PEIC Session Report: Dr. Guillaume Bourque joins as the guest speaker in March

On March 27th, 2024, the Pasteur English Immersion Club (PEIC) hosted its second special guest, Dr. Guillaume Bourque, Professor in the Department of Human Genetics and the Director of Bioinformatics at the McGill Genome Center.

During the session, Dr. Bourque presented his study on the intricate interplay of genetics, epigenetics, and immune response variability among individuals of European and African ancestry. His investigation focused on primary macrophages both before and after exposure to influenza A virus (IAV), shedding light on the factors underlying immune response diversity.

Dr. Bourque highlighted the role of epigenetics in shaping immune responses and emphasized that epigenetic variation, influenced by both genetic and environmental factors, emerges as a crucial determinant of individual susceptibility to pathogens. After the presentation, participants asked questions on Dr. Bourque’s understanding of the field of epigenetics to what role the environment vs genes play in disease susceptibility.

We would like to thank Dr. Bourque for his participation as our second guest speaker, it was fascinating to learn about some of the current research going on in epigenetics.

Stay tuned for news and updates regarding the upcoming April session as they will be posted on the FPJ website soon!

More information about the PEIC can be found here: https://pasteur-japan.net/pasteur-english-immersion-club-register-now/