Villejuif, 31 July 2026

Prof. Fabrice Barlesi reappointed at the head of Gustave Roussy, the leading cancer center in France and Europe

By order of Ms. Stéphanie Rist, Minister of Health, Families, Autonomy and Persons with Disabilities, dated 27 July 2026, Professor Fabrice Barlesi has been reappointed as Director General of Gustave Roussy, effective 1 August 2026. At the helm of the Institute for five more years, Prof. Barlesi will continue the transformations undertaken during his first term. This renewal reflects the confidence placed in the project led by the institution to accelerate progress in the fight against cancer, foster and support the development of innovations set to change the future of oncology, and strengthen the influence of one of the world's leading cancer centers.

At the head of Gustave Roussy since 2021, Prof. Fabrice Barlesi, an internationally recognized specialist in thoracic cancers and precision medicine, will further strengthen during his second term the momentum built to affirm the Institute's position as a major player in global oncology.

This renewal reflects the confidence of the institution's staff, governing bodies and public authorities in the strategy implemented over the past five years, and in the commitment of all the professionals who bring the institution's excellence to life every day. It comes at a key moment in the Institute's development, with the launch of the 2026-2030 Institutional Project. Building on the project launched in 2021, this new, ambitious roadmap is structured around four strategic priorities: personalizing care pathways, strengthening research with high societal impact, accelerating digital transformation, and securing the institution's resources for the long term.

His first term was marked by major advances at every stage of patient care. From prevention to treatment, including diagnosis, Gustave Roussy has, since 2021, undertaken a profound transformation aimed at improving the quality of patient care. This has translated into the launch, and subsequent nationwide rollout, of the Interception personalized prevention program, the development of rapid diagnostic pathways and the liquid biopsy program now available to all French patients, as well as major advances in treatment, including the development of vectorized interventional radiology, the rollout of hypofractionation in radiotherapy, and the strengthening of radiotherapy, radiology and surgery technical platforms.

In research, under the leadership of Prof. Fabrice André, Gustave Roussy has consolidated its position among the world's leading academic centers. The Institute obtained accreditation for the PRISM Institute as a University Hospital Institute (IHU), coordinated five University Hospital Research (RHU) programs, secured eight European Research Council (ERC) grants, coordinated three major European projects, and received seven ATIP-Avenir grants since 2021, intended to support the most promising young researchers in building their teams. Twenty-three Gustave Roussy researchers are among the world's most cited scientists over the past ten years, a recognition strengthened by an active policy of recruiting international talent.

Clinical research has also seen marked acceleration. The opening of a new dedicated platform has supported the growing scale of activity and strengthened the Institute's appeal to academic and industry sponsors. With 7,505 patients enrolled in clinical trials and 618 studies open for recruitment in 2025, Gustave Roussy is the leading center in France and Europe for the number of patients participating in a clinical trial. In 2025, 40.5% of patients treated at the Institute were participating in a clinical study.

The Institute's digital transformation has accelerated. The creation of a Data and Bioinformatics unit, bringing together expertise in applied mathematics, data science and artificial intelligence, strengthens Gustave Roussy's ability to leverage health data and develop increasingly personalized medicine. Artificial intelligence now underpins numerous research, diagnostic and care projects.

The Institute's ability to turn its discoveries into concrete innovations has also grown. Twenty-three companies have been created from Gustave Roussy's research work, ten of them since 2021 and three in 2025 alone, illustrating the vitality of its innovation ecosystem.

This momentum has been accompanied by a profound transformation of the campus, set to make this Grand Paris site one of Europe's leading oncology hubs. The creation of the Paris Saclay Cancer Cluster, of which Gustave Roussy is a founding member, and the development of the Campus Grand Parc, mark a new stage in consolidating the Institute's leadership and growth. A symbol of this ambition: the future 33,000 sqm research building, due to open at the end of 2028.

Teaching has established itself as another pillar of the development driven by Prof. Barlesi. In 2025, more than 6,200 students were trained, while the digital teaching platform had over 11,700 registered users, including 2,600 new learners. Seminars brought together 1,500 participants, 30% of them international.

Gustave Roussy's international influence has grown thanks to an ambitious development strategy. The opening of several hospitals under the Gustave Roussy International brand license in the Middle East and Asia marks a major step in spreading the Institute's model. At the same time, the creation of the Alumni network, which now brings together more than 2,000 members from 25 nationalities, is the first alumni network of a cancer center in France and contributes to the development of scientific and medical collaborations worldwide.

Lastly, this ambition has been underpinned by rigorous management, preserving the Institute's financial balance while securing its resources, in particular through fundraising supporting investments made for the benefit of patients, research and innovation.

The shared ambition is clear: to cure 80% of patients by 2040.

"This renewal is above all a recognition of the work accomplished collectively by the teams at Gustave Roussy. Over the past five years, we have built an institute that is truly capable of anticipating major developments in oncology, in terms of both care and research, and turning them into concrete benefits for patients. With the 2026-2030 Institutional Project, we are opening a new stage in our development to establish Gustave Roussy as a European and global benchmark for the oncology of the future, and to continue our commitment to a demanding ambition: enabling every patient to access the best that cancer research and treatment have to offer," says Prof. Barlesi, Director General of Gustave Roussy.