U1018 - Research Center for Epidemiology and Population Health (CESP)

The CESP is one of France’s leading epidemiology research centers. It brings together 13 research teams and nearly 500 members around a common goal: to conduct ambitious and innovative research to better understand the determinants of health, improve prevention, optimize care pathways, contribute to more equitable and effective health care systems, and thereby improve the population’s quality of life.

The CESP operates under the administrative supervision of Inserm, the University of Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, and the University of Paris-Saclay. Gustave Roussy also co-supervises the four CESP teams dedicated to oncology.

The research conducted at the CESP focuses on cancer, as well as chronic and infectious diseases, mental health, primary care, and women’s health. It relies primarily on epidemiology and employs an integrative approach, ranging from genomics to environmental exposures, including the social, cultural, and regional determinants of health. In the era of big data, CESP is developing advanced expertise in the analysis of large databases and combines a variety of methodologies—from bioinformatics to qualitative approaches—to address the complexity of contemporary public health challenges.

 As a major player in university education, the CESP plays a central role within the Graduate School of Public Health at Paris-Saclay University. Its members coordinate six master’s programs as well as the doctoral school of public health, actively contributing to the training of tomorrow’s professionals, researchers, and experts.

The CESP also maintains close ties with the clinical community, notably with Gustave Roussy, the AP-HP, and the Paris-Saclay University Hospitals, thereby strengthening the link between epidemiological research, clinical innovation, and patient care. The CESP is also involved in several university hospital institutes, including the IHU PRISM, which specializes in precision medicine in oncology, and the IHU PROMETHEUS, dedicated to sepsis.

Through its scientific focus, its academic, hospital, and industrial partnerships, as well as its national, European, and international reach, the CESP has established itself as a leading player in public health and epidemiology. Its research aims to provide concrete solutions to major health challenges—in the short, medium, and long term—for the benefit of the entire population.