Nomination of Professor Alexis Brice as General Manager of the Brain & Spine Institute (Institut du Cerveau – ICM)
April 24th, 2012
The members of the board of the Brain & Spine Institute named Professor Alexis Brice, General Manager of the Institute.
In order to strengthen the governance of the Institute and lead its development, the members of the board of the Brain & Spine Institute (Institut du Cerveau – ICM) have decided to name Professor Alexis Brice, General Manager. In addition, he becomes the scientific director of « Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire IHU-A-Institut du Cerveau – ICM ».
Further to its opening in September 2010 and to its approval as “Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire” within the framework of “Investissement d’Avenir” (a governmental program launched to strengthen innovation), the Institut du Cerveau – ICM completes the organization of its management, in particular to reinforce the strategy of scientific and medical development.
Professor Alexis Brice is the Director of the “National Institute for Neuroscience, Cognitive Sciences, Neurology and Psychiatry” of the AVESIAN (national alliance for promoting life science and health). He is also professor at “Université Pierre et Marie Curie”, neurologist and formerly head of the Department of Genetics and Cytogenetics, at the Pitié-Salpêtrière University Hospital (Paris). He coordinates the National Reference Center for Neurogenetics and the team “Molecular basis, physiopathology and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases” of the Institut du Cerveau – ICM’s Research Center.
During his scientific career, after a graduation in neurology, Alexis Brice developed skills in molecular biology. He first dedicated his research, to the study of genetic determinants of neurodegenerative diseases: genes implicated in monogenic disease, genetic susceptibility factors in other cases. Alexis Brice’s team identified and characterized several genes involved in neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease, fronto-temporal dementias, spinocerebellar degenerations with applications for diagnosis and genetic counseling. He now dissects the mechanisms leading to neurodegeneration and identifies new targets for innovative treatments.
Alexis Brice has stated after his nomination that his will is to “develop an ambitious research policy on fundamental matters as well as medical topics in order to rank the Brain and Spine Institute among the most famous neurosciences research center in the world”.
The Institut du Cerveau – ICM chairman has underlined that the nomination of Alexis Brice is an important step for the Institute. “Alexis Brice is also an excellent doctor; this profile will allow him to lead an efficient research strategy to develop treatments for patients affected by brain and spine diseases.