About

Dr. Muriel Lambert received her PhD from Northwestern University in 1970 and completed post-doctoral training at Harvard University, followed by a fellowship in the Department of Dermatology at Yale University School of Medicine. Her research focuses on the role of DNA repair in maintaining genomic stability in genetic diseases with defective DNA repair mechanisms. She has concentrated on disorders such as xeroderma pigmentosum and Fanconi anemia, with particular interest in the underlying mechanisms of Fanconi anemia, a hematological disorder characterized by defective DNA repair, genomic instability, and a predisposition to cancer. Her laboratory has demonstrated that the structural protein non-erythroid alpha-spectrin (aIISp) is present in cell nuclei where it plays a role in DNA repair, telomere maintenance, and chromosomal stability. She has shown that FA cells exhibit a deficiency in aIISp due to increased cleavage by ??-calpain, which contributes to the DNA repair defects, telomere dysfunction, and chromosomal instability observed in these cells. Her work has proposed a model in which aIISp binds to damaged DNA to facilitate repair, and restoring its levels can correct repair defects and genomic instability in FA cells. Dr. Lambert is also involved in teaching, serving as course director for courses such as Cellular Pathology and DNA Repair in Health and Disease.

Research topics

• Computer Science
• Sociology
• Political Science
• Machine Learning
• Artificial Intelligence
• Law
• Economics
• Medicine
• Demography
• Economic growth
• Virology
• Epistemology
• Public relations
• Philosophy
• History
• Development economics

Selected publications

• Carcinogenesis: – Mutagenic Versus Metabolic Models: An Alternative Hypothesis

  Preprints.org · 2025-08-13

  preprintOpen access

  Carcinogenesis, while traditionally attributed to the accumulation of driver mutations in genes regulating cell proliferation and apoptosis, may also be explored as a consequence of fundamental metabolic reprogramming, an idea catalyzed by the Warburg effect, where cancer cells exhibit a paradoxical preference for glycolysis over the far more efficient oxi-dative phosphorylation, thereby implying that metabolic dysregulation may be a primary instigator of neoplastic transformation. Proposing an alternative hypothesis, informed by both metabolic dysfunction and evolutionary biology, it becomes apparent that a precipi-tous loss of cellular energy may stimulate an atavistic response, an evolutionarily con-served remnant of ancestral survival mechanisms inherited from unicellular organisms, wherein rapid proliferation and migration were triggered to enhance survival in fluctuat-ing environments, responses that in modern times lead to pathological angiogenesis and unchecked cell growth, thereby bridging the gap between genetic and metabolic models of cancer.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Carcinogenesis: An Alternative Hypothesis Comparing Mutagenic Versus Metabolic Models

  Biology · 2025-09-23

  reviewOpen access

  Carcinogenesis, while traditionally attributed to the accumulation of driver mutations in genes regulating cell proliferation and apoptosis, may also be explored as a consequence of fundamental metabolic reprogramming, an idea catalyzed by the Warburg effect, where cancer cells exhibit a paradoxical preference for glycolysis over the far more efficient oxidative phosphorylation. This implies that metabolic dysregulation may be a primary instigator of neoplastic transformation. Our hypothesis proposes that the abrupt loss of cellular energy may stimulate an atavistic response, wherein rapid proliferation and migration are triggered to enhance survival in fluctuating environments. These responses lead to pathological angiogenesis and unchecked cell growth, thereby bridging the gap between genetic and metabolic pathways of carcinogenesis.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Un modèle d’apprentissage automatique pour prédire la mortalité à long terme dans l’artérite de Takayasu

  La Revue de Médecine Interne · 2025-11-25

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Critical role of alpha spectrin in DNA repair: the importance of μ-calpain and Fanconi anemia proteins

  Experimental Biology and Medicine · 2025-05-01

  reviewOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  Nonerythroid spectrins are proteins important in maintaining the structural integrity and flexibility of the cell and nuclear membranes and are essential for a number of functionally important cellular processes. One of these proteins, nonerythroid α spectrin (αSpII), plays a critical role in DNA repair, specifically repair of DNA interstrand crosslinks (ICLs), where it acts as a scaffold, recruiting repair proteins to sites of damage. Loss or breakdown of αSpII is an important factor in a number of disorders. One of these is Fanconi anemia (FA), a genetic disorder characterized by bone marrow failure, chromosome instability, cancer predisposition, congenital abnormalities and a defect in DNA ICL repair. Significantly, breakdown of αSpII occurs in cells from a number of FA complementation groups, due to excessive cleavage by the protease, μ-calpain, leading to defective repair of DNA ICLs in telomeric and non-telomeric DNA. Knockdown of μ-calpain in FA cells by μ-calpain siRNA results in restoration of αSpII levels to normal and repair of DNA ICLs in telomeric and non-telomeric DNA, demonstrating the importance of αSpII stability in the repair process. It is hypothesized that there is a mechanistic link between excessive cleavage of αSpII by μ-calpain and defective DNA ICL repair in FA and that FA proteins, which are deficient in FA, play a key role in maintaining the stability of αSpII and preventing its cleavage by μ-calpain. All of these events are proposed to be important key factors involved in the pathophysiology of FA and suggest new avenues for potential therapeutic intervention.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Étude HYPNOSTRESS : intérêt de l’hypnose médicale dans l’évaluation du stress ressenti et le vécu d’une hospitalisation dans un service de médecine interne

  La Revue de Médecine Interne · 2024-06-06 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access

  Les patients atteints de maladies chroniques, a fortiori de maladies auto-immunes et/ou systémiques rares associées à une incertitude diagnostique importante, ont une représentation de leur maladie et un vécu de leur hospitalisation parfois prolongé(e) qui peuvent être traumatiques et anxiogènes. Cette étude avait pour objectif d’évaluer l’impact d’une intervention non médicamenteuse d’hypnose médicale dans la réduction de l’état de stress et l’amélioration du vécu des patients hospitalisés dans un Service de médecine interne. Nous avons mené une étude prospective sur 24 patients hospitalisés dans le Service de médecine interne du CHU de Lille en 2023. Douze patients ont bénéficié d’une intervention non médicamenteuse d’hypnose médicale dite du « lieu de sécurité » (groupe cas) et ont été comparés à 12 patients n’en ayant pas bénéficié (groupe témoin). Le stress était évalué par le questionnaire STAI et le vécu de l’hospitalisation par un questionnaire de satisfaction. Les 24 patients dont 13 femmes avaient un âge moyen de 55 ± 17 ans à l’inclusion. À l’entrée en hospitalisation, la médiane de l’état de stress (STAI-ETAT) entre les deux groupes était de 43,5 (38,0 ; 56,6) dans le groupe cas versus 42,0 (37,0 ; 48,5) dans le groupe témoin (p = 0,45). Dans le groupe cas, le questionnaire STAI-ETAT réalisé immédiatement après la séance d’hypnose était significativement plus bas en médiane par rapport à celui du début d’hospitalisation (30,0 [25,5 ; 36,5] vs 43,5 [38,0 ; 56,5] p = 0,003) témoignant d’une réduction significative du stress. À la fin de l’hospitalisation, on observait également une persistance significative de la réduction significative en médiane entre les cas et les témoins (29,5 [26,5 ; 35,0] pour les cas vs 41,5 [33,5 ; 45,5] pour les témoins p = 0,002). Le vécu de l’hospitalisation était meilleur dans le groupe cas (médiane 5,0 [4,5 ; 5,0] vs 4,0 [4,0 ; 4,5], p = 0,016). Cette étude suggère que l’hypnose médicale est une intervention non médicamenteuse d’accompagnement prometteuse dans la réduction du stress ressenti et dans l’amélioration du vécu de cette dernière chez des patients hospitalisés dans un Service de médecine interne. Patients with chronic illnesses, especially rare autoimmune and/or systemic diseases associated with significant diagnostic uncertainty, have a representation of their illness and a sometimes prolonged hospitalization experience that can be traumatic and anxiety-provoking. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of a non-medicinal medical hypnosis intervention in reducing the stress state and improving the experience of patients hospitalized in an internal medicine department. We conducted a prospective study of 24 patients hospitalized in the Internal Medicine Department of Lille University Hospital in 2023. Twelve patients received a non-drug medical hypnosis intervention known as the “place of safety” (case group) and were compared with 12 patients who did not (control group). Stress was assessed by the STAI questionnaire and hospitalization experience by a satisfaction questionnaire. The 24 patients, 13 of whom were women, had a mean age of 55 ± 17 years at inclusion. On admission to hospital, the median STAI-ETAT between the two groups was 43.5 (38.0; 56.6) in the case group versus 42.0 (37.0; 48.5) in the control group (P = 0.45). In the case group, the median STAI-ETAT questionnaire taken immediately after the hypnosis session was significantly lower than at the start of hospitalization (30.0 [25.5; 36.5] vs. 43.5 [38.0; 56.5] P = 0.003), indicating a significant reduction in stress. At the end of hospitalization, there was also a significant persistence of the median significant reduction between cases and controls (29.5 [26.5; 35.0] for cases vs. 41.5 [33.5; 45.5] for controls P = 0.002). Experience of hospitalization was better in the case group (median 5.0 [4.5; 5.0] vs. 4.0 [4.0; 4.5], P = 0.016). This study suggests that medical hypnosis is a promising non-medicinal supportive intervention for reducing perceived stress and improving the experience of stress in patients hospitalized on an internal medicine ward.

  PublisherDOI

• Tinea Amianacea: Attack of the Living Dead, Revisited.

  PubMed · 2024-01-01 · 1 citations

  article
  Publisher

• Occult Squamous Cell Carcinoma within Lichenoid- Dermatitis: An Important, Hazardous Pitfall Detected by Immunohistochemistry.

  PubMed · 2024-01-01

  article
  Publisher

• Artificial intelligence and the scientific method: How to cope with a complete oxymoron

  Clinics in Dermatology · 2024 · 6 citations

  • Computer Science
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Computer Science
  PublisherDOI

• Novel B-DNA dermatophyte assay for demonstration of canonical DNA in dermatophytes: Histopathologic characterization by artificial intelligence

  Clinics in Dermatology · 2024-01-06 · 2 citations

  article
  PublisherDOI

• The Monkeypox (Mpox) Dilemmas: What Is the Clinical and Histologic Presentation of the Bullae and Are They Infectious, and Why Is the Infection Dying Out So Quickly?

  PubMed · 2024-01-01

  article
  Publisher

Recent grants

• NIH Grant R01ES005940

  NIH · $1.2M · 1998

• NIH Grant R01ES011298

  NIH · $886k · 2006

• NIH Grant R01HL054860

  NIH · $4.2M · 2010

Frequent coauthors

• W. Clark Lambert

  Rutgers New Jersey Medical School

  81 shared

• W Clark Lambert

  Rutgers New Jersey Medical School

  66 shared

• Deepa Sridharan

  45 shared

• Robert A. Schwartz

  Rutgers New Jersey Medical School

  43 shared

• W. Clark Lambert

  Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

  41 shared

• Claude E. Gagna

  New York Institute of Technology

  30 shared

• Laura McMahon

  University College Dublin

  28 shared

• Pan Zhang

  Yangtze University

  27 shared

Education

• Ph.D.

  Northwestern University

  1970

• B.A.

  Sweet Briar College

  1966