Biography
I was born on December 1st, 1943 in Cairo (Egypt). I went to the Collége des frères in Cairo and then to Nahalal agricultural high school in Israel. Afterwards, I pursued graduate studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in Israel and at Paris VI University (1971) in France. After various post-doctorates from 1973 to 1980 at Cambridge University, Oslo University and finally the McGill University in Montreal , I settled down in France. In 1986, I took over from Alexandre Minkowski as director of INSERM unit U29 ” Neurobiology and Pathophysiology of development” at Cochin hospital in Port Royal.
In 1999, I founded and headed the Neurobiology Institute of the Mediterranean (Inmed) in Marseille. I currently lead a research group and two biotech companies: Neurochlore that aims to understand and treat autism and B&A Therapeutics that aims to understand and treat Parkinson’s disease.
Awards
- 2000 Grand Prix Milken de la fondation Américaine de l’épilepsie
- 2002 Grand prix de la Santé de l’EDF
- 2006 prix de la fondation Rotary de France
- 2009 Grand Prix de l’INSERM
- 2009 Docteur Honoraire de l’Université de Liège (Belgique)
- 2010 Grand prix de la société Européenne de l’épilepsie
- 2012 Grand prix du FNRS de Belgique