Research policy

First published in french in Médecine et Sciences Research funding suffers from well-known but not understood by generations of politicians’ issues. We are still far from the 3% of GDP required to get back on the saddle and which are occasionally promised before one election or another. However, even those who complain that the rank … Read more

A new study, published in Nature by researchers from McGill University, shows that increased sodium concentration in the blood may influence the circadian rhythm of mice via an excitatory GABAergic pathway. Our circadian rhythm is controlled by the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), which coordinates physiological and behavioral changes to anticipate changes related to our 24-hour cycle. … Read more

A recent publication has been hailed by the media as the proof that empathy has a genetic origin. It is unfortunate that journalists do not bother to read scientific articles properly and learn about the limitations of what is shown in this article as in others that suggest that autism is genetic at 15-25%, schizophrenia … Read more

Following the recent publication of a paper called “GABAergic inhibition in dual-transmission cholinergic and GABAergic striatal interneurons is abolished in Parkinson disease“, Erwan Bézard, director of the Neurodégénérative Diseases Institute of Bordeauxpublished a commentary, that you can find here. Here’s our answer: First of all, we always pay attention to discussions and criticisms and we welcome … Read more

A large part of the therapeutic applications of biomedical research is generated in innovation incubators. More than 70% of new drugs come from discoveries made by small structures close to academic research, which have a greater capacity for innovation than larger companies. These ones invest in start-ups by buying them or acquiring licenses. With a … Read more

The Paper of Yves Frégnac in Science raises major issues that are on the convergence of the paucity of concepts in science, the evaluation and financing of scientific investigations and the false promises of big programs to understand the brain and treat neurological and psychiatric disorders. The incredible acceleration of technological advances attested every day … Read more

The increase of scientific frauds and publications that are not reproductible is a major concern that has been analyzed many times. So-called leading journals have more and more retractations, articles considered major and opening up new perspectives are abandoned because based on tampered or “arranged” results, even emanating from prestigious laboratories. These frauds, however, have … Read more

In a refreshing article, an American scientist proposes a series of changes to improve the functioning of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), one of the leading scientific research institutions in the US. Despite the differences in the organization of science in the US and Europe, it is interesting to note the similarity in the criticisms … Read more