Jean-René Cazalets, Vice-President for research

Jean-René Cazalets obtained his doctorate from University Bordeaux I in 1987 for his research on the nervous system of lobsters, which aimed to understand, using a simplified model, how the central nervous system can generate and organise behaviour. After a postdoctoral fellowship at Cornell University (United States), he was recruited in 1990 as a second-class research fellow at the National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) in Marseille.

A pioneer in the use of in vitro preparations in mammals, he developed the preparation of isolated spinal cord in vitro, enabling the study of the cellular basis of locomotion.

Returning to Bordeaux in 2000, he continued his research on sensorimotor behaviours using a comparative approach, focusing on the organisation of motor networks during development in rodents and humans, in normal and pathological situations, using cellular and behavioural approaches. His work has led to major conceptual advances, notably the identification of locomotor networks and their neuromodulation mechanisms, with prospects for in functional restoration after spinal cord injuries. He has supervised fourteen doctoral theses.

Alongside his scientific work, he has been heavily involved in research management at the national level. He was secretary and then president of the “Brain, Behavior, Cognition” section of the CoCNRS from 2001 to 2008, a member of the bureau of the Conference of Presidents of the National Committee, representing biology, and a member of the “Rehabilitation and Rehabilitation Sciences” section of the National Council of Universities. He has also contributed to research evaluation by regularly chairing committees of the High Council for the Evaluation of Research and Higher Education, as well as within international bodies, particularly in Canada.

At the local level, he was unit director from 2007 to 2021, a member of the Research Commission and Academic Board of the University of Bordeaux (2014-2025), the Disciplinary Commission, and several local bodies.

In connection with his research activities, he created the Movement Analysis Platform. This structure is both a tool for the scientific and medical communities, a training centre with academic partners, and a lever for promotion in connection with private partners.

Key dates

1987 - Doctorate in Neuroscience, University of Bordeaux

1996 - Habilitation à Diriger des Recherches (HDR), Aix Marseille University

2002-2008 - CNRS Research Director - Movement-Adaptation-Cognition Laboratory, University of Bordeaux

2007-2010 - Director of the Movement-Adaptation-Cognition Laboratory, University of Bordeaux

2011-2021 - Founder and Director of the Aquitaine Institute for Cognitive and Integrative Neuroscience (INCIA) - CNRS / University of Bordeaux.

2026 - Vice-President for research - University of Bordeaux