ANSES portraits: women in science 2025

“My job gives me the opportunity to tackle major challenges related to emerging infectious vector-borne diseases in animals,
in a context of significant change”

Gaëlle Gonzalez
Deputy Director of the European Union Reference Laboratory for equine diseases

I have a PhD in virology and am currently Deputy Director of the European Union Reference Laboratory for equine diseases. I head the group dedicated to equine arboviruses, i.e. vector-borne viruses, responsible for different forms of encephalitis such as West Nile virus (WNV), Japanese encephalitis and Eastern, Western and Venezuelan equine encephalitis. I am also in charge of the National Reference Laboratory for West Nile virus and jointly lead the Equine Zoonoses and Neurovirology team within the ANSES-INRAE-ENVA Joint Research Unit for Virology in Maisons-Alfort.

My team’s missions are twofold, combining reference and research activities, whether applied or fundamental. Our work mainly consists in monitoring and detecting viruses of the genus Orthoflavivirus circulating in France in birds, horses and other mammals. We focus more specifically on WNV, Usutu virus (USUV) and tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV). We are involved in several national and European research projects, providing expertise and scientific support to the equine and avian sectors and to the national and European authorities. In addition, we coordinate several networks of laboratories in France and Europe for the detection of arboviruses affecting the nervous system in horses, while working to harmonise diagnostic methods.

Our aim is to bring together local, national and European stakeholders in human, animal and environmental health, to step up prevention and preparedness faced with the growing threat of WNV and USUV. Our work also focuses on molecular and cellular interactions between these viruses and their various hosts.

“I carry out analyses and research resistance
to plant protection products in crop pests”

Laetitia Caddoux
Laboratory Technician in the Unit for the Characterisation and Monitoring of Phenomena of Resistance Development

I have a Master of Science and Technology in Plant Chemistry and Biology and have been a laboratory technician at ANSES since 2009.  I work on the Lyon site, in the Contracted Unit for the Characterisation and Monitoring of Phenomena of Resistance Development (CASPER USC). I carry out molecular biology analyses as part of the national monitoring of resistance to plant protection products in crop pests, mainly phytopathogenic fungi and insect pests.

I also participate in research projects with a more fundamental approach, for example to characterise resistance mechanisms in pests or explore how this resistance is distributed across space and time in agricultural landscapes. Due to the wide variety of pests studied, their evolutionary capacities and technical advances (quantitative PCR, high-throughput sequencing, bioinformatics, etc.), methods and training courses are continuously being developed.

My experience as a laboratory technician was important in helping to improve the prevention of risks related to laboratory activities, when I worked as a prevention assistant for the Lyon laboratory over a six-year period. My role was to assist and advise the laboratory director in the risk assessment process, the development of a risk prevention policy and the implementation of occupational health & safety rules. I was one of the main points of contact for the National Delegate for the Prevention of Occupational Risks, for whom I acted as a liaison. Today, I continue to be involved in health and safety as a chemical risk assessment advisor and deputy health and safety correspondent for my unit.

“What drives me is taking action to protect health and the environment”

Maïté Brugioni
Studies and Scientific Support Coordinator in the Phytopharmacovigilance Unit

As a chemical engineer, I first worked in the fields of the environment and chemical risk prevention. Because I attach great importance to issues of environmental and occupational health, I then completed the Europubhealth+ course in public health. In 2020, I joined the Phytopharmacovigilance (PPV) Unit at ANSES. I am responsible for identifying and examining reports of adverse effects of pesticides on human health. Moreover, I set up and monitor the scientific aspects of studies funded by the PPV scheme. These studies focus on exposure to pesticides and the health of workers, the general public or susceptible population groups. For example, the Geocap-Agri study, completed in 2023 and conducted by the Centre of Research in Epidemiology and Statistics (CRESS) in collaboration with Santé publique France, looked at the links between the risk of paediatric cancer and living near crops.

I coordinate and lead the work of the expert group on human health. I develop collaborative projects with PPV partners for data collection. My work helps to generate new knowledge and develop surveillance and monitoring methods to better protect health.

“I analyse data on sales and uses of veterinary medicinal products with the aim of promoting the rational use of antimicrobials in animals”

Anne Chevance
Project Officer in the Antimicrobial Resistance Unit of the French Agency for Veterinary Medicinal Products

A statistician by training, I now work at the French Agency for Veterinary Medicinal Products (ANMV), which is part of ANSES, monitoring sales and uses of veterinary medicinal products containing antimicrobials. I analyse the data collected in order to propose relevant indicators of exposure to antimicrobials that reflect reality and can be used to guide actions for the rational use of antimicrobials in veterinary medicine.

Data for the monitoring of sales are collected as part of an annual survey of a limited number of reporters. The volume of data remains moderate, making them easier to analyse. On the other hand, with the introduction in January 2023 of mandatory reporting for the prescribing and dispensing of antimicrobials by veterinarians, pharmacists and manufacturers and distributors of medicated feed, we now collect a significant amount of information. We are therefore adapting our approaches and using new tools and methods to analyse these data.

In practical terms, my job is firmly rooted in the “One Health” concept, as antimicrobial resistance in micro-organisms is a major challenge in both human and animal health. It allows me to work with various partners. For example, we exchange information with veterinarians, in order to discuss the trends observed at national level or to understand certain specific uses. I also participate in working groups as an expert for the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH).

“My job involves understanding and exploring
a wide variety of scientific topics”

Aurélie Desbrée
Head of the Research Funding Unit

I arrived at ANSES in 2020 to pave the way for the Research Funding Unit, which I currently head and which coordinates the National Research Programme for Environmental and Occupational Health (PNR EST). This programme aims to promote multidisciplinary research in the areas of environmental and occupational health and build a bridge between research and expert appraisal. Before I came to ANSES, I conducted research into physics applied to health, focusing particularly on the interaction of ionising radiation with living organisms. I have a PhD in fundamental physics.

Coordinating the PNR EST entails a wide range of cross-disciplinary scientific, administrative, budgetary, IT and communication activities. It all starts with the identification and prioritisation of the research needed to provide data for future expert appraisals. We then organise two calls for research proposals each year. In general, we receive over 250 proposals. As part of the screening process, our scientific committees and external experts (over 600 each year) review the projects submitted. We then monitor the budgets and scientific aspects of the projects selected; there are generally around 40 per year, with €6 million to €8 million in funding. We also work to promote them, with the organisation of launch seminars, scientific conferences and the drafting of Cahiers de la recherche. The aim is to demonstrate the importance of the research undertaken and the impact that these projects’ results can have on public policies. To carry out these tasks within tight deadlines, I rely on a highly dynamic team with a variety of skills.

The experience of coordinating the PNR EST is extremely rewarding. We are in contact with a wide range of people, including scientists from many different backgrounds, representatives of ministries, our counterparts from other organisations that fund research, and other ANSES departments.