A physicist by training, Paolo is a CNRS research director at Institut Cochin where leads the "Mechanics of Immune Cells" sub-team within the "Immune Cell Signaling and Retroviral Infection" research team, headed by C. Randriamampita. The team's research aims at understanding how mechanics influence the action of immune system cells, in particular lymphocyte migration and activation. Experimental approaches combine cell and tissue imaging, micro-fluidics, single-cell analysis technologies and genetically modified mouse models. The team's research lies at the interface between physics, immunology and cell biology, and is carried out in collaboration with numerous teams within the Institute and internationally.
He has been teaching CRI in the AIRE Master since 2017 in the courses "Dynamics of Living Systems" and "Physics of the Cell". He has co-supervised 4 CRI Master students and 3 PhD students.
Some recent publications:
1: Pineau J. et al. Microtubules restrict F-actin polymerization to the immune synapse via GEF-H1 to maintain polarity in lymphocytes. eLife . 2022; 11: e78330.
https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.78330.sa0
2: Pinon L. et al. Phenotyping polarization dynamics of immune cells using a lipid droplet-cell pairing microfluidic platform. Cell Rep. Methods, 22,11, 100335, 2022.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crmeth.2022.100335
3: Kumari A, Pineau J, et al. Actomyosin-driven force patterning controls endocytosis at the immune synapse. Nat Commun. 2019 Jun 28;10(1):2870.
https://doi: 10.1038/s41467-019-10751-7
I am an Italian physicist that crossed the borders many years ago and travelled around Europe for his master and PhD. In my journey I moved from theoretical physics to immunology and on the way picked up passion for statistical physics, soft matter physics, microscopy, single molecule, microfluidics, cytoskeleton, cell polarity, cell motility, B cell, inflammation, data analysis etc etc
Besides my family, science, and traveling, I love music (I play acoustic guitar, e-guitar and bass guitar) and I currently start learning to play piano without being insulted by my neighbors!
I recently pick up a passion for drawing, in particular urban sketch (but you still have to wait a while to see some decent work)!
Ah yes! I talk a lot, especially about science: if you come to talk to me count a loOOong chat:)
