IRIC - Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer

Published on March 23, 2026

IRIC is proud to announce the arrival of Simon-Pierre Gravel as the new Principal Investigator of the Cancer metabolism and signaling Research Unit. Simon-Pierre Gravel has kindly agreed to answer a few questions:

What led you to pursue research? And more specifically, cancer research?

Simon-Pierre Gravel (S-P.G.): I’ve always been drawn to fundamental questions: understanding how cells work and why some cells malfunction to the point of causing disease. From a very early age, I saw myself becoming a professor or a researcher, without realizing it was possible to be both at the same time. However, it wasn’t until university that I truly discovered research, and I was hooked from the very start of my graduate studies. During my PhD, I focused on the innate immune response in the context of chronic diseases. This work then led me to delve deeper into the study of mitochondria, fascinating organelles best known for their role in metabolism and the regulation of cell death. At that time, a new role for mitochondria was beginning to emerge: that of a key platform in the innate immune response. During my postdoctoral fellowship, this expertise led me to participate in several collaborative projects in oncology, particularly on breast cancer metabolism. These collaborations were pivotal, as they showed me just how much the study of cellular metabolism could shed light on fundamental questions in cancer biology. This is how my interest in oncology gradually took hold and became the focus of my research program.

How did you come to specialize in your current field of research?

S-P.G.: Biological processes never occur in isolation and cannot be fully understood without considering the context in which they take place. Contemporary research questions are complex and often require a combination of expertise, both in their formulation and in the approaches used to address them. My current field of research has therefore developed gradually, as a natural convergence of the expertise I have acquired throughout my academic training. Today, these approaches converge in the study of cancer and aging, two fields where interactions between cellular metabolism, signaling, and the immune response play a central role. In a way, I feel as though I have never completely left my past research projects behind: they continue to accompany me and often inform the questions I am exploring today. I must admit I’m a little nostalgic!

How did IRIC’s model catch your attention?

S-P.G.: During my doctoral and postdoctoral studies, I had the opportunity to use several of IRIC’s technological platforms, particularly in histology, proteomics, genomics, and bioimaging. These experiences allowed me to discover not only a high-quality scientific environment but also a community where professionalism is paired with a deep sense of respect among colleagues. Whether working with students, postdoctoral fellows, technicians, platform managers, or professors, I have always been struck by the quality of our interactions and the spirit of collaboration that prevails here. Today, as a professor, I have a deeper appreciation for the richness and complexity of this ecosystem. Behind scientific discoveries are passionate and highly qualified teams whose expertise makes ambitious and rigorous research possible. It is this combination of scientific excellence, collaboration, and human commitment that makes the IRIC model particularly inspiring.

What is your greatest wish for the coming years?

S-P.G.: I have more than one wish. The first is that basic research remains recognized, respected, and free. Scientific discoveries are unpredictable, and their implications even more so. Who could have imagined that an intriguing observation of repeated elements in the bacterial genome would lead to the genetic engineering revolution represented today by CRISPR-Cas technology, with its promises for medicine? My second wish concerns the integrity of scientific research: that publications remain rigorous, that their results are reproducible, and that their conclusions are based on sound analyses. At a time when artificial intelligence can draw conclusions from a large number of articles, it becomes all the more important that this work has been rigorously peer-reviewed. Finally, I hope that scientific articles will continue to be read carefully and will not be reduced to a few “highlights” or passing fads. The scientific literature contains countless little gems, models of excellence, and forgotten discoveries that deserve to be rediscovered to ensure the continuity of a long scientific tradition.