Scientific topics
Keywords
ITMO
Vincent PREVOT Ph.D.
Course and current status
Education
1995-1999 Ph.D. in Neuroscience, University of Lille, France
1994 M.S. in Animal Physiology, University of Paris XI, Orsay, France
1993 B.S. in Biochemistry, University of Paris XI, Orsay, France
Professional Background
Present Appointments
2016- : Senior Research Director (“Directeur de Recherche 1ière classe”, DR1), National Institute of Health and Medical Research (Inserm), France
2009-2017 : Co-Director of the International Associated Laboratory NEUROBESE (Inserm - University of Lille 2 - Children's Hospital Los Angeles, University of Southern California, USA).
2006- : Head of the Inserm Research Team “Development and Plasticity of the Neuroendocrine Brain”, Inserm U1172 (former Inserm UMR837, 2006-2014)
Previous Appointments
2009-2015 Research Director (“Directeur de Recherche 2ième classe”, DR2), Inserm, France.
2002-2009 Associate Researcher (“Chargé de Recherche”), Inserm, France
1999-2002 Postdoctoral Fellow, Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health and Science University, Beaverton, Oregon. Laboratory of Dr. Sergio R Ojeda Laboratory.
1995-1999 French Ministry of Research Doctoral Trainee. Inserm, Lille, France. Laboratory of Dr. Jean-Claude Beauvillain (Inserm U422).
Honors and Awards
2024 Edwin B. Astwood Award for Outstanding Research in Basic Science from the Endocrine Society, USA
2023 Scientific Grand Prize from the Fondation pour la Recherche Médicale (FRM, France
2023 Scientific Grand Prize NRJ Foundation-Institut de France from the French National Academy of Science, France
2023 Laureate of a European Research Council (ERC) proof of concept Grant, France
2023 Lecture Alfred Fessard; award from the French Society for Neuroscience, France
2021 Prix Charles Thibault; award from the GDR Repro (research group on reproduction), CNRS, France
2029 Laureate and coordinator of a Horizon 2020 Framework Programme of the Euroean Union
2018 European Research Council (ERC) Synergy Grant Laureate.
2018 Jacques Benoit Lecture at the 9th International Congress in Neuroendocrinology, Toronto,Canada
2017 Grand Prix Kuhlmann, Société des Sciences, de l'Agriculture et des Arts de Lille
2017 Plenary lecture at the 27th meeting of the Hellenic Society for Neuroscience, Athens
2015 Plenary lecture at the 12th meeting of the French Society for Neuroscience, Montpellier
2014-2017 Inserm award for the Excellence of Research
2007-2012 Contract for translational research, Inserm –Lille County Hospital
2000 “Inserm 2000” postdoctoral fellowship
1996 Doctoral fellowship from the French Ministry of Research
Election and nomination to Executive Committees and Advisory Boards
2022-2024. Elected member of the Program Organizing Committee of the 2024 Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (FENS) Forum
2022-2023. Member of the Program Organizing Committee of the International Brain Research Organization (IBRO) for the 2023 meeting held in Granada in Spain
2020-2024. President of the International Federation of Neuroendocrinology (INF)
2020-present. Member of the ITMO Neuroscience
2019-Present. President of the Life and Health Science study section (SVS-3) at the F.R.S.-FNRS (fond national de la recherche scientifique), Belgium
2019-2021. Member of the ANR Evaluation Committee in the Physiology panel.
2017-Present. President-elect of the EUropean Center for Reproductive Endocrinology (EUCRE); Association born to the European COST action BM1105 (2012-2017).
2017- Nominated member at the Life and Health Science study section (SVS-3) at the F.R.S.-FNRS (Fond de la Recherche Scientifique), Belgium.
2016-present. Nominated member at the Neuroscience Study Section at Inserm (CSS4), France.
2015-2017. Treasurer of the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (FENS)
2014- present Member of the Scientific Council of the French Medical Research Foundation (FRM)
2013-2015. President of the French Society for Neuroendocrinology
2013- 2014. Member of the Institute National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA) commission for the recruitment of tenured track INRA Research Associate and Directors.
2012-2017. Scientific council of the "DIM Cerveau et Pensée & DIM Neuropole de Recherche Francilien (NeRF)", Paris, France
2012-2017. Member of the Executive Committee of the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (FENS)
2012-2015. Member of the Council of the International Neuroendocrinology Federation
2012-2018. Member of the board of the French Glial Cell Club
2008-2009. Treasurer of the French Society for Neuroscience
2009-2011. Treasurer of the French Society for Neuroendocrinology
2006-2011. Member of the board of the French Society for Neuroendocrinology
2006-2009. Member of the board of the French Society for Neuroscience
Administrative Responsibilities
2006-present Member of the Board of Directors of the Lille Neuroscience & Cognition Research Center
2008-2013 Member of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee of the University of Lille.
2006- 2011 Scientific Director of the “Biserte” animal facility of the federative research Institute of the University of Lille 2 (IFR 114).
Editorial Boards
2016-2020 : Associate Editor for Reviews, Neuroendocrinology (IF: 5)
2014- : Editorial board of Endocrinology (IF: 4)
2011-present: Editorial board of the Journal of Neuroendocrinology (IF: 3.4)
2008-present : Contributing Editor of the European Journal of Neuroscience (EJN) (IF: 2.8)
2010 Invited editor of the EJN special issue on "Plasticity of Neuroendocrine systems" Volume 32, number 12.
Last 10 oral communications and Lectures out of 110
1. Alzheimer's Association International Conference (AAIC 2023) “Unlocking cognition with pulsatile GnRH in Down Syndrome: implications for Alzheimer's disease”, Symposium Chair & Speaker, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, July 2023.
2. Mars Lecture, SSIB (Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior) “Tanycytes as hypothalamic integrators of energy metabolism”, Portland, Oregon, USA, July 2023.
3. Alfred Fessard Lecture, NeuroFrance 2023 “The neuroendocrine key to the brain aging enigma”, Lyon, France, May 2023.
4. Massachusetts Down syndrome congress, LuMind IDSC Down Syndrome Foundation. “GnRH replacement therapy in adults with DS: study findings”, Lecture, Virtual conference, March 2023.
5. T21RS (Trisomy 21 Research Society) Webinar. GnRH replacement rescues cognition in Down syndrome. Lecture, September 2022.
6. 60th European Society for Pediatric Endocrinology (ESPE). “HypothalamicIntegration of Reproduction and Energy Metabolism". Symposium, Rome,September 2022.
7. ESPE New approaches for the study of hormone transport and action into the
hypothalamus". ESPE Obesity Working Group: Paediatric Obesity from molecular
aspects to modern technology, Rome, September 2022.
8. EUCRE2022. “Estrogen-receptor-alpha-expressing tanycytes regulate GnRH
pulsatile release and estrogenic control of female fertility”, Symposium, Kruger
National Park, South Africa, September 2022.
9. European Society of Endocrinology (ESE) Summer School 2022. “The
Versatile Tanycyte: A Hypothalamic Integrator of Reproduction and Energy
Homeostasis”. Innsbruck, Austria, July 2022.
10. International Winter Neuroscience Conference. “CSF & Tanycytes: The
hypothalamic Hyperdrive for Metabolic Hormones ”, Symposium, Slöden, Austria,
April 2022.
Scientific summary
The two principal focuses of our research are the Central Control of Energy Homeostasis, and the Neurobiology of Reproduction. Among our pioneering studies are: (i) the demonstration that tanycytes, specialized ependymoglial cells lining the floor of the third ventricle, are responsible for the transport of peripheral metabolic signals such as leptin across brain barriers into the metabolic brain, elucidating a mechanism for leptin resistance in obesity; (ii) the discovery that endothelial cell-derived chemotropic factors of the semaphorin family control GnRH axonal growth in the adult neuroendocrine brain, thus modulating fertility; (iii) the finding that a discrete neuronal population that releases nitric oxide in the preoptic region of the hypothalamus is vital for the rapid integration and transmission of both gonadal and metabolic signals within the neuroendocrine brain, and thus plays a key role in the timing of puberty onset; and (iv) the uncovering that a dramatic switch in miRNA expression patterns in infantile GnRH neurons inverts the balance between inductive and repressive signals, triggering increased hypothalamic GnRH expression and controlling the crucial transition from the early infantile phase, when its levels are low, to the GnRH-fuelled run-up to puberty.
