Breath: the first cohort has started the new academic year

The first ten laureates of the European Breath programme gathered in Angers from 20 to 22 October for a welcome session and training courses. All of these doctoral students have international backgrounds and will be working on topics combining health with humanities and social sciences.

Les dix doctorants entourent le géographe Sébastien Fleuret, coordinateur du projetThis is the culmination of many months of work behind the scenes. For three days, seven female doctoral students and three male doctoral students were welcomed to the Belle-Beille campus of the University of Angers for the first ‘Welcoming Week’, organised within the Breath programme. This project, which involves 53 research units in the region and its three universities, aims to attract promising young international researchers. "This is an exemplary programme, as it fits perfectly with our universities' desire to strengthen our doctoral policy and increase the value of doctoral studies by offering the best conditions and prospects,’ said Françoise Grolleau, President of the University of Angers, the institution leading the project, in her opening speech.

A unique feature of Breath is that all the topics proposed by academics in the region combine humanities and social sciences with health sciences. ‘The project is also exemplary in its transdisciplinarity, with topics related to society and current affairs. I am thinking in particular of medical deserts and the study of microplastics and their impact on health", explained Françoise Grolleau. "This reminds us that health is not just a medical issue," added Xavier Lachazette, Vice-President for International Relations at Le Mans University.

An international résumé

Among the ten members of the first cohort (ten other laureates will begin their theses in the Fall of 2026) is Beriot Jiometio, who has an impressive résumé. After obtaining a bachelor's degree in biomedical sciences in his home country, the Cameroonian went to China to study medicine. After graduating and then practising for a year, he left the country for Belgium, where he completed his training with two master's degrees, one in epidemiology and the other in quantitative methods.

Until 2028, Beriot Jiometio will focus on medical deserts in the Pays de la Loire region, studying "all the factors that influence access to healthcare, taking into account not only medical density but also the social and environmental factors that determine access to healthcare". His research will be supervised, from an academic point of view, by Professor Aline Ramond-Roquin, head of the Pops (Prevention, Organisation and Primary Care Pathways) research unit, and by Sébastien Fleuret, a specialist in health geography (ESO unit). As with all other Breath laureates, his thesis will be supervised by a third co-director from outside the academic world, i.e. Thomas Bouvier, deputy director of the CPAM (French social security office) in Loire-Atlantique.

Arriving in Angers on 1 September, Beriot Jiometio was pleased with the gathering offered by the ‘Welcoming Week’. "We didn't know each other, so it gave us a chance to meet other doctoral students and discuss our issues." He also appreciated the training sessions on methodology, career opportunities, violence and harassment prevention, etc. "It was really interesting."

Professional training

Over the three years, the Breath doctoral students will follow a training programme in English in various fields such as ethics, innovation and entrepreneurship. In addition to their research, they will be required to complete a three-month internship in a non-academic setting. "One of the strengths of this programme is its strong professional training component," says Corinne Mirail, Vice-President of Doctoral Studies at Nantes University. "We want to open as many doors as possible for them in the future."