Annick Mercenier

Annick Mercenier obtained her PhD from the Université Libre de Bruxelles in 1980, followed by a post-doctoral stay at the ETH (Zurich, CH) before joining Transgène, the first genetic engineering-based start-up in France. After 14 years with this company, she joined the Institut Pasteur de Lille to build and lead the Microbiology of Ecosystems Department. During these years, she gained expertise in microbiology (metabolic pathways, pathogens and industrial bacteria), microbial (molecular) genetics and physiology, microbiome, mucosal immunology and vaccines. She next joined the Nestlé Research Centre, where she occupied different positions with as main areas of interest: host-microbe interaction, nutrition and health with a special focus on infections, allergy, gut disorders and functional food ingredients such as pro- and prebiotics, polyphenols, specific milk oligosaccharides. Driven by passion, creativity, opportunities to build new scientific approaches, she became CIO and co-founder of NutriLeads as of February 2018 after her retirement from Nestlé. She is currently working on pectic derived polysaccharides with a strong interest for immune and gut health, and gut microbiota modulation. She is co-author of 121 peer-reviewed publications including reviews, plus book chapters and co-inventor of 46 patents.