Jean Chambaz is currently professor of cell biology at the Pierre et Marie Curie Faculty of Medicine and manages the department of clinical biochemistry at the Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital in Paris.

He created a joint research unit INSERM-UPMC in the field of metabolism and intestinal differentiation which merged in 2007 with the Cordeliers Research Center, where he serves as deputy director. After heading the doctoral school in physiology and pathophysiology from 2001 to 2005, he created and ran the Institute of Doctoral Studies (which graduates about 700 PhD students each year) at UPMC until 2008.

He also chairs the steering committee of the Council on Doctoral Education of the EUA (European University Association) which was founded in 2008.