Winning Projects

– Memory and/or Peace

Armelle GOSSELIN-GORAND

CMAP : Chaire Mémoire et avenir de la paix

The project examines and analyses the conditions of peace and peacekeeping with regard to supporting victims and justice considerations, drawing on work relating to individual and collective memory;  It promotes multidisciplinary research (law, history and neurosciences) in an international context in connection with territories like Normandy, Senegal, Armenia, Lebanon and Madagascar, that are deeply affected by conflicts. It allows to educate people about human rights guarantees and the key to understanding the elements that make it possible to build a lasting peace.

Peggy QUINETTE

MEMOIRE(S) :  Mémoriser l’Histoire : La Libération de la Normandie comme composante de l’identité individuelle et collective

This project explores how childhood and adolescent experiences during the Battle of Normandy influence individual narratives through specific psychological and social mechanisms. Focusing on the unique Norman context, it examines the evolution of personal stories in relation to societal and media shifts. Additionally, it compares these accounts with narratives from other occupied and non-occupied regions to assess how geographical context shapes the meaning-making process.

Thomas HINAULT

VRTIME : Virtual reality modulations of the perception and memory of time

The temporal dimension of our perceptions and memory is central in the adaptation to a constantly accelerating world, with its everincreasing demands. The aim of this project is to bring together a wide range of scientific and technical expertise in the fields of temporal processing and Virtual Reality (VR) at the heart of the Normandy research ecosystem. VRTIME proposes to initiate an innovative research topic combining fundamental explorations and clinical applications: the use of virtual reality to study the perception and memory of time, a mechanism at the heart of normal and pathological cognitive functioning, yet traditionally understudied because of difficulties in evaluation that immersive technology can overcome. VR offers unique possibilities for creating modified environments that modulates our relationship with time, while retaining both an ‘ecological’ dimension, i.e. taking into account the interaction between an individual and his or her natural environment, and total experimental control.

Gaël ESMANN MANGEOT

ENSOHM 39-45+ : History and Memories of a National Socialist Empire in the West: spaces, movements and legacies

The ENSOHM 39-45+ project offers a fresh analysis of National Socialist occupations in Western Europe. Rather than being interpreted simply as military domination or a juxtaposition of national experiences, they will be read as an imperial system in action. This system was structured by differentiated spaces, lines of control, regulated movements and transfers, all of which had effects that persisted beyond 1945. The multi-scalar study pays particular attention to the case of Normandy, combining the history of the Second World War, migration and refuge in order to explore, over the longer term, a migratory sequence stretching from the Spanish Civil War to the post-war period, including wartime displacement, labour migration and refuge, as well as the social and memorial recompositions of the second half of the 20th century.

Christophe MANEUVRIER 

PALIMPSEST : Science as Palimpsest : Traces, Annotations, and Editorial Devices in the Digital Construction of Scholarly Memory

The humanities and social sciences rely on various forms of recorded traces —sources, archives, documents and references— which act as mediators in the production of knowledge about the past and in the stabilisation of scholarly knowledge. Scholarly publishing has historically played a central role in this economy of memory: it establishes sources, organises their interpretation and produces forms of dissemination that ensure the transmission and citability of knowledge. The development of digital methods transforms these processes. Practices of publishing, annotation, referencing and dissemination now rely on technical infrastructures and standards —such as markup languages, metadata, editorial workflows— which are reshaping the production and circulation of knowledge. In this context, the project seeks to analyse scholarly publishing as a device of scientific memory by examining how digital environments transform the production, stabilisation and transmission of scholarly traces.

Elisabeth KUHN

PRISM-AD : Mapping experiential vulnerability states before measurable cognitive decline

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) develops silently over many years, often decades before a clinical diagnosis can be made. During this long pre-diagnostic phase, many individuals notice subtle changes in everyday life: memory feels less reliable, concentrating requires more effort, sleep becomes less restorative, mood fluctuates, or social engagement changes. These experiences are common, yet healthcare systems still struggle to interpret them. For many individuals and their families, this period is marked by uncertainty, frustration, and the feeling that their concerns are not yet fully understood or addressed. PRISM-AD investigates whether experiences reported by individuals and their relatives may contain structured information about early brain vulnerability. Rather than treating subjective “complaints” as vague or unreliable, the project tests whether they form reproducible patterns of experience, referred to as experiential vulnerability states, that may capture distinct pathways of early vulnerability before measurable cognitive decline.

– Biodiversity and the climate risks

Bastien LEMAIRE

SEPIASpeak : Synthesizing Ethology and Programming for an Integrative Analysis of Sepia officinalis communication 

SEPIA Speak aims to investigate the visual communication system of the common cuttlefish. To this end, we will first identify the visual signals used during social interactions. We will then develop a biomimetic robot capable of realistically reproducing these signals to experimentally test the complexity of cuttlefish communication. This approach, combining ethology, robotics and computer science, could provide new insights into the evolution of animal communication.

SEPIA-ACT : Social and Ethological Programming of Interactive Agents in Cuttlefish Trials

This project aims to address that challenge by integrating artificial intelligence into a biomimetic robotic cuttlefish. The goal is to develop a robotic system that can detect, interpret, and respond in real time to the visual signals displayed by live cuttlefish. The robot will be equipped with computer vision algorithms capa-ble of recognizing key behaviours, such as sex-specific patterns and dominant or aggressive postures, and will be programmed to react with appropriate responses drawn from natural cuttlefish behaviour. In addition to advancing cephalopod research, this project contributes to emerging approaches in behav-ioural science that combine biological models with adaptive, interactive technologies. The integration of artificial intelligence into experimental ethology offers new possibilities for studying communication in a reproducible, controlled, and ecologically relevant way.

Bernadette TESSIER

ESTUARIX : Estuaries under climatic risks. Lessons from the recent past

The objective of the Estuarix project is to investigate the impacts of these pressures on the morpho-sedimentary dynamics of estuarine systems, and on associated anthropogenic landscape transformations, through the lens of the transition to the “Anthropocene”, a shift from natural climatic regimes to those driven by global change. This transition, initiated in the 19th century, corresponds both to the end of the Little Ice Age, a cold and stormy natural climatic episode, and the onset of major coastal engineering works, followed in the early 20th century by the emergence of anthropogenic climate change.

Adelaïde SIBEAUX 

OPTIC : FroOm iridoPhore ultrastructure to behaviour: Toward an Integrative understanding of Cuttlefish polarized communication

OPTIC aims to uncover how polarization signals are produced and controlled, how they develop throughout cuttlefish life stages, and how they are used in social interactions. To address the scientific challenges inherent to this project, the project will adopt an interdisciplinary approach bringing together complementary expertise through national and international collaborations. First, it will investigate how polarized signals are generated by examining the cellular mechanisms involved and using microscopy, pharmacological, and neurophysiological approaches. Second, the project will explore how these signals develop throughout the cuttlefish life cycle using state-of-the-art cameras capable of recording polarized signals, under both natural and controlled environments. Finally, it will study the role of these signals in social interactions through the development of innovative technologies.

– Artificial intelligence

Frédéric JURIE / Hadrien VROYLANDT

CAI4Science – AI for Science at Caen

CAI4Science (AI for Science in Caen) is an ambitious research project that aims to harness the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) to accelerate scientific discovery across various fields. The project brings together the expertise of four research laboratories at the University of Caen Normandie (CIMAP, CRISMAT, LPC, and GREYC) to develop and deploy advanced AI/machine learning technologies tailored to the specific needs of the domain sciences. The main research thrusts include: the integration of physical models and machine learning, the use of foundation models for scientific discovery, the development of surrogate and generative models for scientific simulations, as well as fundamental advancements in core AI areas such as optimization, interpretability, and robustness. The project also aims to train and disseminate these innovations to the scientific community through summer schools, workshops, and doctoral programs.

This project was funded under AMI 1, with a review to be conducted under AMI 3 in order to secure full funding.

Gaël DIAS

MENTAL.AI@CaeSAR : Artificial Intelligence for Mental and Brain Health

The MENTAL.AI@CaeSAR project aims to develop artificial intelligence tools to improve the early detection, monitoring, and diagnosis of psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders. It relies on the analysis of multimodal data, including patient-therapist interviews, language and speech signals, and neuroimaging data, to identify digital and biological markers of these conditions. The project combines expertise in artificial intelligence, neuroscience, linguistics, and medicine to design advanced clinical decision-support tools. It also explores the automatic generation of clinical notes to reduce the administrative workload of healthcare professionals. Led by an international and interdisciplinary consortium, the project seeks to contribute to more personalized and predictive mental and brain healthcare.

This project was funded under AMI 1, with a review to be conducted under AMI 3 in order to secure full funding.

Romain HERAULT

Elie BESSERER-OFFROY

Concerto : Collaborative Network for Cancer Radionuclide Therapy Development

Personalized medicine aims to tailor cancer treatment to each patient’s tumor profile, improving efficacy and reducing side effects. A leading approach in this field is radiotheranostics, which combines imaging and radionuclide therapy for precise, targeted cancer care. Our international consortium develops peptide-based probes targeting overexpressed G-coupled receptors (GPCRs) such as APJ, NTSR1, and GHSR in aggressive cancers like ovarian cancer and glioblastoma. These probes can both detect and damage cancer cells making them valuable tools, adaptable for diagnostic and radionuclide therapy. By integrating chemistry, molecular biology, and imaging, the project seeks to advance precision oncology and promote public engagement through a summer school dedicated to scientific communication.

Samuel VALABLE

TargetedNanoOnco : Functionalized Multimodal therapeutic nanoparticles to synergize radiotherapy and immunotherapy in Glioblastom

Nanoparticles hold great promise for the treatment of glioblastoma by targeting hypoxia and enhancing immune responses. However, following intravenous administration, the amount of nanoparticles reaching the tumor remains limited. Here, we propose grafting moieties that specifically recognize proteins overexpressed in the glioblastoma vasculature and on the surface of immunosuppressive macrophages.

Anne Sophie VOISIN-CHIRET

CAR-DD : Cancer Advanced therapy through Rational Degrader Design

The CAR-DD project aims to develop a new generation of anticancer drugs known as degraders (PROteolysis Targeting Chimeras, or PROTACs). These innovative molecules do not merely block a target; they induce its complete destruction through the cell’s natural recycling system, called the proteasome. In this project, the target is Mcl-1, a protein that protects cancer cells from cell death. Overexpression of Mcl-1 is frequently observed in several types of cancer, including ovarian, lung, lymphoma, and pancreatic cancers, and constitutes a major mechanism of resistance to conventional therapies. Current Mcl-1 inhibitors have shown important limitations, particularly cardiac toxicity. Degraders offer a promising alternative to selectively eliminate this protein in tumor cells while minimizing side effects. The CAR-DD project, led by the Centre d’Etudes et de Recherche sur le Médicament de Normandie (CERMN) within the University of Caen Normandy, builds on very encouraging results obtained with a first generation of patented degraders that demonstrated activity in chemoresistant ovarian cancer cell models. CAR-DD aims to go further by designing degraders that are even more effective, selective, and safe. This will be achieved by combining molecular modelling, artificial intelligence, and medicinal chemistry approaches, while exploring new cellular enzymes known as E3 ligases, capable of initiating protein degradation. The candidate drugs will first be tested on cancer cell lines and then on patient-derived tumor organoids.

Siamak HAGHDOOST

PancResist : Strategies to Overcome Radioresistance in Pancreatic Cancer: A Collaborative Approach Targeting Cancer Stem Cells, Gene Pathways combined with Hadron Therapy

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the deadliest cancers worldwide due to its late diagnosis, early spread, and strong resistance to current treatments like chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Standard X-ray radiotherapy often fails to control PDAC because the tumor contains special cells called cancer stem cells (CSCs), which are highly resistant to radiation and drive tumor relapse. Our project aims to develop a new, more effective treatment strategy for PDAC by focusing on these resistant CSCs and using advanced radiation therapies called hadrontherapy (HT), including proton therapy and carbon ion radiotherapy (CIRT). Unlike conventional X-rays, hadrontherapy delivers highly precise, powerful radiation that causes complex DNA damage in cancer cells, making it harder for them to repair and survive, especially the resistant CSCs. CSCs survive radiation because they have strong antioxidant defenses regulated by a protein called Nrf2, and they thrive in lowoxygen (hypoxic) environments where other proteins called Hypoxia-Inducible Factors (HIFs) help maintain their stem-like and resistant nature. CSCs also possess efficient DNA repair systems that help them fix radiation damage. By targeting Nrf2, HIFs, and DNA repair pathways simultaneously, we hope to weaken these defences, increase cancer cell death, and reduce the chance of tumor relapse. Our research involves isolating CSCs from pancreatic cancer cell lines and patient-derived tumors to study their behaviour and resistance. We will test different radiation types X-rays, protons, and carbon ions to see which is most effective against CSCs. Using cutting-edge gene-editing tools like CRISPR, we will precisely inhibit Nrf2 and HIF proteins and combine this with DNA repair inhibitors to amplify the effects of radiation. Additionally, this project will explore how these treatments influence the immune system’s ability to fight cancer. PDAC often suppresses immune responses, but advanced particle radiotherapy may help stimulate anti-tumor immunity, especially when combined with inhibitors targeting tumor microenvironment factors. Finally, we will translate our laboratory findings into animal models of pancreatic cancer to test the best treatment combinations in living systems. By monitoring tumor growth, immune responses, and survival, we aim to identify new therapies that can ultimately improve patient outcomes. This interdisciplinary project brings together experts in cancer biology, radiation physics, immunology, and molecular genetics across multiple institutions. It addresses a critical need for novel approaches against PDAC’s resistance and poor prognosis by integrating innovative radiation techniques with targeted molecular therapies and immunomodulation. Through this comprehensive strategy, we aspire to pave the way for future clinical trials, offering hope for more effective and personalized treatment options for pancreatic cancer patients.

Aurélien JUSTET

SomaFibRad : Cancer Advanced therapy through Rational Degrader Design

Pulmonary Fibrosis (PF) describes a chronic lung disease in which lung tissue becomes scarred over time. This condition ultimately leads to chronic respiratory failure creating and eventually death within 2-5 years after the diagnosis in patient with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF), one of the most frequent diseases among PF. While lung fibrosis can be idiopathic or triggered by various factors, such as radiation, the interplay between genome instability, somatic mutations, and their impact on lung tissue integrity and fibrosis progression remains an underexplored research domain. Our preliminary results suggest a significantly increased rate of somatic mutations in IPF as compared to controls. We hypothesize that these mutations trigger molecular cascades that ultimately lead to the fibrotic remodeling of lung parenchyma. We propose to use radiation as a controlled tool to induce fibrosis, genome instability, and somatic mutations in lung tissues. The originality of the proposal lies in the combined use of an original ex vivo model based on Human Precision Cut Lung slices culture, a radiation-induced murine lung fibrosis model, and the application of cutting-edge technologies to assess the effect of radiation on the cellular transcriptomic signature but also the validation of this mutation signature in a real-life cohort in collaboration with internationally renowned experts in the field of lung fibrosis, transcriptomics and genetics. By incorporating genomic analysis and transcriptomic analysis we aim to establish the connection between hypoxia, aging, and radiationinduced somatic mutations and the development of lung fibrosis. This integrated approach will provide a comprehensive understanding of the genomic alterations associated with radiation-induced fibrosis, facilitating the identification of novel therapeutic targets and personalized treatment strategies for patients affected by this condition. The feasibility of this project relies on the collaboration of internationally recognized multidisciplinary experts in various fields, including cellular effects radiation, hypoxia, bioinformatics analysis, multi-omic approaches applied to pulmonary fibrosis, and genetics of these pathologies. Securing funding would provide crucial assistance in accelerating the acquisition of robust preliminary results, notably in establishing the model through the recruitment of a postdoctoral researcher to apply for an ERC Starting Grant within two years. In a medium-term perspective, this funding will also have a significant impact on the establishment of a team focused on fibrogenesis, led by Dr. Justet within the ISTCT.

Hervé PLATEL 

ARTHEAL : Art Evidence-based Intervention for Health Innovation and Prevention

Cognitive health has become a crucial issue for healthy aging. Indeed, with age, the prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease and other neurocognitive disorders is estimated at 2.3% of the general population, with 225,000 new cases diagnosed annually (Ministries of Solidarity and Health, 2025). This phenomenon is also observable globally, as the number of people suffering from Alzheimer’s and related diseases was estimated at 57 million in 2019 and could reach 153 million by 2050. At a time when existing pharmacological treat-ments are struggling to slow the progression of neurodegenerative diseases, non-pharmacological interventions appear as a promising avenue for the prevention and management of patients with these conditions. This project aims to structure the field of neuroscience and neuropsychological re-search on art for well-being in order to promote this promising theme at the heart of the research ecosystem in Normandy. ARTHEAL project develops an innovative research theme combining fundamental explorations and clinical applications. This work enables the scientific validation of non-pharmacological interventions (NPIs) based on art and its practices by identifying the neuropsychological mechanisms explaining the impact of these interventions on health and their preventive potential.

Thomas CAILLY 

DUORALIUM : Advanced Dual Fluorescent and Radiochemical Platform for antibody Labelling, Application in Oncology

The DUORALIUM project aims to develop an innovative chemical tool that combines both imaging modalities within a single system. The objective is to create a new generation of “dual-labeled” antibodies that can be visualized using both fluorescence (light-based imaging) and radioactive iodine decay (nuclear imaging). By merging these two techniques, clinicians could benefit from complementary information: fluorescence for high-resolution and potentially intraoperative visualization, and nuclear imaging for whole-body, quantitative detection of tumours. At the heart of DUORALIUM is the design of a versatile molecular platform that integrates three essential components into a single structure. The first component is a fluorescent dye derived from cyanine molecules, which emit light in a range suitable for biological imaging. The second component is a carefully engineered organometallic structure that allows the controlled insertion of radioiodine isotopes under mild conditions. The third component is a reactive function that enables attachment to antibodies that specifically recognize and bind to the designated biological target.