As part of a partnership signed last spring between the Institut du Cerveau in Paris and the Lycée Français de New York, we organized our very first Brain Week at the Lycée in early October.
Scientists from the Institute in Paris visited to New York in October to launch Paris Brain Institute America, the American arm of the renowned research institute. Teachers in science and PE, along with the Cultural Center, took advantage of their visit to create a rich program for the students and our community: lectures, launch of the Brain Bee, an interview by third and fourth graders for their after-school Sciences Vidéo program. In the evenings for families, we hosted a panel on the brain with the participation of Professor Bassem Hassan, Scientific Director of the Institute, and a screening of the film Les cinq nouvelles sur le cerveau by Jean-Stéphane Bron.
One of the highlights of the week was a talk by Dr. Gérard Saillant, who, after a long career as an orthopedic surgeon at the Pitié Salpêtrière Hospital, is now president of the Institut du Cerveau. Dr. Saillant, who was the official doctor for the French Olympic teams at the Los Angeles, Seoul and Barcelona Games, did not hesitate to give a little of his time to third- and fourth-grade students for an interview on preparing athletes for the Olympic Games.
Take a listen: Interview with Dr. Saillant by Pascale Richard (15 minutes)
Our seniors gathered in the auditorium with PE teacher Nicolas Martinez to hear Dr. Saillant’s lecture on the brain and our health. Dr. Saillant recommends an hour of exercise a day (30 minutes for adults). A former marathon runner himself and an athlete, Dr. Saillant, now in his eighties, has guided some of the greats in sports. He even included a few details on the injuries of Ronaldo, yes, Ronaldo, with audible “wows” from our fans of soccer.
The tenth and eleventh graders met Claire Wyart, scientific director at INSERM, talked about her career path. She is biophysicist specializing in neurons and also the daughter of Nobel Prize-winner Pierre-Gilles de Gennes. Our seniors who specializing in science met with Professor Alexis Brice, Managing Director of the Institut du Cerveau. Professor Brice is a specialist in rare brain diseases, and he answered their specific questions prepared with their teachers.
Many thanks to all the science teachers, who with guidance from Frédéric Yvelin, created a wonderful opportunity for our students.
The advantage of this partnership is that it’s a long-term one. Internships will be offered to students and training courses for teachers.We look forward to an ongoing and fruitful collaboration between our two institutions, with perhaps the next Nobel Prize winners in our ranks…!
About the Author :
Pascale Richard joined the Lycée as director of the Cultural Center in 2011, where she aims to bring the best of French and American cultures through conferences, concerts, films and various events. In the fall of 2012, she launched the school’s Artist-in-Residence program. Pascale was previously Vice President of External Affairs at the French Institute Alliance Française (FIAF). Her background is in journalism and writing with a focus on lifestyle and fashion. She is a graduate of Sciences-po and holds a master’s in journalism from New York University.