On 15 May 2025, Virginie Courtier-Orgogozo was promoted to the rank of Officier dans l’Ordre National du Mérite by decree of the French President. This prestigious distinction recognises her scientific excellence in the field of biology.
Virginie Courtier-Orgogozo is interested in the mechanisms involved in the evolution of species, in order to better understand our origins and the future of living species.
Virginie Courtier-Orgogozo is a former student at the École Normale Supérieure and has an agrégation in life and earth sciences. She is a research director at the CNRS and head of the Evolution and Genetics’ research team at the Institut Jacques Monod. She held the annual Biodiversity and Ecosystems Chair at the Collège de France in 2023. She has also been a member of the Scientific Council of the Office parlementaire d’évaluation des choix scientifiques et technologiques (OPECST) since 2020 and a member of the CNRS Ethics Committee (COMETS) since October 2021.
Her research focuses on the mutations responsible for evolutionary changes in order to better understand our evolution, past and future. Together with Arnaud Martin, she has created Gephebase.org, a database of genes and mutations that have so far been identified by the international scientific community and that are responsible for natural morphological, physiological or behavioural differences in plants and animals. This compilation has revealed that evolution often takes place via a limited number of genetic pathways, indicating that evolution is partly predictable. With her team, she is currently studying the evolution of bioadhesives produced by Drosophila flies to stick to various substrates during metamorphosis. The aim of her work is to gain a better understanding of how species adapt and also to develop new adhesives that are non-toxic for the environment. She is also engaged in philosophical and ethical reflection on biotechnology and the living world today.
Virginie Courtier’s honours
- CNRS Bronze Medal (2014)
- Irène-Joliot-Curie Young Scientist of the Year Award (2014)
- Chevalier dans l’Ordre National du Mérite (2015)
- Lacassagne Prize, Collège de France (2018)
- Officier dans l’Ordre National du Mérite (2025)
Ordre national du Mérite
After the Légion d’honneur, the Ordre national du Mérite is the second national order honouring French citizens.
It rewards distinguished merit acquired either in a public, civil or military capacity, or in the exercise of a private activity. The Ordre National du Mérite comprises 3 grades (knights, officers, commanders) and 2 dignities (grand officers and grand cross).