Professor Cécile Badoual
Now head of the Department of Medical Biology and Pathology at Gustave Roussy, Professor Cécile Badoual did not initially set her sights on this speciality following her medical internship. “Giving up clinical work might seem difficult at first,” she explains. “But through my encounters with experienced pathologists, I came to understand the crucial importance of this discipline, which plays a vital role in saving patients’ lives. Essential to all areas of medicine, anatomical pathology offers great professional fulfilment and facilitates access to research.”
A University Professor and Senior Hospital Practitioner of exceptional rank, Prof. Badoual specialises in ENT pathology. She holds a medical degree, for which her thesis was awarded a prize by the French National Academy of Medicine, as well as a PhD in immunology and an authorisation to supervise research (HDR). A Knight of the Order of Academic Palms, she is deeply engaged in the academic world. In addition to teaching at institutions such as Université Paris-Cité and Université Paris-Saclay, she coordinates the pathology residents in the Île-de-France region for the national DES (diploma of specialised studies) in anatomical and cytological pathology, and serves as the national academic lead for the same programme in the ENT speciality.
She has also held leadership positions in medical education, having been Chair of the Educational Board (Vice-Dean) at the Paris-Descartes Faculty of Medicine, then Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Health at Université Paris-Cité (UPC), and later Vice-President for Education at UPC.
Throughout her career as a pathologist, Prof. Badoual has focused her research on the human papillomavirus (HPV) and its links to cancer. “Fifteen years ago, when I said I wanted to explore and better understand the connection between this widespread virus and various head and neck cancers, people looked at me with disbelief. Very few saw the relevance or feasibility of such work. Today, the situation has evolved. The importance of fighting HPV, especially through vaccinating young girls and boys, is increasingly recognised in public discourse — though much research remains to be done,” she notes.
Director of a research group within an Inserm unit, Prof. Badoual has served on the scientific committee of the French National Cancer Institute (INCa) and founded the Virus and Cancer congress in 2018.
Her fight against HPV extends beyond the lab bench and microscope lens. “Engaging with the public is key. That’s why I take part in various awareness and educational campaigns on HPV for the general public,” she emphasises.
She is also committed to advancing gender equity in healthcare. As Vice-President of the association Donner des Elles à la Santé, she advocates for women’s place in hospitals. “I have always been actively involved in promoting women in medicine — a cause I supported as Vice-Dean at Université Paris-Descartes and continue to champion today. We need to better support women and all forms of diversity in the medical world,” she concludes.
