The Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière – Institut du Cerveau – ICM (Brain & Spine Institute) brings together in one place patients, doctors and researchers in order to rapidly develop treatments for nerve damage and apply these to patients as soon as possible. Coming from all backgrounds and countries, the best scientists work on the most advanced research in the field. In 2013, an international call for tender was launched to welcome new teams. In this context, Bassem Hassan, a world-renowned neuroscientist, joined the Institut du Cerveau – ICM alongside the 25 existing research teams.
BASSEM HASSAN, SCIENTIFIC EXCELLENCE FOR PATIENT CARE
The Bassem Hassan team focuses on the genetic mechanisms that control early development of the nervous system, cell specification in the formation of neural circuits, as well as the mechanisms involved in neurological diseases, by using Drosophila as a model.
Bassem Hassan team focuses on three main areas of study:
- The relationship between the individual specificity of a brain network and his/her behaviour
- The molecular mechanisms responsible for the differentiation of neural stem cells
- The study of the mechanisms in some diseases:
- Alzheimer’s disease, by investigating whether the modulation of Wnt signaling pathway by the precursor of amyloid peptide plays a role in the pathology
- The fragile-X syndrome, studying whether the fragile-X protein plays a role in brain organisation
ABOUT BASSEM HASSAN
Bassem Hassan joined the Institut du Cerveau – ICM in January 2016 where he is now head of the “Brain Development” team. Once obtained his PhD in molecular genetics at Ohio University in 1996, he completed his post-doctorate at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. From 2001 to 2015, he was senior group leader at “VIB Center for the Biology of Disease” and Professor at the “Center for Human Genetics” at the University of Leuven in Belgium. In 2003, he was awarded the EMBO “Young Investigator” and in 2009 he was elected EMBO member. In 2015, he was named “Einstein Visiting Fellow” for 2016-2018 years at the Free University of Berlin and NeuroCure cluster.
A CALL FOR TENDERS REVEALING THE STRONG ATTRACTIVENESS OF THE Institut du Cerveau – ICM
A call for tenders was launched in spring 2013 to welcome new teams. The Institute received 83 application forms, 90% of international candidates. The interviews were conducted in February 2014. 11 shortlisted candidates were heard by the International Scientific Council of the Institute. A final selection was made late 2014 / early 2015.
Bassem Hassan was ranked first within the international “new teams” call.
With his work, Bassem Hassan, alongside 650 researchers, engineers and technicians of the Institute, will contribute to major progress for nervous system diseases.