CV Science

Tasnime Akbaraly Researcher at Inserm (The French National Institute of Health and Medical Research)

Course and current status

Curent Professional Activity 

• Inserm Senior Researcher (permanant position since 2010). Centre for research in epidemiology and population health - Psychological Developpement department, Montpellier, France. 

• Honorary Researcher - University College London (since 2009). Epidemiology and Public Health Dpt,   London, United Kingdom.

Employment History

2010-2014: Senior Research Associate. Inserm U1061 Neuropsychiatry: Epidemiological and clinical research, Montpellier, France. 

2009-2015 : Research Associate. Whitehall II Study, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health. University College London, London, UK.

2009-2010 : Post-doctoral position- Inserm U1061: Neuropsychiatry, epidemiological and clinical research, Montpellier, France.

2007-2009 : Post doctoral position-Department of Epidemiology and Public Health (Mika Kivimaki), University College London, London, UK.

2006-2007 : Post doctoral position- Department MRC Human Nutrition Research (Ann Prentice), Cambridge, United Kingdom.

Education          

2010 - 2013         French Habilitation for PhD supervision. University of Montpellier, France.

2006 - 2010         University Diploma in Neuropsychology. University of Montpellier, France.

2003 - 2006         PhD in Epidemiology and Public Health. 2006. University Paris XI, Montpellier Inserm. PhD title: Epidemiological study of nutritional biological factors in cerebral aging,

2002 - 2003        Master in Epidemiology. 2003. University Paris XI, France.

2001 - 2002        University Diploma in Statistic and Life Science. 2002. University Paris XI, France.

2000 - 2001        Master in Biochemistry. 2001. University Paris VI Pierre et Marie Curie. France.

 Honours and Awards

2014-2015          Scientific excellence bonus, French National Institute of Health and Medical Research

2010                     Prize "Chercheur d'Avenir" - Languedoc Roussillon Region.

2008                     Award for a Travel fellowship - International Conference on Alzheimer’s Disease (ICAD)

2007                     Young Scientist Award for oral communication - Federation of the European Nutrition Societies (FENS).

Research support

2019-2020 : Support from Network of Centre of Excellence in Neurodegeneration (€20000)

2012-2014 : ARPE- Support from Languedoc Roussillon region to ongoing project. (€50000)

2011-2014 : ANR-2010-MALZ-007-01 (Association National pour la recherche) Cognitive REServe and Clinical ENDOphenotype : Crescendo Project (Co-PI) (€655000)

2011-2014 : “Chercheur d’Avenir “ Grant allocated by Languedoc Roussillon Region Support for PhD Student. (€85000)

2006-2007 : Post-doctoral grant allocated by the French Nutrition Society. (€22000)  

2003-2006 : PhD project grant allocated by France Alzheimer association. (€48000)

 

Other Academic Activities

• Teaching activity at university: Master M2, University of Montpellier (few hours per year)  

• Students supervision: Students in Master1, Master 2, PhD Student, post-doctoral researcher and research assistant.

• Conferences for a general audience

Scientific summary

Main Research Topic - Etiological association of diet with age-related chronic diseses and mental health -

My work aims to understand the role of diet in age-related chronic diseases and mental health by paying a special interest to the social gradient underlying dietary behavior and by investigating the biological and metabolic pathways through which overall diet is likely to influence mental and cognitive health. Currently I am also developing a research program on the role of diet in Autism Spectrum Disorders.

 

Evidence of International Standing

• Publications : 98 publications ; H-index : 36 ; >3500 citations

• Learned societies Membership (International Society for Nutritional Psychiatry Research (ISNPR),  scientific committee ; French Nutritional Society, France, since 2017)

• Reviewer activity (general medicine journals : JAMA, BMJ ;  nutrition journals : Eur J Nut, AJCN ; endocrinology and diabetes journals : Diabetes Care...)  

• Members of scientific evaluation committee

 

Prervious Research Topics / Expertise : Determinants of  heterogeneity in aging

Health Behaviour, Metabolic factors and ageing : We examined the association of diet on cognitive,physical functioning and mental health using expertise in nutritional epidemiology and neuropsychology. In parallel, we studied association between type II diabetes biomarkers, cholesterol metabolism and cognitive decline and mental health.

Cognitive Reserve and neuroimaging : - Co-Investigator of the CRESCENDO Projet (Cognitive Reserve and clinical endophenotype).

Based on the hypothesis that CR can attenuate the effects of age-related neural changes via differential expression of functional MRI (fMRI) identified brain networks, the overall theme of the CRESCENDO project is to identify the determinants of heterogeneity in cognitive aging by understanding to what extent CR contributes to explaining this heterogeneity, our approach combines brain imaging biomarkers, neuropsychological assessments, measurements of CR proxies, plasmatic biomarkers of amyloid charge and metabolic disorders.