The Epigenetics and Cellular Memory Chair is dedicated to the study of epigenetic processes such as X chromosome inactivation in mammals, a classic model in this field. Related research has highlighted the remarkable dynamics of epigenetic changes during early development, and demonstrated the diversity of strategies implemented in this process between even closely related mammals over the course of evolution.

Prof. Edith Heard's team has also contributed to the discovery of topological domains (TADs), which play an important role in genome organization and gene regulation. More recently, she has elucidated the molecular machinery involved in gene repression during X inactivation. Beyond the X chromosome, the laboratory is interested in the epigenetic mechanisms involved in pathological processes such as cancer.