Speakers 2025

Speakers 2025

Farida DJOUAD

INSERM & IRBM Montpellier

Research Director


Farida Djouad is a Research Director at Inserm and leads the "Mechanisms of Regeneration and Therapeutic Applications" group at the Institute of Regenerative Medicine and Biotherapy (IRMB) in Montpellier, France. She obtained her PhD in Biology and Health from the University of Montpellier in 2006, where she was among the first to identify the immunoregulatory properties of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs). This pioneering work laid the foundation for her continued contributions to understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying MSC function, with a particular focus on enhancing their therapeutic efficacy and advancing their standardization for clinical applications. Following her PhD, Dr. Djouad completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the NIH/NIAMS in Bethesda under the mentorship of Prof. Rocky Tuan, where she deepened her expertise in MSC biology and cartilage tissue engineering. Beyond MSCs, her research has significantly advanced our knowledge of innate immunity and regeneration. Her group was the first to identify macrophage subpopulations in zebrafish and to describe their roles during tissue regeneration. This work led to the discovery of neural crest-derived cells as key orchestrators of caudal fin regeneration in zebrafish, revealing novel insights into the cellular choreography of regenerative processes. Dr. Djouad is also the scientific coordinator of the national PEPR iCHONDRO program, dedicated to the generation of iChondrocytes for the regeneration of articular cartilage—a strategic initiative at the interface of developmental biology, stem cell therapy, and regenerative medicine. In parallel with her research, she actively contributes to several major scientific initiatives. She is the scientific lead of the IHU Immun4Cure and coordinates the work package "Restoring immune homeostasis through cell therapy and in vivo cell reprogramming." She also leads the "In vivo proof-of-concept using animal models" work package within FHU REGENHAB. In recognition of her scientific achievements, Dr. Djouad was named Chevalier de l'Ordre National du Mérite in June 2024.

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