Ecole Polytech, Nice (L3, summer internship, 2012)
  • Marie Lebossé, Aix-Marseille Université (Master 2, 2006, PhD, 2006-2011)
  • Nicolas Denans, Summer student (L3), 2005
  • Esra Karaca, Diploma student Aix-Marseille Université, 2005
  • Anastasia Seferiadis, Master student Aix-Marseille Université, M2 2005

Former Post-docs

  • Magali Macchi, Post-doc / ATER Aix-Marseille Université (2015-2016)
  • Angela Zimmermann, Post-doc (2011-2015) (FSH Society Fellowship)
  • Filippo Conti, Post-doc, shared with Maina Lab (2010)
  • Carine Jiguet-Jiglaire, Post-doc (2007-2009)
  • Balazs Herberth, Post-doc (2007-2009)

Former Technicians

  • Nathalie Caruso, Technician, 2005-2015, Current position: Graba Team (IBDM)
  • Krisztina Minko, Research Engineer, 2009
  • Kristel Raffaeli, technician 2008-2009
  • Julien Astier, Technical assistant Aix-Marseille Université, 2006-2008
  • Delphine Palet, Technician, 2006