Nicolas Picard

Role: University Professor – Hospital practitioner (PU-PH)

Location: CBRS 2nd floor – hospital side

Email address:

My research activities focus on clinical pharmacogenetics, translational pharmacology, and precision medicine. Attached to the Inserm UMR 1248 unit (Pharmacology & Transplantation) since its creation, I previously coordinated the pharmacogenomics research axis (2012–2021). My work centers on translating Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) and preemptive pharmacogenetic panel strategies into routine clinical care to optimize drug therapy and minimize adverse drug reactions.

Key Research Focuses:

• Organ Transplantation: Implementation of preemptive pharmacogenetic passports and panel analyses to guide immunosuppressive therapy in renal transplant patients.
• Psychiatry & Geriatrics: Clinical trial initiatives evaluating preemptive pharmacogenetic testing in depression management and polymedicated elderly patients admitted for falls.
• Medical Education Research: Impact of innovative pedagogical approaches (e.g., graphic narratives/medical comic books, interprofessional simulation) on student cognitive load and motivation.

Academic Impact & Leadership:

• Scientific Output: Over 100 peer-reviewed articles in international scientific journals (H-index: 29, >3,200 citations).
• Learned Societies: President of the French-Speaking Network of Pharmacogenetics (RNPGx, 2020–2026) and former Secretary-General of the French Society of Pharmacology and Therapeutics (SFPT, 2021–2025).
• Editorial & Advisory Roles: Editorial Board Member for Therapeutic Drug Monitoring and Therapies; Expert Advisor to the French National Authority for Health (HAS) and Biomedicine Agency (ABM).

I teach general, applied, and clinical pharmacology across undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate health programs (Pharmacy, Medicine, Nursing). I serve as Head of the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology at the Faculty of Pharmacy and Academic Coordinator for Hospital Internships (5th year of pharmacy).

Pedagogical Leadership & Innovation:

• Educational Management: Former Assessor to the Dean for Educational Innovation (2020–2024) and UNESS representative for the Faculty of Pharmacy.
• Simulation-Based Education: Founder and Academic Lead of the Pharmaceutical Simulation Center; certified EuSIM simulation instructor. Pioneer in integrating Standardized Patients (SP) and Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs/EPOS) in pharmacy curricula.
• Interprofessional Education: Principal Investigator for local implementation of the European Erasmus+ PREP-Team project, establishing cross-disciplinary simulation training for medicine, pharmacy, and nursing students.
• Innovations in Learning: Creator of graphic narrative case studies to reduce cognitive load and enhance student engagement in pharmacology.

Degrees & Qualifications

Academic & Clinical Appointments

Research Mobility & Visiting Positions

• 2008: Visiting Researcher, University of California San Francisco (UCSF), USA
• 2012, 2014: Visiting Researcher, Timone Hospital (AP-HM), Marseille, France

As a licensed clinical biologist, I hold official authorization from the French Biomedicine Agency (ABM) for medical genetic testing. My clinical practice at CHU de Limoges focuses on biological pharmacology and pharmacogenetics:

• Pharmacogenetics Laboratory Operations: Directing specialized pharmacogenetic analyses with an active volume of >600 patient cases annually.
• Tele-expertise : Leader of the first national tele-expertise line for clinical pharmacogenetics in France via Omnidoc.
• National Multidisciplinary Team Meetings (RCP): Co-coordinator of the national multidisciplinary pharmacogenetics meeting (RCPGx), reviewing complex cases and establishing treatment recommendations for clinicians nationwide.
• Hospital Laboratory Responsibilities: Co-lead for Functional Unit 4232 (Oncogenetics, Neurogenetics, and Pharmacogenetics) and validator for routine therapeutic drug monitoring and clinical toxicology (UF 8856).