Dr Christian Gachet graduated as a medical doctor in 1985 and gained his Ph.D. in Pharmacology in 1991, both at the University Louis Pasteur, Strasbourg, France. He became a Research Director at INSERM (Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale) in 1998. Dr. Gachet is currently the Director of the INSERM Research Unit 1255 and the Director at Etablissement Français du Sang-Grand Est.
The focus of Dr. Gachet work has long been the molecular mechanisms of platelet activation and its inhibition. This led to the characterization and the identification of some of the platelet receptors. He carried out extensive work on the so-called platelet purinergic receptors and the antiplatelet drugs targeting the P2Y12 receptor. Dr Gachet general interest is in platelet physiology (formation of blood platelets, megakaryopoiesis, platelet activation, role of platelets in inflammatory processes and metastatic dissemination) and pharmacology (new drugs, new targets), animal models of platelet defects (BSS, MYH9, P2 receptors), mouse models of arterial thrombosis in a context of atherosclerosis and clinical studies. Since 2012 Dr Gachet is also involved in various topics related to transfusion medicine, including the role of platelets in adverse effects, the impact of pathogen inactivation technologies on platelet functions or blood donation policies. Recent work is focused on production of cultured platelets. Dr Gachet has published over 300 papers in peer-reviewed journals in his area of expertise.
Dr. Gachet has received several distinctions for his work in the field of atherothrombosis. These include the Prix JP Binet in 2004 in France and the Biennial Award for Contributions to Haemostasis, ISTH, 2013, Amsterdam. He has been elected as corresponding member of the French National Academy of Medicine in 2018.
