Dr. Alexandre Bougdour is a senior research scientist at the Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM) within the Institut for Advanced Biosciences in Grenoble, where he leads work in the Host-Pathogen Interactions & Immunity to Infection team. His research focuses on molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying host-pathogen interactions, particularly in parasitic diseases caused by Toxoplasma gondii and Plasmodium falciparum. He has made significant contributions to understanding how these parasites manipulate host signaling pathways, gene expression, and immune responses through effector proteins and epigenetic regulation. His work has uncovered novel targets for antiparasitic therapy, including the identification of spliceosome kinases and proteases as druggable components. He has co-authored highly cited papers in top tier journals such as Nature Microbiology, Science Translational Medicine, Cell Host & Microbe, EMBO Molecular Medicine, and Journal of Experimental Medicine. Dr. Bougdour’s achievements include awards from the National Institutes of Health and the Philippe Foundation, and his research has led to patents on antiparasitic peptides and innovative drug repurposing strategies. As principal investigator of major national research grants, he has established himself as a leader in infection biology and translational research. Beyond his scientific achievements, he contributes as a mentor, thesis examiner, and scientific advisor for biotech initiatives such as ApiMed Discovery, reflecting his commitment to bridging academic research and biomedical innovation.
Profiles: Scopus | Orcid | Google Scholar
Featured Publications
Bougdour, A., Robert, M. G., Swale, C., Pachano, B., Dépéry, L., Bellini, V., Dard, C., Cannella, D., Corrao, C., Belmudes, L., Couté, Y., et al. (2025). Uncovering biomarkers for chronic toxoplasmosis detection highlights alternative pathways shaping parasite dormancy. EMBO Molecular Medicine.
Bougdour, A., Pachano, B., Farhat, D. C., Shahinas, M., von Velsen, J., Corrao, C., Belmudes, L., de Bock, P. J., Mas, C., Couté, Y., Bowler, M. W., et al. (2025). An ISWI-related chromatin remodeller regulates stage-specific gene expression in Toxoplasma gondii. Nature Microbiology.
Bougdour, A., Antunes, A. V., Shahinas, M., Swale, C., Farhat, D. C., Ramakrishnan, C., Bruley, C., Cannella, D., Robert, M. G., Corrao, C., Couté, Y., et al. (2023). In vitro production of cat-restricted Toxoplasma pre-sexual stages. Nature.
Yogavel, M., Bougdour, A., Mishra, S., Malhotra, N., Chhibber-Goel, J., Bellini, V., Harlos, K., Laleu, B., Hakimi, M. A., & Sharma, A. (2023). Targeting prolyl-tRNA synthetase via a series of ATP-mimetics to accelerate drug discovery against toxoplasmosis. PLoS Pathogens.
Ten Hoeve, A. L., Braun, L., Rodriguez, M. E., Olivera, G. C., Bougdour, A., Belmudes, L., Couté, Y., Saeij, J. P. J., Hakimi, M. A., & Barragan, A. (2022). The Toxoplasma effector GRA28 promotes parasite dissemination by inducing dendritic cell-like migratory properties in infected macrophages. Cell Host & Microbe.