Corinne DECHELETTE, Pharm.D, PhD.
Author of “Tissu de Peau”
For Corinne, skin is a work of art and poetry.
Her book, La Peau Analogique, is a collection of six tomes (planned and co-written with Dermatologist Dr. Patrick Moureaux) that study the analogies between integumentary systems and textile fabrics to give a unique scientific lesson in cutaneous biology.
Corinne talks to us about her passion for skin, becoming a plastic artist and sharing knowledge of skin biology through art and literature.
Tell us about your career and the people who inspired you.
With a Ph.D. in cutaneous biology and as a former intern and pharmacist in the severe burns unit at a hospital in Lyon, I developed a passion for the skin very early on in my career. Dr. Odile Damour, Head of the Research Group at the Skin Substitutes Laboratory (CNRS), significantly contributed to driving my curiosity in the field as we worked together on the development of artificial skin for patients with severe burning.
This experience led me to join the Pierre Fabre Dermo-Cosmetic group as Scientific Advisor to the Chairman. From there I had various positions in the fields of Research & Development, Medical Value and Dermatology. A turning point in my career (and my life) came in 2018 when I created PEAUrigami® — an educational-artistic concept that fuses my two passions: skin and Japan. In spite of myself, this made me a plastic artist!
More recently, I founded my own scientific consulting company La Peau Autrement and became an author of 5 books dedicated to the skin, one of which won the Suzanne Rafflé De Chevaniel literary prize in 2020].
What’s coming next in “La Peau Analogique” anthology?
The first book, “Tissu De Peau,” explains the skin tissue, while in “Peaulithique” the skin is explained through analogies with the political world, and in the third installment, “Peau de Papier” — which literally means “skin paper” — I use different types of paper to illustrate the cutaneous biology. The books are accompanied by original illustrations by Beaux-Arts artist Isabelle Coll.
The fourth book is currently being printed, and while I can’t divulge much, I can say that it is inspired by food!
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Are there any other projects you’re working on?
I’m always working on my first passion, the skin.
In 2022 I joined USQV’s Laboratory of Anthropology, Archaeology and Biology (LAAB) as an associate researcher. The University is directed by Dr. Philippe Charlier, who is also Director of Research & Teaching at the Quai Branly – Jacques Chirac Museum. After studying of the skin of mummies, this year I’ll contribute to other skin-based missions and chair some conferences.
Moreover, it’s wonderful that my personal research on skin and art will take on another dimension by collaborating with this multidisciplinary team.
And finally, what is your definition of healthy skin?
For me, healthy skin is autonomous, skin that can auto-regenerate the epidermis and maintain its extracellular matrix.