Report on the launch day for the reConnect University Hospital Institute (IHU)

On November 4, the launch event for the new reConnect University Hospital Institute (IHU) took place, attended by all the founding partners, the directors and the many stakeholders. The reConnect IHU is Europe's very first center of excellence for the treatment of hearing and speech disorders. It aims to draw on the latest scientific advances in genetics and neuroscience to offer novel solutions that improve treatment in these areas. reConnect’s multidisciplinary teams aim to offer the most innovative therapies to people who are deaf or hearing impaired, as well as those suffering from tinnitus, speech and language disorders such as stuttering, and dyslexia. reConnect's mission is also to support the industrial developments needed to bring therapy to the patient quickly.

The reConnect IHU launch event had two main parts, aimed at presenting and exploring these major public health challenges in a world where estimates suggest that a quarter of the global population will suffer from hearing loss by 2050.
 
The first part brought together several international experts in the field of hearing for a scientific symposium during which research fields such as tinnitus, neuroimaging in aging with a particular focus on Alzheimer's disease, RNA therapies and the links between hearing and speech were addressed (see the full scientific program as published on November 4).

 

The second part had a more institutional focus, starting with presentations from the various representatives of the founding members of the IHU (the Hearing Institute, the Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, the Fondation Pour l'Audition, Inserm and the Paris Public Hospital Network (AP-HP)), all of which agreed that "the aim of an IHU is to work together to invent the medicine of the future," and that in the case of reConnect, "we need to accelerate the transition from compensatory medicine to reparative medicine."

 

There was then an opportunity for discussions and exchanges of ideas, with several round tables between experts from the IHU and patients, based around five topics: autism, tinnitus, neurodegenerative cognitive disorders, stuttering and gene therapy. The discussions highlighted the need for dialog between patients, clinicians and scientists to advance knowledge and further progress for treatment.

See the program for the institutional part
 
See the press release on the launch of the reConnect IHU
 
The event was also an opportunity to hear from Thomas Dutronc, a musician and singer and the patron of the reConnect IHU. Thomas Dutronc was otherwise engaged on November 4 but had recorded a message to express his awareness of the need to improve the quality of life for people suffering from hearing and speech disorders. He is honored to have been chosen as patron of the reConnect IHU and explains how "music is a powerful tool for human connection, and every voice deserves to be heard. With reConnect, we have the opportunity to unite our efforts."

See the video with Thomas Dutronc, patron of the reConnect IHU

Every effort was made to optimize accessibility for all participants during the institutional part of the event. This included real-time on-screen transcription in French and English, a hearing loop (system broadcasting audio via an electromagnetic field for people with hearing aids and cochlear implants), and simultaneous sign language interpretation.

Find out more about the reConnect IHU and access the dedicated website

 

Photos : François Gardy/Institut Pasteur