Greetings from Jérôme Baufreton for 2024

The entire Bordeaux Neurocampus team joins me in wishing you all the best for the new year 2024!

First of all, I would like to extend my warmest thanks to the unit directors and all the administrative, hospital and research staff for your commitment. Your efforts in 2023 conserved a dynamic, rich, and enthusiastic Neurocampus environment that surely will continue into 2024, which represents a milestone year for our community.

As you may have noticed from the logo at the top of this website, Bordeaux Neurocampus is celebrating its 30th anniversary. The Federative Research Institute (IFR) in clinical and experimental neuroscience was created on January 1st, 1994, bringing together teams from several institutions: CHU, CH Charles Perrens, CNRS, Inserm, Université Bordeaux II. At that time, local neuroscience research was already very dynamic and recognised. Let’s not forget that, in addition to these establishments, it extended to the University of Bordeaux I… and as far as Arcachon!

Over the years, this federative structure has evolved, welcomed new trustees, changed its name several times, seen several buildings go up, taken on a new lease of life in 2007 with the Neurocampus project supported by the University and the regional council, experienced the creation of the LabEx and the reorganisation of the units in 2011 and… has grown a lot! Our full story will soon be available in a dedicated text on this website. Bordeaux Neurocampus – a name we took on in 2013 – is now one of the eleven research departments of the University of Bordeaux, with a staff of nearly 800 and almost 150 Master’s degree students.

It’s a symbolic occasion that in this anniversary year, our entire community is now united in the same geographical area (Carreire Campus, CHU and CH Charles Perrens), with the INCIA moving into the Bordeaux Biologie Santé (BBS) building, which also houses the Circé platform, shared by the INCIA and NutriNeuro. But this move is much more than a symbol. It will enable us to continue the momentum that began decades ago, to be more efficient, to share certain technical platforms and to facilitate meetings, and therefore collaborations, between us, but also with other research departments.

This new year will therefore be commemorated by a number of key moments to celebrate our anniversary with the staff of the units, the partners, the trustees and the public authorities, in particular the Regional Council, which has supported neuroscience in Bordeaux for many years. We’ll be coming back very soon to tell you about the events that await you, but you can put the Bordeaux Neurocampus Day on 16 May in your calendars. Coincidentally, the general public will also be taking part in this celebration. Bordeaux will have the honour of hosting the national inaugural conference of Brain Awareness Week on March 4th, an event organised by Stéphane Oliet, current Director of the Neurocentre Magendie and President of the Société des Neurosciences for the 2023-2025 term.

As for our units, Laurent Groc succeeded Daniel Choquet as head of the IINS on January 1st and Frédéric Gambino became deputy director. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Daniel Choquet, who remains Director of the BIC and the BRAIN_2030 GPR, for his commitment over all these years – almost 30 years! Other notable changes include the recent creation of a team in the IMN, co-directed by Francesca De Giorgi and François Ichas, the birth of a team directed by Céline Nicolas in the INCIA following the award of her ATIP-Avenir, and the handover of a team from Olivier Thoumine to Mathieu Letellier in the IINS.

This year will also mark the 10th Brainconf and the 15th anniversary of the BIC… and of course we would like to wish a happy birthday to the University of Bordeaux, which was created 10 years ago by merging the University of Bordeaux 1, 2 and 4.

I’d like to conclude these tidings by happily announcing three new initiatives for 2024. Firstly, the Marian Diamond Prize, created by the Parity Committee to recognise the work and career of a female post-doctoral researcher. Secondly, the “diplôme universitaire” in Neuroeducation, a new training course for teachers run by the Maison pour la Science, in which a dozen researchers from Bordeaux Neurocampus are involved. Lastly, 4 Bordeaux Neurocampus units will have their websites revamped. The key points of this project are a common graphic charter for these websites and the sharing of certain content (calendar, directory, publications) with the department’s website. It’s one more step towards “working together”!

With all the work we’ve done to advance research, training and innovation, but also to promote transition, scientific dissemination and develop international collaborations, we can be proud of our community over the past 30 years and can continue for many years to come!

I wish you all a very happy 2024, both personally and professionally.