Governance

Under the supervision of Inserm and the University of Bordeaux, the unit is managed by an Executive Committee comprising the Director Dr Frédéric Saltel ; two Assistant Managers, Dr Violaine Moreau and Pr Pierre-Louis Soubeyran ; General Secretary, Stéphanie Lannelongue, the team leaders’ representative, Dr Hamid-Reza Rezvani and the international mission manager Dr Majid Khatib.

The Management Board includes the 11 team leaders and is the main decision-making body.

The unit also has a Strategic Steering Committee, composed of internationally renowned researchers. It plays a major advisory role regarding the scientific strategy developed by and within BRIC, particularly on issues of scientific attractiveness and throughout the contract to prepare the unit for evaluation.

The Laboratory Council, which includes elected representatives of the different categories of BRIC staff, meets at least three times a year and is consulted on all questions concerning the running of the unit.

Several working groups are assigned to specific aspects essential to the construction and development of the unit, such as technology, training, translational research and scientific strategy. Others are more functional but just as essential, such as in vivo experimentation, bioinformatics and data management, and quality.

Because the purpose of the research conducted within BRIC is to be innovative and patient-centered, BRIC has set up partnerships with specific hospitals, notably CHU de Bordeaux andBergonié Institut (CLCC), this is reflected in the strong involvement of clinicians from these two partners in the research teams. To develop these partnerships, the unit hosts regular meetings between the two representatives of these partners, Pr Pierre Dubus and Pr François-Xavier Mahon.

Message from the director

This new research unit, BRIC, is the result of the amalgamation of several long-standing cancer research teams in Bordeaux. The project is the fruit of major collective action undertaken by the Bordeaux scientific community involved in oncology. BRIC is currently comprised of 11 research teams, 11 technological platforms and over 270 staff.

With the first stage of this reunification now complete, BRIC will meet new challenges and continue to amalgamate and attract the driving forces in cancer research.

The aim is clear: to unravel new mechanisms of action and to innovate in clinical, translational and fundamental research. This research agenda constitutes a continuum of action in the quest to progress in the fight against the diseases that all forms of cancer represent. BRIC will function in close collaboration with its supervisory bodies Inserm and the University of Bordeaux, and its hospital partners, Bordeaux University Hospital and Bergonié Institute.

Together and united, our objective is to generate a new impetus to cancer research in Bordeaux, to understand cancers better, so as to treat patients better.

Dr Frederic Saltel, head of BRIC unit.