Bruce Cattanach Prize 2026 Dr Robin Journot

The Genetics Society is delighted to announce Dr Robin Journot as the winner of the 2026 Bruce Cattanach Prize.

Very different organs, including the cornea, the prostate, and the oesophagus, nonetheless exhibit a similar layered epithelial organisation. My PhD research aimed to investigate the genetic and evolutionary basis of this common tissue architecture. By studying epithelial stratification across 14 mouse organs, I found that, despite their distinct functions, these tissues rely on a conserved genetic program to establish stratified epithelia.

I am honoured that this work has been recognised with the Bruce Cattanach Prize. I am deeply grateful to my PhD supervisor, Prof. Silvia Fre, as well as to all collaborators and colleagues at Institut Curie and beyond, for their guidance and support, and I thank the Genetics Society for this recognition.

I am now continuing this research as a postdoctoral researcher in the laboratory of Prof. Matthias Lutolf at the Institute of Human Biology in Basel, supported by an EMBO Long-Term Postdoctoral Fellowship. My current work aims to explore how this genetic program can be harnessed to guide the differentiation of human induced pluripotent stem cells into functional epithelial tissues.