Summary CV

He is Professor of Cardiology and head of the clinical unit of the CEPTA, «Exploration, Prevention and Care Center for Atherosclerosis ». This Unit is dedicated to exploration, prevention and long-term treatment and management of atherosclerotic diseases (angina and myocardial infarction, stroke, peripheral arterial disease) and primary prevention in high-risk patients. Explorations are based on non-invasive up-to-date echographic and other vascular tools. Management is based on a multidisciplinary approach integrating large therapeutic education programs. Thierry Couffinhal currently participates in many industrial or academic clinical research programs. has been at the head of an Inserm Unit (French Institute of Health and Medical Research) since 2007. The laboratory explores the role of major signaling pathways (Wnt / Hedgehog / JAK2) in vascular biology and thrombosis during development and diseases. 

In the last 5 years, he obtained grants from the Fondation Recherche Médicale (FRM), the Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR), the Fédération Française de Cardiologie, the health ministry (Programme hospitalier de recherche clinique - PHRC), the Aquitaine Region. He is a member of Société Française de Cardiologie, Société Française d’Angiogenèse and has served on the Scientific Council of the University of Bordeaux (2007-2013).

He is also a partner in the European consortium EVGN “European Vascular Genomic Network”, FP6 (2005-2010).

From 2015, he is the Coordinator of Cross-cutting Thematic Action “VIVA”, for Vascular Ageing selected and funded in 2015 by the University of Bordeaux to promote interdisciplinary initiatives (https://viva.u-bordeaux.fr).

Major Contributions in physiology, biology and vascular medicine 

Development of a mouse model of angiogenesis (hindlimb ischemia). Studies on risk factors influencing angiogenesis.
Innovative methodology for 3D visualization of the arterial macro vasculature in experimental models by the use of a micro-scanner
Hypoxic preconditioning of stem cells significantly improves cell survival after engraftment and capillary density
The identification of Frizzled receptors as critical actors of vascular integrity, function, and formation, and as critical factors for cardiac development and repair.
Role of Wnt non-canonical Planar Cell Polarity signaling in vascular morphogenesis and endothelial cell polarity

References 

ResearcherID:M-6857-2014; H-index: 33; 8933 citations

1. Caradu C, Couffinhal T, Chapouly C, Guimbal S, Hollier P-L, Ducasse E, Bura-Rivière A, Dubois M, Gadeau A-P, Renault M-A. Restoring Endothelial Function by Targeting Desert Hedgehog Downstream of Klf2 Improves Critical Limb Ischemia in Adults. Circ Res. 2018;123:1053–1065.

2. Guy A, Gourdou-Latyszenok V, Le Lay N, Peghaire C, Kilani B, Vieira Dias J, Duplaa C, Renault MA, Denis C, Villeval JL, Boulaftali Y, Jandrot-Perrus M, Couffinhal T, James C. Vascular endothelial cell expression of JAK2V617F is sufficient to promote a pro-thrombotic state due to increased P-selectin expression. Haematologica. 2018

3. Sewduth RN, Kovacic H, Jaspard-Vinassa B, Jecko V, Wavasseur T, Fritsch N, Pernot M, Jeaningros S, Roux E, Dufourcq P, Couffinhal T and Duplaa C. PDZRN3 destabilizes endothelial cell-cell junctions through a PKCzeta-containing polarity complex to increase vascular permeability. Sci Signal. 2017;10

4. Peghaire C, Bats ML, Sewduth R, Jeanningros S, Jaspard B, Couffinhal T, Duplaa C and Dufourcq P. Fzd7 (Frizzled-7) Expressed by Endothelial Cells Controls Blood Vessel Formation Through Wnt/beta-Catenin Canonical Signaling. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2016;36:2369-2380

5. Sewduth RN, Jaspard B, Peghaire C, Guillabert-Gourgues A, Franzl N, Larrieu-Lahargue F, Moreau C, Fruttiger M, Dufourcq P, Couffinhal T and Duplaa C. The ubiquitin ligase PDZRN3 is required for vascular morphogenesis through Wnt/planar cell polarity signalling. Nat Commun. 2014;5:4832