Divi Cornec, MD, PhD

Professor of Psychiatry

Brest University, Mayo Clinic

Awarded a Vasculitis Foundation research grant in 2017, Dr. Cornec’s pioneering study characterized the PR3-specific B cells responsible for generating ANCA autoantibodies.

Using a novel detection method, he explored whether these cells could predict disease relapse and guide personalized treatment with B-cell-depleting therapies. This was the first study to track ANCA-producing B cells in real time, representing an important step toward the development of biomarkers for individualized care.

Dr. Cornec is Director of the INSERM/University of Brest research unit Lymphocytes B, Autoimmunity and Immunotherapies (LBAI, UMR 1227) and a practicing rheumatologist at Brest University Hospital, where his research focuses on autoimmune diseases, vasculitis, and targeted immunotherapies.