Marseille is first and foremost a city of infectious diseases and immunology: it is home to IHU Méditerranée Infection, a university hospital institute dedicated to infectious diseases, and to the Marseille Immunology Biocluster, selected under France 2030 in 2023. It also stands out for organ transplantation at AP-HM and cancer care and cell therapies at Institut Paoli-Calmettes. If you trained in the EU and are deciding where to settle, this is a city where specialist care and research sit side by side.
The big picture: Marseille's key institutions
Everything revolves around AP-HM, Marseille's university hospital trust. It describes itself as 4 hospitals covering the full range of specialties for adults and children, and describes itself as "le 3ème Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de France", France's third university hospital. Next to it, Institut Paoli-Calmettes (IPC) is a specialist cancer centre. Around both sits a research community in immunology, driven by Aix-Marseille University, Inserm and the CNRS.
| Institution | Flagship area | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| AP-HM (university hospital) | Transplants, adult and paediatric cancer care | 309 organ transplants in 2024, according to its annual report |
| Institut Paoli-Calmettes | Oncology, bone marrow transplants, CAR-T | 277 inpatient beds at 31 December 2024 |
| Marseille Immunology Biocluster | Immunology (cancer, autoimmune and infectious diseases) | Selected under France 2030 in 2023 |
| Centre d'immunologie de Marseille-Luminy | Immunology research | Founded in 1976; run jointly by AMU, CNRS and Inserm |
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Organ transplantation, AP-HM's strong suit
In its 2024 annual report (in French), AP-HM reports 309 organ transplants, including 23 in children and 78 liver transplants, a level it describes as a record. The paediatric side is worth noting: it relies on teams trained in both transplantation and the care of children.
On the ground, a busy transplant programme means a whole chain of jobs: organ procurement coordination, operating theatres, intensive care, step-down units and long-term follow-up clinics. It is a demanding setting where you quickly learn strict protocols and close teamwork across disciplines. Doctors find tertiary referral services there; nurses and physiotherapists find complex care before and after surgery.
Cancer care: Institut Paoli-Calmettes and AP-HM
Institut Paoli-Calmettes is a Marseille centre specialising in cancer care. Its published 2024 figures show 277 inpatient beds, 20 of them in intensive and continuing care, an active caseload of 46,697 patients and 327 bone marrow, stem cell or CAR-T cell transplants. The institute states that it is accredited by the OECI as a "Comprehensive Cancer Centre with Research Excellence".
AP-HM is also a major player: its 2024 report mentions around 15,000 cancer patients in active follow-up, more than 600 of them children. Its 2023 key figures list an early-phase clinical trials centre (CLIP²) accredited by the French National Cancer Institute for adults and children. In practice, that means:
- haematology and cell therapy units working with recent treatments such as CAR-T;
- paediatric oncology at AP-HM, if children's care is what motivates you;
- clinical research as part of everyday work, with early-phase trials that call for careful coordination and close patient monitoring;
- a wide range of roles: inpatient wards, day hospitals, outpatient clinics and supportive care.
Immunology and infectious diseases: a research ecosystem
This is what makes Marseille distinctive. The Marseille Immunology Biocluster (MIB) was chosen in 2023 as one of the France 2030 bioclusters, with €97 million in state funding according to Aix-Marseille University. It targets cancer, autoimmune diseases and infectious diseases, and brings together the university, Inserm, the CNRS, AP-HM, Institut Paoli-Calmettes and the Eurobiomed competitiveness cluster.
Basic research relies in particular on the Centre d'immunologie de Marseille-Luminy (CIML), founded in 1976 and jointly run by Aix-Marseille University, the CNRS and Inserm. Marseille is also home to IHU Méditerranée Infection, a university hospital institute dedicated to infectious diseases.
Industry is part of the picture too. Eurobiomed, the health competitiveness cluster for Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur and Occitanie, has its headquarters in Marseille. According to the French ministry for the economy, it had 428 active members in 2024, and its focus areas include oncology and infectious diseases, which matches the hospitals' own strengths.
For clinical staff, what matters most is what this brings to the wards: close links between labs and hospitals, therapeutic trials, and research roles such as clinical research associate or research nurse alongside standard care positions.
Which healthcare professionals will find what?
- Doctors: referral services in transplantation, haematology, adult and paediatric oncology, with strong ties to research.
- Nurses: intensive care, theatres, transplant units, haematology, oncology day hospitals and clinical research.
- Midwives: the maternity unit at Hôpital Nord, within a university hospital caring for both adults and children.
- Physiotherapists: rehabilitation after transplantation, intensive care and support for cancer patients.
- Aides-soignants (healthcare assistants): part of every ward, from acute inpatient care to long-term care.
- Occupational therapists: rehabilitation and independence, particularly after long treatment pathways.
Each institution posts its own vacancies, so check directly with them which departments are hiring when you start planning your move.
Everyday life in Marseille
Marseille is a large port city on the Mediterranean and the heart of the Aix-Marseille-Provence metropolitan area. It is also a university city, home to Aix-Marseille University and its health faculties. Neighbourhoods vary a lot, so visit them before signing a lease and check commuting times to your future hospital. To prepare your arrival, read our guide to settling in France and our article on housing for healthcare workers. For pay, see our article on healthcare salaries in France.
Hesitating between Marseille and another city in the south-east? Compare their specialties before you decide: the right choice depends as much on your career plans as on lifestyle.
From idea to application
How you can practise in France depends on your profession and your qualification. Start with the guide for your job: doctor, nurse, midwife, physiotherapist, aide-soignant (healthcare assistant) or occupational therapist. Then read our general guide to working in France with an EU health qualification.
Once your application is under way, you can target the Marseille institutions that match your field: transplantation, oncology, haematology, clinical research or general hospital care.