CV Science

MARIE VIDAILHET Professor of Neurology, MD

Course and current status

Education/training

1998      PU-PH (Professor of Neurology) Sorbonne Université

1996      Habilitation to supervise research (HDR), Neuroscience, Pierre et Marie Curie  University, Paris-6

1991      Master in Neuroscience,  Pierre et Marie Curie University, Paris-6

1990      Visiting Research Fellow, Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London, UK

1988      MD degree and Medical Speciality (Neurology), Pierre et Marie Curie University, 

1984-8   Resident in Neurology  (Interne des Hôpitaux de Paris)

Career positions

2009- présent   Head of the research team (then, since 2012 co-head with Pr Stéphane Lehéricy)  Mov 'it (Movement, Investigation, Therapeutics) previously « normal and abnormal motor control : movement disorders and experimental therapeutics » within the ICM  (UMR 1127)  

2007- présent   Head of the Movement Disorders and Parkinson’s disease team, Department of Neurology, Salpêtriere Hospital, Paris (including the Reference Center for Parkinson’s disease, the National Reference Centers Dystonia and related movement disorders  as a consititutive section of the Neurogenetic Reference Center, and the Gilles de la Tourette National Reference Center)   

1997-2007    Head of the Neurology Department, Saint-Antoine Hospital, (Professor of Neurology  (University Hospital Pierre et Marie Curie University, Paris-6)

1988-1997   Assistant Professor (Chef de Clinique assistant & Praticien Hospitalier Universitaire), Pierre et Marie Curie University, Paris-6

Honors/Awards

2010, 2016         PIR : Prime d’Incitation à la Recherche, Pierre et Marie Curie University,

2006-2009          Interface INSERM 

2011                  Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur

2014                  Corresponding member of  French Académie de Médecine

Other Scientific and Administrative Missions

Scientific committees/societies:

2015-present   Chair of the Scientific committee, EAN (European Academy of Neurology) past- Co-chair (elected) of the MDS Pannel, Education, FEAN

2012-present   Dystonia Coalition (NIH/ Dystonia medical Research Foundation) executive committee

2012- 2015      Secretary Elect Movement Disorders Society (European Section)

2012-2014       COST action BM1101 European network for the study of dystonia syndromes (Vice Chair)

• Meetings organization:

2012             Winter course for Young Neurologists Paris (Movement Disorders Society)

• Research evaluation:

2012-present   Ad hoc reviewers for grants and positions (UK, Switzerland, Germany, Norway, Israel, France)

2012-present   PHRC (national program for Clinical Research) Ad Hoc reviewer

2012       AERES Ad Hoc reviewer, (evaluation of National research teams).

2012       member of the CSS1 (Neurocience) (jury for the appointment of INSERM researchers)

2012      President Elect of the CNU (Conseil National des Universités, Section 49.01 Neurologie, Jury for the appointment of the Professors of Neurology)

Scientific summary

Pr Vidailhet hasa long-standing interest in movement disorders, Parkinson’s disease and dystonia and my main research is focused on motor control from pathophysiology to experimental therapeutics. With her team (co-leader Pr S Lehéricy),she contributed to the field of pathophysiology, with a multimodal approach including neurophysiology and neuroimaging. Our main project in Parkinson’ disease: Identifying markers of evolution from prodromal symptoms to Parkison’s disease, taking isolated RBD as a model of PD, then deciphering each person’s evolutive profile, identify prognosis markers of severe evolution in PD using a multimodal approach in prodromal PD: Our project is a  window into neurodegeneration, and paves the way towards individualized medicine.

Our second focus is on rare disorders, exploring the motor  (dystonia) and behavioural (Gilles de la Tourette) networks. We demonstrated structural and functional abnormalities in the striatum, thalamus and cerebellum of focal dystonia and modifications of cortico-striatal connections. We are currently working on the interactions between the basal-ganglia-cortex and the cerebello-thalamo-cortical nettworks in dystonia. In experimental therapeutics, we have coordinated multicentre programs on deep brain stimulation and dystonia. We demonstrated in a controlled study, with a blind assessment of dystonia, the 50% improvement with bilateral pallidal stimulation in primary dystonia, with a long-term beneficial effect of 3 years and a good benefit/ risk ratio (quality of life, cognitive functions). We extensively studied the DYT11 patients (clinical and physiological characterisation) and expended the description of the phenotype. We are currently developing non invasive treatments ((trans magnetic stimulation) in dystonia in in tremors and revisit the long term effet of Deep Brain stimulation in our cohort of patients.  

With the reference Center for Gilles de la Tourette, we demonstrated morphological and functional cortical and subcortical abnormalities in the associative, limbic and motor networks, in favour of neurodevelopmental abnormalities and studied related behavioural disorders. We are currently exploring agentivity in these patients.

Pr Vidailhet is actively involved in national and international educational programs (MDS, MDS-European Section, European Academy o Neurology) and highly motivated to pursue in these actions. She is committed to the care of patients (with the responsibility of the outpatient and in patient clinic), and the training of senior Residents or Fellows (yearly “program” in movement disorders for the last 7 years). 

Over the year, Pr Vidailhet published more than 400 papers with a total H factor= 75