Grégoire Courtine (born (1975-01-09)9 January 1975) is a French neuroscientist and a professor at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), where he is the co-director of the Defitech center for interventional neurotherapies (NeuroRestore).[1][2][3][4][5] His research focuses on the field of neurotechnology, with the aim to restore locomotor functions in patients with central nervous system disorders such as spinal cord injuries.[6]

Grégoire Courtine
Grégoire Courtine in 2014
Born (1975-01-09) January 9, 1975 (age 49)
NationalityFrench
Known forRestoration of locomotor functions in paralyzed animals
Academic background
Alma materUniversity of Pavia
University of Burgundy
University of California (UCLA)
Academic work
InstitutionsÉcole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)
Main interestsNeurorehabilitation
Websitewww.epfl.ch/labs/courtine-lab

Career

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After being training in physics and mathematics, Courtine obtained a PhD in experimental medicine jointly from the University of Pavia and the INSERM at the University of Burgundy in 2003. He then performed post-doctoral work in the laboratory of Reggie Edgerton at UCLA from 2004 to 2007, where he studied the neural basis of spontaneous recovery after spinal cord injuries, and developed novel strategies to restore functional neural networks after spinal cord resection in rats.[7][8] In 2008, he was appointed associate professor at the University of Zurich, where he established his own group with the aim to restore voluntary control of locomotion in paraplegic rats. He moved to EPFL in 2012 as an associate professor, and was promoted to full professor in 2019.[9][10]

In 2014, Courtine co-founded the biotechnology venture ONWARD Medical with the aim to develop novel neurostimulation therapies; he currently serves as the company's Chief Science Officer.[11]

Since 2019 Courtine, together with Jocelyne Bloch, leads the .NeuroRestore Laboratory, jointly initiated by the Defitech Foundation, the Lausanne University Hospital, the University of Lausanne and the EPFL.[3][5]

Research

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Courtine heads the G-LAB within the Brain Mind Institute and the Center for Neuroprosthetics at EPFL. Research in the G-LAB aims at restoring motor functions after central nervous system disorders such as spinal cord injuries.[6]

Using targeted spinal cord stimulation neurotechnologies, Courtine and colleagues significantly contributed to the field of neurorehabilitation by publishing a number of studies successively reporting the restoration of voluntary locomotion in rats with partial[12][13][14] and complete[15] spinal cord injuries, in primates [16][17] and in paralyzed human patients,[18] and restoration of blood pressure stability in human patients with spinal cord injuries[19] through the use of biomimetic epidural electrical stimulation (neurostimulation of the spinal cord mimicking the natural activation of the autonomic or somatic nervous system).[20]

Distinctions

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Courtine has received several international research and innovation prizes such as the Chancellor's Award for postdoctoral research (2008),[21] the International Foundation for Research in Paraplegia Schellenberg Research prize (2010),[22] the Debiopharm Group Life Science Award (2013),[23] the Rolex Award (2019),[24] and the Leenards Foundation Science Prize (2021).[25]

He was also awarded a starting grant (2010), a consolidator grant (2015) and two proof-of-concept grants (2013 and 2019) from the European Research Council.[26] In 2020, he was awarded the IET A F Harvey Prize.[27] His name was included in Time 2024 list of influential people in health. [28]

References

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  1. ^ ORCID. "gregoire courtine (0000-0002-5744-4142)". orcid.org. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
  2. ^ "Loop | G Courtine". loop.frontiersin.org. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
  3. ^ a b Barraud, Emmanuel (12 May 2019). "NeuroRestore Center: aimed at restoring lost neurological function". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  4. ^ "Gregoire Courtine, PhD". Wyss Center. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  5. ^ a b "NeuroRestore". NeuroRestore. Retrieved 15 February 2021.
  6. ^ a b "G-LAB UPCOURTINE". www.epfl.ch. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
  7. ^ Courtine, Gregoire; Song, Bingbing; Roy, Roland R.; Zhong, Hui; Herrmann, Julia E.; Ao, Yan; Qi, Jingwei; Edgerton, V. Reggie; Sofroniew, Michael V. (January 2008). "Recovery of supraspinal control of stepping via indirect propriospinal relay connections after spinal cord injury". Nature Medicine. 14 (1): 69–74. doi:10.1038/nm1682. ISSN 1546-170X. PMC 2916740. PMID 18157143.
  8. ^ Courtine, Grégoire; Gerasimenko, Yury; van den Brand, Rubia; Yew, Aileen; Musienko, Pavel; Zhong, Hui; Song, Bingbing; Ao, Yan; Ichiyama, Ronaldo M.; Lavrov, Igor; Roy, Roland R. (October 2009). "Transformation of nonfunctional spinal circuits into functional states after the loss of brain input". Nature Neuroscience. 12 (10): 1333–1342. doi:10.1038/nn.2401. ISSN 1546-1726. PMC 2828944. PMID 19767747.
  9. ^ Herbelin, Bruno (17 July 2019). "Prof. Grégoire Courtine promoted Full Professor". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  10. ^ "Grégoire Courtine at EPFL". Retrieved 6 October 2020.
  11. ^ "ONWARD - Empowering Movement". www.onwd.com. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  12. ^ Brand, Rubia van den; Heutschi, Janine; Barraud, Quentin; DiGiovanna, Jack; Bartholdi, Kay; Huerlimann, Michèle; Friedli, Lucia; Vollenweider, Isabel; Moraud, Eduardo Martin; Duis, Simone; Dominici, Nadia (1 June 2012). "Restoring Voluntary Control of Locomotion after Paralyzing Spinal Cord Injury". Science. 336 (6085): 1182–1185. Bibcode:2012Sci...336.1182V. doi:10.1126/science.1217416. hdl:11382/373455. ISSN 0036-8075. PMID 22654062. S2CID 14665852.
  13. ^ Carey, Benedict (31 May 2012). "In Rat Experiment, New Hope for Spine Injuries (Published 2012)". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
  14. ^ "Running repairs". The Economist. ISSN 0013-0613. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
  15. ^ Wenger, Nikolaus; Moraud, Eduardo Martin; Raspopovic, Stanisa; Bonizzato, Marco; DiGiovanna, Jack; Musienko, Pavel; Morari, Manfred; Micera, Silvestro; Courtine, Grégoire (24 September 2014). "Closed-loop neuromodulation of spinal sensorimotor circuits controls refined locomotion after complete spinal cord injury". Science Translational Medicine. 6 (255): 255ra133. doi:10.1126/scitranslmed.3008325. ISSN 1946-6234. PMID 25253676. S2CID 33473196.
  16. ^ Capogrosso, Marco; Milekovic, Tomislav; Borton, David; Wagner, Fabien; Moraud, Eduardo Martin; Mignardot, Jean-Baptiste; Buse, Nicolas; Gandar, Jerome; Barraud, Quentin; Xing, David; Rey, Elodie (November 2016). "A brain–spine interface alleviating gait deficits after spinal cord injury in primates". Nature. 539 (7628): 284–288. Bibcode:2016Natur.539..284C. doi:10.1038/nature20118. ISSN 1476-4687. PMC 5108412. PMID 27830790.
  17. ^ editor, Ian Sample Science (9 November 2016). "Brain implant allows partially paralysed monkeys to walk again". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 7 October 2020. {{cite news}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  18. ^ Wagner, Fabien B.; Mignardot, Jean-Baptiste; Le Goff-Mignardot, Camille G.; Demesmaeker, Robin; Komi, Salif; Capogrosso, Marco; Rowald, Andreas; Seáñez, Ismael; Caban, Miroslav; Pirondini, Elvira; Vat, Molywan (November 2018). "Targeted neurotechnology restores walking in humans with spinal cord injury". Nature. 563 (7729): 65–71. Bibcode:2018Natur.563...65W. doi:10.1038/s41586-018-0649-2. ISSN 1476-4687. PMID 30382197. S2CID 53148162.
  19. ^ Squair, Jordan W.; Gautier, Matthieu; Mahe, Lois; Soriano, Jan Elaine; Rowald, Andreas; Bichat, Arnaud; Cho, Newton; Anderson, Mark A.; James, Nicholas D.; Gandar, Jerome; Incognito, Anthony V. (February 2021). "Neuroprosthetic baroreflex controls haemodynamics after spinal cord injury". Nature. 590 (7845): 308–314. Bibcode:2021Natur.590..308S. doi:10.1038/s41586-020-03180-w. ISSN 1476-4687. PMID 33505019. S2CID 231769833.
  20. ^ Barraud, Emmanuel (28 January 2021). "New treatment helps patients with a spinal cord injury". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  21. ^ "Chancellor's Award for Postdoctoral Research – Award Recipients". UCLA Postdoctoral Scholars. 12 August 2019. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
  22. ^ "IRP Schellenberg Research Prize" (PDF). Retrieved 7 October 2020.
  23. ^ "Debiopharm Group™ presents the 'Debiopharm Group Life Sciences Award 2013' and two 'Junior Debiopharm Group Life Sciences Awards 2013' during the annual EPFL SV- Life Science Symposium". Debiopharm. 29 August 2013. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
  24. ^ "Help paralysed people walk again - Rolex Awards". rolex.org. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
  25. ^ "Press release - 1 June 2021". Fondation Leenaards - Favoriser la dynamique créatrice (in French). Retrieved 22 June 2022.
  26. ^ "ERC FUNDED PROJECTS". ERC: European Research Council. Archived from the original on 13 January 2021. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
  27. ^ "The AF Harvey lecture - The IET". www.theiet.org. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
  28. ^ "TIME100 Health". TIME. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
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