2024 Gold Medal of the National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) Awarded to Biologist Edith Heard.The CNRS Gold Medal 2024, considered one of the most prestigious scientific distinctions in France, this year honors biologist Edith Heard. She specializes in epigenetics, and her work enhances the understanding of the mechanisms of X chromosome inactivation, a major discovery that opens promising medical perspectives.
Edith Heard Wins the 2024 CNRS Award Edith Heard, a Pioneer in Epigenetics
Edith Heard is the Director General of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) and a professor at the Collège de France. She is now the eighth woman to receive this medal since the award’s inception in 1954. At 59 years old, she is widely recognized in the field of epigenetics, a discipline that has seen rapid growth since the early 2000s. Epigenetics studies how certain transmissible and reversible modifications influence gene expression without altering the DNA sequence.
Edith Heard’s research on X chromosome inactivation is considered pioneering in this field. This process is crucial for the development of female embryos, restoring balance between the sex chromosomes. Females have two X chromosomes, while males have an XY combination. However, the Y chromosome contains only about a hundred genes, whereas the X chromosome has over a thousand. To compensate for this imbalance, one of the two X chromosomes in females is inactivated through an epigenetic mechanism. If this mechanism fails, the embryo cannot survive, as highlighted by the CNRS in its statement.
This process of X chromosome inactivation is also linked to various pathologies, such as certain neurological disorders, autoimmune diseases, and some cancers. The impact of Edith Heard’s discoveries in these areas is immense, offering potential treatment avenues for a wide range of diseases.
A Major Health Issue
Antoine Petit, CEO of the CNRS, emphasizes the importance of Edith Heard’s research, describing her as a “reference in modern biology.” He underscores the significance of her contributions to understanding the role of epigenetics in diseases, particularly through her collaborations with physicians to better grasp the influence of epigenetic marks—chemical modifications of DNA or its associated proteins that regulate gene expression.
In particular, Edith Heard has studied the role of epigenetic marks in cancer, especially breast cancer, greatly improving our understanding of the complex interactions between genetics and epigenetics in the development of this disease.
Edith Heard was born in London and began her scientific journey by studying natural sciences at the University of Cambridge. She became interested in epigenetics during her doctoral research in London, which focused on cancer. Arriving in France in 1990, she joined the Institut Pasteur, where she began her research on X chromosome inactivation, marking the start of her exceptional career.
Edith Heard: Scientific Excellence
She then joined the CNRS, conducting research while also taking on the leadership of a joint laboratory between the CNRS, Inserm, and the Institut Curie in 2010. In 2012, she became a professor at the Collège de France, a prestigious institution that brings together the top researchers in their fields. In 2019, Edith Heard was appointed Director General of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), a leading international organization in biological research. Her international reputation was further confirmed by her election to the Academy of Sciences in 2022, a distinction highlighting the importance of her contributions to science.
Moreover, in the summer of 2025, she will take on the leadership of the Francis Crick Institute in London, a globally recognized biomedical research center. This new position at one of the UK’s most influential institutes underscores the significance of her career and her role as a global leader in biology.
The CNRS Gold Medal will be awarded to her in a ceremony scheduled for mid-December. This honor adds to a long list of awards and recognitions celebrating the remarkable career of a scientist who has transformed our understanding of genetic and epigenetic mechanisms.