Nicolas Pillon

Nicolas Pillon

Assistant Senior Lecturer | Research team leader | Docent
Visiting address: Solnavägen 9, Biomedicum C4, 17165 Solna
Postal address: C3 Fysiologi och farmakologi, C3 FyFa IF Inflammation och metabolism, 171 77 Stockholm
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About me

  • Docent and team leader for the team inflammation and metabolism, Nicolas Pillon is interested in understanding how the immune system regulates skeletal muscle function and metabolism.

    Born in the French Alps, Nicolas moved to Lyon (France) to do his PhD in the laboratory of Dr. Hubert Vidal. In 2011, he joined Prof. Amira Klip's laboratory in Toronto (Canada), where he started working on immunometabolism using /in vitro/ models of inflammation and insulin resistance. Nicolas joined the Karolinska Institutet in 2015 and has been a team leader since 2022.

Research

  • Imagine your body as a complex system where muscles are like the power stations and the immune system is the security team. They need to work in harmony for everything to run smoothly, especially when it comes to using energy from food. This balance is key to preventing and managing metabolic diseases, like type 2 diabetes. Our project dives into how these two vital components interact, particularly during exercise or when our body faces challenges like too much sugar. 

  • Our goal is to uncover new knowledge that could point us toward better ways to prevent or treat metabolic diseases. This project is about blending detailed scientific research with the bigger picture of improving health. By studying how the immune system and muscles talk to each other, we're hoping to find new strategies to keep everyone healthier.

Teaching

  • - Course leader. KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden (2021-present). Advanced physiology courses in the Master's Programme in Medical Engineering.
    - Course leader. Karolinska Institutet, Sweden (2022-present). Physiology course in the Bachelor's Programme in Biomedicine.
    - Lecturer. Stockholm University, Sweden (2018-present). Molecular physiology course.
    - Lecturer. Karolinska Institutet, Sweden (2016-present). Undergraduate and doctoral courses.
    - Lecturer. Université de Lyon, France (2009-2010). Lab courses and tutorials in the bachelor's program in biochemistry.
    - Lecturer. Institut National des Sciences Appliquées (INSA), France (2007-2010). Lectures on drug development and lab courses in pharmacology at the bachelor level.

Selected publications

  • Article: CELL REPORTS MEDICINE. 2024;5(1):101348
    Dollet L; Lundell LS; Chibalin AV; Pendergrast LA; Pillon NJ; Lansbury EL; Elmastas M; Frendo-Cumbo S; Jalkanen J; de Castro Barbosa T; Cervone DT; Caidahl K; Dmytriyeva O; Deshmukh AS; Barrès R; Rydén M; Wallberg-Henriksson H; Zierath JR; Krook A
  • Article: AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY-ENDOCRINOLOGY AND METABOLISM. 2023;324(4):E289-E298
    Abdelmoez AM; Dmytriyeva O; Zurke Y-X; Trauelsen M; Marica AA; Savikj M; Smith JAB; Monaco C; Schwartz TW; Krook A; Pillon NJ
  • Article: SCIENCE ADVANCES. 2022;8(36):eabo3192
    Pillon NJ; Smith JAB; Alm PS; Chibalin AV; Alhusen J; Arner E; Carninci P; Fritz T; Otten J; Olsson T; van Doorslaer de Ten Ryen S; Deldicque L; Caidahl K; Wallberg-Henriksson H; Krook A; Zierath JR
  • Article: NATURE GENETICS. 2022;54(9):1332-1344
    Wang Z; Emmerich A; Pillon NJ; Moore T; Hemerich D; Cornelis MC; Mazzaferro E; Broos S; Ahluwalia TS; Bartz TM; Bentley AR; Bielak LF; Chong M; Chu AY; Berry D; Dorajoo R; Dueker ND; Kasbohm E; Feenstra B; Feitosa MF; Gieger C; Graff M; Hall LM; Haller T; Hartwig FP; Hillis DA; Huikari V; Heard-Costa N; Holzapfel C; Jackson AU; Johansson Å; Jørgensen AM; Kaakinen MA; Karlsson R; Kerr KF; Kim B; Koolhaas CM; Kutalik Z; Lagou V; Lind PA; Lorentzon M; Lyytikäinen L-P; Mangino M; Metzendorf C; Monroe KR; Pacolet A; Pérusse L; Pool R; Richmond RC; Rivera NV; Robiou-du-Pont S; Schraut KE; Schulz C-A; Stringham HM; Tanaka T; Teumer A; Turman C; van der Most PJ; Vanmunster M; van Rooij FJA; van Vliet-Ostaptchouk JV; Zhang X; Zhao J-H; Zhao W; Balkhiyarova Z; Balslev-Harder MN; Baumeister SE; Beilby J; Blangero J; Boomsma DI; Brage S; Braund PS; Brody JA; Bruinenberg M; Ekelund U; Liu C-T; Cole JW; Collins FS; Cupples LA; Esko T; Enroth S; Faul JD; Fernandez-Rhodes L; Fohner AE; Franco OH; Galesloot TE; Gordon SD; Grarup N; Hartman CA; Heiss G; Hui J; Illig T; Jago R; James A; Joshi PK; Jung T; Kähönen M; Kilpeläinen TO; Koh W-P; Kolcic I; Kraft PP; Kuusisto J; Launer LJ; Li A; Linneberg A; Luan J; Vidal PM; Medland SE; Milaneschi Y; Moscati A; Musk B; Nelson CP; Nolte IM; Pedersen NL; Peters A; Peyser PA; Power C; Raitakari OT; Reedik M; Reiner AP; Ridker PM; Rudan I; Ryan K; Sarzynski MA; Scott LJ; Scott RA; Sidney S; Siggeirsdottir K; Smith AV; Smith JA; Sonestedt E; Strøm M; Tai ES; Teo KK; Thorand B; Tönjes A; Tremblay A; Uitterlinden AG; Vangipurapu J; van Schoor N; Völker U; Willemsen G; Williams K; Wong Q; Xu H; Young KL; Yuan JM; Zillikens MC; Zonderman AB; Ameur A; Bandinelli S; Bis JC; Boehnke M; Bouchard C; Chasman DI; Smith GD; de Geus EJC; Deldicque L; Dörr M; Evans MK; Ferrucci L; Fornage M; Fox C; Garland T; Gudnason V; Gyllensten U; Hansen T; Hayward C; Horta BL; Hyppönen E; Jarvelin M-R; Johnson WC; Kardia SLR; Kiemeney LA; Laakso M; Langenberg C; Lehtimäki T; Marchand LL; Lifelines Cohort Study; Magnusson PKE; Martin NG; Melbye M; Metspalu A; Meyre D; North KE; Ohlsson C; Oldehinkel AJ; Orho-Melander M; Pare G; Park T; Pedersen O; Penninx BWJH; Pers TH; Polasek O; Prokopenko I; Rotimi CN; Samani NJ; Sim X; Snieder H; Sørensen TIA; Spector TD; Timpson NJ; van Dam RM; van der Velde N; van Duijn CM; Vollenweider P; Völzke H; Voortman T; Waeber G; Wareham NJ; Weir DR; Wichmann H-E; Wilson JF; Hevener AL; Krook A; Zierath JR; Thomis MAI; Loos RJF; Hoed MD
  • Article: DIABETES. 2022;71(4):624-636
    Dollet L; Kuefner M; Caria E; Rizo-Roca D; Pendergrast L; Abdelmoez AM; Karlsson HKR; Björnholm M; Dalbram E; Treebak JT; Harada J; Näslund E; Rydén M; Zierath JR; Pillon NJ; Krook A
  • Review: CELL. 2021;184(6):1530-1544
    Pillon NJ; Loos RJF; Marshall SM; Zierath JR
  • Article: AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY-CELL PHYSIOLOGY. 2020;318(3):C615-C626
    Abdelmoez AM; Sardón Puig L; Smith JAB; Gabriel BM; Savikj M; Dollet L; Chibalin AV; Krook A; Zierath JR; Pillon NJ
  • Article: NATURE COMMUNICATIONS. 2020;11(1):470
    Pillon NJ; Gabriel BM; Dollet L; Smith JAB; Sardón Puig L; Botella J; Bishop DJ; Krook A; Zierath JR

Articles

All other publications

Grants

Employments

  • Assistant Senior Lecturer, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, 2022-
  • Postdoctoral Researcher, Cell Biology, Hospital for Sick Children, 2011-2015
  • Lecturer, Biochemistry, Claude Bernard University Lyon 1, 2009-2010

Degrees and Education

  • Docent, Karolinska Institutet, 2021
  • PhD, Biochemistry, Bioscience, Institut National des Sciences Appliquées de Lyon, 2011

Leadership and responsibility assignments

  • Course coordinator, Physiology (1BI046), Karolinska Institute, https://education.ki.se/student/physiology-13-credits/1bi046, 2022-
  • Research team leader, Inflammation and Metabolism group, Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institute, https://ki.se/en/research/groups/inflammation-and-metabolism-nicolas-pillons-research-group, 2022-
  • Course coordinator, Advanced Physiology, Karolinska Institute, https://www.kth.se/student/kurser/kurs/HL2018?l=en, 2021-

Distinction and awards

  • EFSD/Novo Nordisk Foundation Future Leaders Award, European Association for the Study of Diabetes, https://www.europeandiabetesfoundation.org/efsd-novo-nordisk-foundation-future-leaders-award.html, 2021

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