Claire Giry is a former student from the Ecole Normale Supérieure (ENS) de Lyon, and holds a PhD in Molecular and Cellular Biology from Université Claude Bernard Lyon I. Throughout her career, she has been strongly involved in research and innovation management and policies.

In particular, she was responsible for developing national, European and international partnerships at the ‘Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives’ (C.E.A.) and the ‘Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médical’ (Inserm), the French National Institute for Health & Medical Research.

Claire Giry was also technical advisor to the Prime Minister for Higher Education & Research between 2007 and 2009, then head of the joint department of the Directorate General for Higher Education & Professional Integration (D.G.E.S.I.P.) and the Directorate General for Research & Innovation (D.G.R.I.) in the Higher education and research french Ministry.

She then led the “Centers of Excellence” program at the French General Investment Commission, before joining Inserm in 2012 where she notably held the role of Vice CEO.

Claire Giry was named Director General for Research & Innovation at the Ministry of Higher Education, Research & Innovation in 2021.