Institut Cochin is under the joint administrative supervision of Inserm, CNRS, and Université Paris Cité. Located in the heart of Paris, on the site of the Cochin-Port-Royal Hospital (AP-HP Centre), the Institute brings together more than 650 collaborators - researchers, clinicians, teacher researchers, technical and administrative engineers, as well as young scientists, including post-doctoral fellows, doctoral students, and students at various degree levels including Masters. Together, we share the same objective, to advance knowledge of the biological mechanisms controlling physiological and pathological situations in humans. The Institute's main research axes are cancer, immunology, endocrinology-metabolism, microbiology and cellular plasticity and reproduction.
Our history
Institut Cochin was created on January 1st 2002 as a multidisciplinary biomedical research center, affiliated with the Université René Descartes (now Université Paris Cité), Inserm, and CNRS, under the direction of Axel Kahn. At the time, the creation of the institute was in response to the desire of a dozen independent laboratories from Inserm and CNRS to merge into one administrative structure capable of providing a strong scientific environment and a high level of technological support to its staff.
Pierre-Olivier Couraud took over the direction of the institute on January 1st 2008. For 14 years, he has continued to shape the Institute as a large federative research center. Institut Cochin was renewed by its administrative supervisors for 5 years on January 1st 2019. Since January 1st 2022, the institute is under the direction of Florence Niedergang.
Our missions
Institut Cochin is a multi-thematic research center, bringing together 41 research teams and 11 technological platforms. Our missions are to advance knowledge, to disseminate it to the scientific community and the general public, to train through research, to innovate, and to create the sustainable research of tomorrow.
The institute's research teams carry out fundamental and translational research (from bench to bedside) in five major scientific areas: cancer, immunology, endocrinology-metabolism, microbiology, and cellular plasticity and reproduction. Our research is supported by modern technological core facilities. These facilities ensure the development of the methodologies that we will use tomorrow, and accelerate innovation within our institute. We are developing collaborations with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies and maintain strong links with the clinics. We train and supervise young scientists and doctors, and aim to transmit our passion for science to young people and the general public.
Our governance
Since January 1st 2022, Institut Cochin is under the direction of Florence Niedergang. Sophie Vaulont and Yannick Allanore, deputy directors of the institute, and the general secretary, Noémie Marrant, support the director in her missions. The institute has a scientific committee and an institute council that address challenges relating to the organization and strategy of the institute. Since 2012, the institute has benefited from the external expertise of an international scientific advisory board (SAB), which was renewed in 2016.
Our link with the hospitals
Institut Cochin is a research center affiliated with the university hospital group AP-HP - Centre-Université Paris Cité (Cochin - Port-Royal, Hôtel-Dieu, Broca - La Collégiale hospitals). The location of Institut Cochin within the Cochin-Port Royal hospital campus allows us to benefit from a geographical and intellectual proximity to hospital services and medical teams, favoring collaborations and the development of local, national, and international networks for translational research. Several research teams at Institut Cochin are directed or co-directed by hospital and university researchers. Yannick Allanore, Deputy Medical Director of the institute, coordinates interactions between the institute and the hospital.
Valorisation and technology transfer at the institute
Institut Cochin has a very active technology transfer program to detect and support the most innovative scientific projects and encourage the transfer of knowledge, expertise, and technologies to the society and economic world. Our aim is to transform the inventions of the Institute's teams into innovations that will contribute to improving medical care and patient health.
