The Centre for Biomedical and Healthcare Engineering (CIS) celebrated its 20th anniversary on Monday, July 1st, at its premises in Saint-Priest-en-Jarez. Nearly 130 people were present to celebrate this anniversary, meet its staff, and visit its research laboratories.
On this first day of July, the doors of the CIS laboratories were open to the many guests who came to celebrate two decades of a wonderful human adventure combining research, innovation, and education in the fields of health and engineering.
Guests were able to discover the state-of-the-art facilities of one of Mines Saint-Étienne’s five teaching and research centers. They also exchanged with the managers of the technical platforms that comprise it.
Several speeches followed the visits organized in small groups, including those by Jacques Fayolle, Director of Mines Saint-Étienne; Vincent Augusto, Director of the CIS; Olivier Brossard, Director of the University Hospital; Philippe Bertelot, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine; Christophe Faverjon, Vice-President of Saint-Étienne Métropole; Stéphanie Calaciura, Departmental Councillor delegated for higher education; and Catherine Staron, Vice-President of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region delegated for higher education, research, and innovation.
A lunch cocktail, served on the campus forecourt, concluded the morning.
Guests then enjoyed a special moment with researchers to test the digital twin of the emergency department and a digital simulator to assist surgical procedures.
Exhibitions also provided more information on the performance evaluation of aerosol therapy systems (administration of an active ingredient via aerosol) and on biomaterials for bone repair.
For 20 years, the teacher-researchers, engineers, doctoral and post-doctoral students, as well as the technical and administrative staff of the CIS, have been envisioning the future of healthcare.
They work collaboratively on topics that address the pragmatic needs of patients and healthcare professionals. These include:
- engineering of surfaces and biological tissues
- engineering of care systems and health services
- biological activity of inhaled particles
- biomaterials
3 questions for Vincent Augusto, Director of the CIS
Since when and whom did you succeed as head of the CIS?
I have been the Director of the CIS since January 1st, 2020. I took over from Stéphane Avril.
What are the current or upcoming projects you are most proud of?
Two projects in particular: first, JuvenTwin, the ERC Advanced grant obtained by Stéphane Avril, focusing on the study of arterial aging. This project promises excellent publications. Above all, it will lay the groundwork for a research theme around mechanogenetics. We also have another project under development with Xavier Boucher and general practitioners from Haute-Loire. It aims to propose an innovative work organization to address the lack of professionals in medical deserts.
How does the CIS distinguish itself from other centers at Mines Saint-Étienne?
The CIS distinguishes itself by focusing on an application domain rather than a single scientific theme. CIS colleagues co-construct projects with healthcare professionals in a “bottom-up” approach, starting from real-world issues. All our projects are applied and aim to propose concrete solutions, whether in hospital organization or for better patient care. Furthermore, we are the only center located on a university hospital campus for the past 9 years. This site organization greatly fosters collaborations between researchers, doctors, and engineers.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Director: Vincent Augusto
- Research areas: soft tissue biomechanics, medical textiles and implants, biomaterials, inhaled particle engineering, industrial engineering and operational research in health, health data analysis
- 6 technical platforms
- Premises area: 5000 m2, across 4 floors
- Staff: 80 people (including 20 teacher-researchers)
- Location: Saint-Priest-en-Jarez (42)
More info HERE
