Philippos Mourikis is a Research Director (DR1) at CNRS, leading a group within the team of Prof. F. Relaix since 2019. Recently appointed as a Team Leader at the Institut Necker-Enfants Malades (INEM), Dr. Mourikis will transfer his group to INEM in January 2025.

With a long-standing interest in Notch signalling and the regulation of stem cell quiescence, Philippos Mourikis uses mouse skeletal muscle as a model system. His research integrates high-throughput technologies and mouse genetics to uncover novel regulators of muscle stem cell establishment and maintenance.

Mourikis earned his PhD (2000–2005) at Harvard Medical School under the mentorship of Prof. Artavanis-Tsakonas, who famously cloned the Notch locus. During his doctoral studies, he explored ageing and Notch signalling in Drosophila melanogaster. His introduction into mouse genetics and muscle research began during his postdoctoral fellowship in the lab of Prof. Tajbakhsh at the Pasteur Institute, Paris (2006-2012). This was followed by a second postdoctoral position in Prof. Relaix's team at the Institute of Myology, also in Paris, where PM secured a CR1 CNRS position in 2014.

PM’s research addresses fundamental questions in muscle stem cell biology, with a focus on the interplay between quiescence, activation, and the extracellular environment. A strong advocate for basic research, PM emphasizes its pivotal role as the foundation for biomedical discoveries and therapeutic advances.

Believing in the power of collaboration, PM actively encourages international partnerships to promote the exchange of ideas and skill development. His commitment to community engagement is reflected in his involvement in organizing key conferences, including:
• EMBO Muscle Meeting, Château de Montvillargène, France (2022)
• 1st Symposium on "Muscle Stem Cells in Growth and Disease," Osaka, Japan (2023)
• Frontiers in Myogenesis Conference, São Paulo, Brazil (2023)
• The Notch Meeting XI, Athens, Greece (2019)
• The Notch Meeting XII, Athens, Greece (2023)
• The Notch Meeting XIII, Athens, Greece (2025, upcoming)
 

Seminar topic: Notch-driven autocrine signalling networks maintain quiescence in muscle stem cells