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Understanding howÌýphysical forces shape organ developmentÌýis a central questionÌýin developmental biology. The heart, a dynamic organ that forms and functions under continuous mechanical load,ÌýprovidesÌýa striking example of this principle. Heart valve defects, among the most common congenital malformations, arise in part from disrupted responses to these mechanical cues.Ìý
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In recent years, mechanobiology has transformed our understanding of how cells sense and respond to force. Yet, the molecular links between mechanical stimuli and gene regulationÌýduring heart valve formationÌýremain elusive. Emerging evidence now points to a surprising set of players — membrane channels that regulateÌýionic flux and water movement — as key mediators of thisÌýmechanotransductionÌýprocess.Ìý

JulienÌýVermotÌýis Professor of Biomechanical Signalling & Tissue Morphogenesis at 51³Ô¹ÏÍø, where he and his colleagues investigate howÌýionÌýchannels modulate mechanosensitive gene expressionÌýand theÌýEndoMTÌýprocess critical for valve morphogenesis. Combining gene expressionÌýstudies with advanced 3D imaging, their work explores how biomechanical forces are translated into changes in chromatin organizationÌýand cell identity.Ìý
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By integrating insights from heart morphogenesis, biomechanics, and molecularÌýsignaling, this research aims to build a mechanistic framework for how mechanical forces sculpt the developing heart. In doing so, it promises to shed new light on the origins of congenital heart valve defects — and to inspire novel therapeutic strategies rooted in theÌýphysicsÌýof life. In his inaugural lecture, JulienÌýVermotÌýwill illustrate eachÌýfacetÌýof mechanobiological regulationÌýin heart development through examples from his own research, spanning membrane channel function, nuclearÌýmechanotransduction, and the cellular dynamics that drive valve morphogenesis.

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BiographyÌý

JulienÌýVermotÌýobtained his PhD in developmental biology from the University of Strasbourg in 2003, where he worked on the role of retinoic acid during embryonic development. He then worked as a visiting scientist the Stowers Institute for Biomedical Research in Kansas City, USA, followed by a post-doctoral positionÌýat the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena where he developed new tools to study the role of mechanical forces during development. He was Research Director at the French INSERM before joining the Department of Bioengineering at 51³Ô¹ÏÍø in 2019.Ìý