Meeting with Laura Poillet-Perez, a researcher who shines Toulouse
Bio express:
At only 32 years old, Laura Poillet-Perez already has a rich professional career. Originally from Montbéliard, fr Franche-Comté, she quickly developed a passion for the world of science. The presence within his family of autoimmune diseases arouses in particular his attraction for biology. It is for this reason that in 2012, she will choose to carry out a thesis in cancer biology at the University of Franche-Comté. During her studies, she developed her interest in cancer and autophagy. This term means “to eat yourself”, a physiological mechanism of destruction of the cell by its own lysosomes. Its deregulation is particularly involved in neurodegenerative diseases or cancer. The role of this mechanism in cancer remains complex, however, since autophagy can both contribute to and prevent tumor growth and resistance to therapy. So many questions that aroused the interest of Laura who did autophagy son preferred area. In 2016, she flew to the USA, where she began a post-doctorate in the Dr. Eileen White’s lab at the Rutgers Cancer Institute in New Jersey.
It will be necessary to wait until May 2020 thatshe landed in the pink city. At this time, Laura was a post-doctoral fellow at Toulouse Cancer Research Center in the laboratory of Dr Jean-Emmanuel Sarry. At the start of 2021, she joined the team of METAMAL laboratory (Metabolism and Therapeutic Resistance in Acute Myeloid Leukemia) as researcher. His work consists in understanding the implication of autophagy in the therapeutic resistance of leukemia. Recently, the young woman received a new distinction: the Young Talents France L’Oréal UNESCO Prize. Awarded on the occasion of the Fête de la Science, it rewards his research on the mechanisms involved in the resistance of leukemia to therapy.
What are your plans now?
My research consistent with understanding the involvement of autophagy in therapeutic resistance in leukemia. The results obtained make it possible to propose new treatments and avoid the risk of recurrence, a major therapeutic challenge for this blood cancer with high mortality.
What is your favorite place in Toulouse?
I’m brand new to Toulouse so I haven’t had a lot of opportunities to enjoy the city. But I love the Place du Capitole and the Japanese garden!
Your favorite restaurant in the pink city?
I love eating”At the feet under the table“Everything is seasonal and homemade. It’s a treat and the menus change every week.
Which movie do you never tire of?
I’m a little ashamed to admit it, but I’m a big romantic fan of comedy so obviously one of my favorite movies is “Ps i love you“.
What is the super power that you would like to have?
I wish I could teleport to the places I want. It would be so much easier to get around … And avoid traffic jams. But it would be especially convenient to be able to take advantage of my family and friends who do not live nearby.
What is the era in which you would have liked to live?
Exactly the times we live in, I don’t think I could do without my phone, the internet and everything that we have available.
Your favorite singer?
I don’t really have a favorite singer. I have very eclectic musical tastes. I like pop as much as electro or even rap. At the moment, I listen to Rilès a lot, I play his music in a loop.
The drink that makes you better?
Like many people, coffee. I can’t go a day without drinking it. My brain needs it to function!
Your favourite meal ?
Being from the east of France, near Switzerland, I could eat raclettes, cheese fondue or tartiflette every day if the Toulouse climate is not necessarily favorable …
Rather TFC or Stade Toulousain?
Neither, I’m not a big sports fan. But if that were the case, it would be more football and the Sochaux team where I come from.
The trip you dream of?
There are so many places in the world that I would love to visit. But to begin with, I would very much like to go to Brazil.
Your favorite animal?
Cat. I’ve had it since I was little. You can’t imagine living without a cat.
Do you have a phobia?
I hate insects of all kinds: spiders, bedbugs … It paralyzes me, I can’t go near it.
What is the chosen one that annoys you the most?
Inequalities, and in particular gender inequalities.
Do you have an idea ?
“If you want the rainbow, you have to endure the rain”. I repeat myself regularly to help me move forward despite difficulties and setbacks.
What is your greatest pride?
It might sound a bit “cutesy” but my greatest pride is my three-and-a-half-year-old daughter. And I am also proud to be able to do a job today that I love and where women are still too little represented.