Was born on June 12, 1946 in Paris, France. Daughter of the famous physicist Jean Teiliac. In 1971 she received her master's degree from the Faculty of Natural Sciences, and in 1977 she received her Ph.D.
From 1997 to 2000, she served as General Director of the French National Center for Scientific Research. Since 2003, she served as President of the Institute of Optical Theory and Practice. In 2005, Catherine Brechignac was elected President of the International Council for Science. Since January 11, 2006 — President of the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNR). From 2011 to 2018, Catherine Brechignac is permanent secretary of the Academy of Sciences. France. Since 2019 Honorary Permanent Secretary of the French Academy of Sciences.
According to the International Council for Science, Professor Catherine Brechignac became one of the founders of cluster physics, which bridges the gap between atomic, molecular and solid state physics. Honorary Permanent Secretary of the French Academy of Sciences, Catherine Brechignac, on November 8, 2019, was appointed the representative of the French Academy of Sciences in Russia.