Laboratory of excellence Biological Psychiatry Laboratory

The Labex Bio-Psy (Laboratory of excellence of Biology for Psychiatry) ﻿is a French network created and funded through the “Investissements d’Avenir” Program. Bio-Psy gathers psychiatrists, neuroscientists and geneticists whose common goal is to study the biological mechanisms underlying psychiatric diseases in order to improve their diagnosis and treatments to the benefit of the patients and their environment.

Bio-Psy has four main objectives:

1.      To understand the causes and mechanisms of mental illness

2.      To identify biomarkers for prevention, early diagnosis and follow-up

3.      To propose new approaches for treatment and personalized psychiatry

4.      To Evaluate the costs/benefits and societal implications of research progress

Research led by Bio-Psy partner teams are based on a translational approach and require the reinforcement of links between clinicians and basic scientists. The studies rely on the teams’ known expertise and strengths in the following fields: 1) cerebral development, 2) neurotransmission and signalization, 3) plasticity of neuronal circuits. On-going projects are specifically targeted on depression and bipolar disorders, autistic syndrome disorders and addiction. In parallel, Bio-Psy aims to reinforce research in two fast-developing areas:  the role of inflammation and that of the interactions between genes and environment in psychiatric disorders. Bio-Psy also intends to encourage and support the development of cutting-edge approaches such as the use of patient-derived iPS cells as models for the study of psychiatric disorders. Finally, Bio-Psy supports research in health economics related to mental diseases.

Regarding training, Bio-Psy ambitions to foster the emergence of a new generation of neurosciences specialists and psychiatrists trained in experimental research. Towards this goal, Bio-Psy’s actions, led in synergy with its partners, UPMC, ENP and Pasteur Institute, include:

-        Funding of national and  international doctoral students*

-        Organization and funding of full time research fellowships for clinicians

-        Organization of specialized colloquium, workshops and thematic schools, such as the new Pasteur Course “Frontiers in Biological Psychiatry”

*Bio-psy offers the possibility of funding for a 4th year of fellowship to students pursuing a thesis in a Bio-Psy’ partner team and on one of its main axis.

For information and conditions, contact:﻿

Governance of the Labex Bio-Psy


Bio-Psy partners