Sandrine Sagan named director of CNRS Chemistry

The holder of a PhD in molecular pharmacology, which she defended in 1991, as well as an authorisation to supervise research (HDR), which she obtained in 1997, Sagan was recruited by the CNRS 28 years ago, in 1993. A specialist in the chemistry and pharmacology of peptides, she was initially part of the Mechanisms of Enzymatic Reactions Laboratory, which subsequently became first the Synthesis, Structure, and Function of Bioactive Molecules Laboratory and then the Laboratory of Biomolecules (Sorbonne Université/ CNRS/ENS-PSL), which she directed from January 2014 to September 2020, and ultimately the Physical Chemistry and Chemistry of Living Organisms Laboratory since 1 January 2025. 

After studying biochemistry at l’Université Pierre et Marie Curie (now Sorbonne Université), for her thesis at the Jacques Monod Institute (CNRS/Université Paris Cité), Sagan focused on the structure-activity relationships for the isolated skin peptides of a South American tree frog. Her postdoctoral fellowship at the Research Institute of the Austrian Academy of Sciences in Salzburg led her to temporarily explore topics relating to molecular biology. 

The Winner of the 2001 CNRS Bronze Medal, her interdisciplinary research explores the chemistry of living organisms, notably the design and function of bioactive molecules. Her work has led to more than 130 scientific articles, as well as 75 academic and industrial conferences and seminars. 

Sagan joined CNRS management in October 2020 as the deputy scientific director of CNRS Chemistry, and was appointed for this position again on 1 January 2025.

In addition to her research activities, from 2012 to 2016 Sagan was appointed to a section devoted to chemistry and living organisms at the National Committee for Scientific Research, along with various scientific advisory board and panels for recruitment and assessment in both France and abroad. In 2023, she was named a distinguished senior member of the Chemical Society of France.