Prof. Stanislas Lyonnet, director of the Imagine Institute in Paris, France, explains his organization’s unique ecosystem that brings together researchers, physicians, patients and private actors to find the cure to genetic diseases.   Could you please introduce yourself and tell us why you decided to take the helm of the Imagine Institute in July 2016? I am both a physician and a scientist. Currently, I am a professor at Paris Descartes University, the co-head with Prof. Jeanne Amiel of the Laboratory of Embryology and Genetics of Human Malformation and also a physician in the department of genetics at Necker Enfants Malades Hospital. On top of those more traditional roles, I am trying to spearhead the Imagine Institute towards the future. The core purpose of the Imagine Institute is to combine the talents of scientists and physicians and bring their shared expertise to the families and children affected by genetic disorders. Our motto is “integration of basic sciences with clinical forces.” We add our expertise in the field of genetics to cure the patients of the Necker Hospital: of its 400,000 annual cases, ten percent comes to us. In a nutshell, we identify genetic diseases and gene mutations, discover whether they are hereditary, consult previous research, and refer parents to support groups. Our institute, much like other University Hospital Institutes (IHUs), is the clinical link to understanding to cure. We created an ecosystem that allows the interaction of families, children, basic science, and physicians.

The core purpose of the Imagine Institute is to combine the talents of scientists and physicians and bring their shared expertise to the families and children affected by genetic disorders