The Fondation de France

La#Fondation#de#France#
The$mission$of$the$Fondation$de$France$is$to$connect$donators$to$the$best$
projects$ of$ solidarity$ and$ medical$ research.$ Thanks$ to$ its$ 21$ programmes$
and$ the$ 775$ foundations$ under$ the$ auspices$ of$ the$ Fondation$ de$ France,$
9000$projects$were$funded$in$2014$in$all$fields$of$general$interest:$the$fight$
against$ social$ precariousness,$ medical$ research,$ aid$ to$ children,$ culture,$
environment$and$others.$$$
Our$voluntary$committees$of$experts$consisting$of$400$of$the$bestGknown$specialists$in$each$field$of$
action$recognize,$select$and$follow$up$the$most$useful$and$innovating$projects.$
Pervasive$ Developmental$ Disorders$ (PDD)$ which$ include$ autism,$ affects$ between$ 300$000$ and$
500$000$ people$ in$ France$ and$ one$ out$ of$ 150$ births.$ In$ spite$ of$ important$ progress$ in$ the$
comprehension$ of$ these$ disorders$ there$ still$ remains$ a$ lot$ to$ discover$ about$ typical$ cognitive$
development.$$
It$ is$ this$ observation$ that$ leads$ the$ Fondation$ de$ France$ in$ 1999$ to$ engage$ in$ support$ for$
Fundamental$ and$ Clinical$ Research$ on$ PDD.$ The$ primary$ aim$ was$ to$ help$ interdisciplinary$ research$
and$ enable$ all$ those$ interested$ in$ the$ study$ and$ treatment$ of$ the$ disorder$ (psychiatrists,$
psychoanalysts,$ geneticists,$ epidemiologists,$ neuroscientists)$ to$ share$ their$ experience$ and$ their$
research.$
Ten$ years$ on$ a$ component$ on$ the$ typical$ cognitive$ development$ in$ children$ was$ added$ to$ analyse$
typical$ situations$ and$ establish$ standards$ of$ reference$ to$ permit$ better$ understanding$ of$ these$
disorders.$$
In$ 2015$ the$ FdF$ confirms$ its$ support$ to$ research$ for$ autism$ by$ funding$ important$ collaborative$
research$projects$that$will$contribute$to$better$knowledge$of$pathological$and$typical$development$
and$the$mechanism$of$learning$observed$in$children$from$the$fœtus$to$adolescence.$$
The$ aim$ is$ to$ develop$ original$ and$ innovating$ research$ concerned$ with$ all$ aspects$ of$ cognitive$
development$ in$ children$ and$ adolescents$ to$ improve$ the$ diagnostic$ and$ treatment$ of$ autism$
disorders.$

The#Fondation#de#France$projects#cover#five#subjects#:#
G
G
G

G
G

The$ mechanisms$ of$ normal$ and$
pathological$neuroGdevelopment$
The$modelisation$of$cognitive$and$
learning$development$
The$ identification$ of$ biomarkers$
permitting$ early$ diagnosis$ of$
autism,$ the$ evaluation$ of$ the$
effectiveness$ of$ treatment$ and$
strategies$for$prevention$
Longitudinal$ studies$ and$ the$
follow$up$of$groups$
New$ strategies$ for$ therapy$ and$
/or$innovating$treatment$for$autism$
$

©F.$Albert$

Our$ multidisciplinary$ committee,$ composed$ of$ 12$ $ specialists$ $ known$ for$ their$ work$ in$ the$ field$ of$
Autism$Spectrum$Disorder$(ASD)$and$cognitive$development$in$children$and$adolescents,$selects$the$
most$promising$and$innovating$projects.$
$

Members#of#the#Autism#Committee#
The$ committee$ is$ presided$ by$ Prof$ Catherine$ Barthélemy,$ university$
professor,$ hospital$ practitioner,$ pedopsychiatrist$ and$ physiologist.$
Responsible$ for$ team$ 1,$ Inserm$ U$ 930$ «$Brain$ and$ Imagery$»$ CHU$
Bretonneau,$Tours.$
$
$
Members$:$
G

G
G
G
G
G
G

G
G
G
G

Dr#Alexis#Arzimanglou,$associate$professor,$hospital$pratitioner,$Head$of$$Department$at$the$
Institute$ of$ Epilepsy$ in$ Children$ and$ adolescents,$ hospital$ WomenGMotherGChild,$ Civil$
hospices$of$Lyon,$Bron$
Dr# Christine# Cans,$ hospital$ practitioner,$ Head$ of$ the$ Department$ of$ Medical$ Information,$
Pôle$Santé$Publique,$CHU$Grenoble.$
Prof# David# Cohen,$ university$ professor,$ hospital$ practitioner$:$ Head$ of$ the$ Department$ of$
Psychiatry$for$children$and$adolescents,$hospital$group$PitiéGSalpêtrière,$Paris$
Prof# Christine# Deruelle,$ Director$ of$ Research$ CNRS,$ Timone$ Institute$ of$ Neuroscience,$
Marseille$
Dr#Jessica#Dubois,#in$charge$of$research,$unit$of$cognitive$neuroGimagery,$Inserm$U$992,$CEA$
Neurospin,$GifGsurGYvette$
Prof#Nicolas#Georgieff,#university$professor,$hospital$practitioner,$Head$of$the$Department$of$
Psychiatry$for$children$and$adolescents,$specialised$hospital$centre$le$Vinatier,$Villeurbanne$
Prof#Stéphane#Marret,university$professor,$hospital$practitioner,$Head$of$the$Department$of$
Reanimation$and$Neonatal$Pediatrics,$CharlesGNicolle$Hospital,$member$of$the$Inserm$ERI$28$
«$Neovasc$»$team,$Rouen$
Dr# Angela# Sirigu,# Director$ of$ Research,$ Director$ of$ the$ Neuropsychology$ team$ CNRS$ UMR$
5229,$Centre$of$Cognitive$Neuroscience,$Bron$
Dr# Sylviane# Valdois,$ Director$ of$ Research,$ Director$ of$ the$ Laboratory$ for$ Psychology$ and$
Neurocognition$–$CNRS$UMR$5105,$Pierre$MendesGFrance$University,$Grenoble$
Dr# Laurent# Villard,# Director$ of$ Research,$ responsible$ for$ the$ human$ neurogenetic$ team,$
Inserm$UMR$S$910,$team$1,$Timone$Faculty$of$Medecine$,$Marseille$
Pr# Monica# Zilbovicius,$ $ Director$ of$ Research,$ Inserm$ U$ 797,$ CEA$ of$ Orsay,$ responsible$ for$
research$ in$ cerebral$ imagery$ of$ infantile$ development$ disorders,$ Necker$ Hospital$ –$ sick$
children,$Paris.$