Professor Marc Humbert stands as a preeminent leader in respiratory medicine and academic administration, currently serving as Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at Université Paris-Saclay since his unanimous election by the Faculty Council in February 2023. A distinguished alumnus of the institution, he completed his entire medical education pathway beginning in 1982 at the Faculty of Medicine in Kremlin-Bicêtre after obtaining his baccalaureate in 1981, specializing in pneumology under the mentorship of renowned professors including Pierre Duroux, Philippe Dartevelle, and Gérald Simonneau. His clinical expertise encompasses respiratory intensive care, pulmonary hypertension, and rare respiratory diseases, with his doctoral research focusing on immunology of lung transplantation complications at Paris-Saclay under Dominique Emilie's supervision. Professor Humbert further refined his scientific approach during a two-year postdoctoral fellowship at Imperial College London's Royal Brompton Hospital, where he investigated asthma immunology as both physician and researcher.
For over three decades, Professor Humbert has pioneered transformative research in pulmonary hypertension, dedicating his career to elucidating the mechanisms of severe pulmonary hypertension with particular emphasis on inflammation and the TGF-beta family's role in pulmonary vascular remodeling. As Director of the Université Paris-Saclay/Inserm Unit 999 'Pulmonary Hypertension: Physiopathology and Therapeutic Innovation' since 2010, he has produced over 1,000 publications and eight patents that have significantly influenced international therapeutic guidelines for pulmonary vascular diseases. His clinical leadership at Bicêtre Hospital AP-HP has established the institution as a national reference center for pulmonary hypertension and rare respiratory diseases, translating laboratory discoveries into improved patient outcomes through innovative therapeutic approaches. Professor Humbert's research has catalyzed paradigm shifts in understanding pulmonary vascular diseases, with his work on therapeutic innovation directly impacting clinical practice guidelines worldwide.
Professor Humbert's influence extends through multiple leadership roles including past Presidency of the European Respiratory Society (2021-2022) and current Editorship-in-Chief of the European Respiratory Journal, shaping global discourse in respiratory medicine. He serves as Vice-President for Research on the AP-HP board, Coordinator of the Rare Respiratory Diseases Network (RespiFIL), and Vice-Coordinator of the European Reference Network for Rare Pulmonary Diseases (ERN-LUNG), demonstrating his commitment to collaborative approaches in addressing complex medical challenges. Recognized since 2018 as one of the most influential scientists in medical research by Clarivate Analytics, he has received prestigious honors including the Grand Prix de la Fondation de l'AP-HP, the Descartes-Huygens Prize from the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the Eliane and Gérard Pauthier Prize for rare disease research. As Dean, Professor Humbert remains dedicated to advancing medical education, supporting student wellbeing, implementing medical training reforms, and strengthening Université Paris-Saclay's international standing while continuing to lead groundbreaking research in pulmonary medicine.
