Paris Vestibular
Competency Center
Vestibular otoneurology (VON) is a field focused on the vestibular system, its central projections, and its multisensory interactions. When there is a dysfunction, vertigo is the most well-known symptom, but impairments can vary widely, affecting balance, gaze stability, spatial orientation, anxiety, body perception, and more. The Paris Vestibular Competency Center at Université Paris Cité was one of the first three French centers to be accredited based on its expertise in research and teaching in the field of VON. Université Paris Cité is also the affiliated university for three Parisian university hospitals specialized in vestibular disorders (AP-HP): Lariboisière Hospital, Robert-Debré Hospital, and Necker-Enfants Malades Hospital.
Université Paris Cité brings together basic research centers, clinical research centers, and hospitals specialized in vestibular disorders.
Current projects
Like the GDR Vertige, created around the French vestibular community in 2015, the Institute for Balance and Vertigo Research (IREV) will be a multi-site federative structure, in which « Vestibular Paris » aims to be a key pillar! Its objectives will be to advance fundamental knowledge to develop new diagnostic and therapeutic tools, to train practitioners, and to promote clinical and industrial translation.
PhD Salma Jbyeh (2022-2026)
Multisensory Integration Assessed by Virtual Reality in Children with Congenital or Acquired Vestibular Deficiency: Study of Multimodal Sensory Inputs in Eye-Hand Task and Relationship with Vestibular Function. PhD supervised by François Simon and Michele Tagliabue – CNRS UPCité UMR 8002 / CReA.
PhD Cassandre Djian (2023-2026)
Contribution of Artificial Intelligence in Identifying Labyrinthine Malformations Associated with Genetic Deafness and Endolymphatic Hydrops: Study of Correlations Between Clinical-Radiological Phenotypes and Genotypes of Certain Cochleovestibular Diseases. PhD supervised by Sandrine Marlin – INSERM UPCité UMR 1163 – Institut Imagine.
IPOG project in children
Creation of an international working group in pediatric otolaryngology (through the International Pediatric Otolaryngology Group – IPOG) to conduct multicenter vestibular clinical studies in children.
Vestibular Paris
> Objectives :
- Bringing together Parisian expertise
- Combining competencies in VON
- Organizing an annual conference
- Collaborating in France and internationally
Research teams
Integrative Neuroscience and Cognition Center (INCC)
The INCC is a CNRS and Université Paris Cité research laboratory (UMR 8002, Centre universitaire des Saint-Pères) that brings together teams of neuroscientists seeking to understand how the brain works, both physiologically and during disease. More specifically, ‘The Spatial Brain’ team is working on the mechanisms that enable the brain to generate a representation of posture and body movements in space from different sources of sensory and non-sensory information. The team is made up of CNRS researchers and reserach engineers, clinicians and UPCité lecturers. Multisensory interactions, in particular visuo-vestibular and proprio-vestibular interactions, play an essential role in our research projects, whether they concern fundamental research, for example in spatial physiology, or translational research when we apply our expertise to solving clinical problems.
Mathieu Beraneck – François Simon – Michele Tagliabue – David Dubayle – Lucile Dupin – Salma Jbyeh
The Hearing Institute / Institut Pasteur
The Hearing Institute (Institut de l’Audition), newly established with the financial support of the Fondation Pour l’Audition, is part of the Institut Pasteur (a research organisation and partner of Université Paris Cité). This interdisciplinary research centre is dedicated to exploring neuroscience to improve diagnosis and develop preventive and curative treatments for hearing, balance and language disorders. The institute stands out for its collaboration between researchers, doctors and industry, encouraging innovation in diagnostic tools and therapies. Thanks to its partnerships with renowned institutions such as Inserm and various hospitals, the institute contributes to the mutual enrichment of research. Its Centre for Research and Innovation in Human Audiology (CeRIAH) plays a key role in improving methods of diagnosis and care for people affected by these disorders. Two teams explore vestibular issues: Progressive Sensory Disorders, Pathophysiology and Therapy led by Aziz El Amraoui and Technologies and Gene Therapy For Deafness led by Saaid Safieddine. The institute also organises a HeaR training course on hearing research.
Aziz El Amraoui – Saaid Safieddine – Audrey Maudoux
Paediatric Audiology Reserach Centre (CReA)
The mission of the Paediatric Audiology Research Centre at Necker-Enfants malades Hospital (AP-HP) is to improve diagnosis and develop innovative therapeutic solutions for childhood deafness. Headed by Prof Françoise Denoyelle, the CReA network includes the paediatric centre at Necker (directed by Dr Natalie Loundon), an adult centre at Pitié Salpêtrière (Dr Isabelle Mosnier) and a genetic platform at Necker directed by Dr Sandrine Marlin. The paediatric CReA at Necker is the only one to have a state-of-the-art vestibulometry technical platform, and has a collaboration contract with the CNRS team at the INCC.
Natalie Loundon – Marine Parodi – Sandrine Marlin – Margaux Serey-Gaut – François Simon – Françoise Denoyelle
Re-Connect University-Hospital Institute (IHU)
In 2023, the Hearing Institute (Institut de l’Audition), along with the AP-HP, Université Paris Cité, Inserm, the Fondation Pour l’Audition and the Institut Pasteur, obtained the creation of the reConnect IHU aimed at improving the detection and management of hearing and speech disorders. Several members of the Paris Vestibulaire group are participating in this IHU through their structures and are developing the vestibular aspect.
Charlotte Hautefort – Cassandre Djian – Aziz El Amraoui – Saaid Safieddine – Françoise Denoyelle – Natalie Loundon – François Simon
Imagine Institute
The team has expertise in studying the genetic causes of isolated and rare syndromic deafness using WES and WGS sequencing data, expertise that could greatly benefit the search for the genetic causes of rare familial vestibulopathy. We have expertise in various genome-editing techniques that enable us to reproduce in the zebrafish genome the genetic anomalies identified in humans and to study their consequences on zebrafish vestibular function. The early development of the vestibular system is easily observed in zebrafish larvae by direct visualisation using light and fluorescent microscopy; vestibular function can be studied and quantified by video-microscopic analysis of zebrafish larval swimming in response to various stimuli.
Sandrine Marline – Sylvain Ernest
Hospitals affiliated to UPCité
Lariboisière Hospital (AP-HP)
The adult ENT and head neck surgery department at Lariboisière hospital is the largest adult ENT centre in Paris, the leading centre of reference for rare vestibular pathologies and the centre for audio-vestibular emergencies in Ile-de-France region and is a co-founder of the re-Connect IHU. The audio-vestibular consultation sees around 4,000 patients a year, including 2,000 emergencies. The team has developed close collaboration with the internal medicine, haematology and neurology departments, offering multidisciplinary care for complex cochleovestibular pathologies.
Charlotte Hautefort – Cassandre Djian – Cornelia Trandafir – Philippe Herman
Necker-Enfants Malades hospital (AP-HP)
The Paediatric Otolaryngology and Head Neck Surgery Department at Necker Enfants Malades Hospital is the French reference centre for rare ENT malformations, as well as being a reference centre for deafness and an integrating centre for the European medical research network. The department is the largest paediatric cochlear implant centre in Europe, with more than 170 implants per year. More than 350 vestibular consultations are held each year, enabling us to carry out pre-implant vestibular assessments and monitor patients at risk of vestibular deficits.
François Simon – Marine Parodi – Natalie Loundon – Françoise Denoyelle
Robert Debré hospital (AP-HP)
The Paediatric otolaryngology and Head Neck Surgery Department at Robert Debré Hospital is the pioneering and leading centre in France for the exploration of vestibular function in children, with more than 600 consultations a year. It treats complex cochleovestibular pathologies, and monitors deaf patients, candidates for cochlear implantation and patients with CMV infection. As a member of the IHU Robert Debré Cerveau de l’Enfant, and thanks to its collaboration with the Hearing Institute (Institut de l’Audition) and the IHU re-Connect, it actively contributes to the development of new therapeutic approaches for hearing and vestibular disorders. With more than 80 cochlear implants performed each year, the department is also a key player in the rehabilitation of deafness in children.
Audrey Maudoux – Sylvette Wiener-Vacher – Salma Jbyeh – Juliette Housset – Natacha Teissier
Fondation Adolphe de Rothschild hospital
The Fondation A. de Rothschild hospital is a reference centre in France for all head and neck pathologies and has signed a partnership agreement with Université Paris Cité. The ENT department is part of this commitment to excellence and is recognised as a major player in the treatment of ear disorders in France. It brings together doctors specialising in otoneurology and surgeons specialising in middle and inner ear surgery, and works closely with the neurology, neuro-ophthalmology and neurosurgery departments. It has a day hospital dedicated to the treatment of ear pathologies, a vestibular rehabilitation consultation and a cochlear implantation centre. It is also a partner of the IHU Re-connect.
Daniel Lévy – Yohan Ejzenberg
Genetic Deafness Centre of Rare Diseases (CRMR)
Necker-Enfants Malades hospital is the coordinating centre of the Genetic Deafness Centre of Rare Diseases (CRMR), under the responsibility of Dr Sandrine Marlin. The Lariboisière Hospital is the constituent centre and the Robert-Debré Hospital is the centre of competence for the CRMR. As part of the rare disease plan project, the genetic deafness reference centre is attached to the national SENSGENE network and therefore carries out all the network’s missions relating to genetic deafness. It is also affiliated to the European Reference Network (ERN) CRANIO (rare craniofacial anomalies and ENT disorders). Vestibular pathologies are frequently associated with genetic deafness.
Sandrine Marlin – Margaux Serey-Gaut – Charlotte Hautefort Natacha Teissier – Audrey Maudoux – Natalie Loundon – Marine Parodi – Françoise Denoyelle – François Simon
Academic teaching
Vertigo and Vestibular rehabilitation University Diploma
Attracting around 50 students a year, the Vertigo and Vestibular Rehabilitation Diploma is directed by Prof François Simon and Dr Cassandre Djian. The diploma was created more than 20 years ago by Dr Bernard Cohen and is aimed at clinicians who may be required to treat patients with vertigo (mainly ENT specialists and physiotherapists, but also neurologists, ophthalmologists, nurses, exploration technicians and orthoptists). The aim is to learn how to recognise red flags, understand physiology and compensation mechanisms, and take a holistic, multi-sensory approach to the vestibular system. Many speakers are part of the Vestibular Paris group, as are experts from all over France.
François Simon – Cassandre Djian – Charlotte Hautefort – Marine Parodi – Audrey Maudoux – Mathieu Beraneck – Salma Jbyeh – Michele Tagliabue
Management of Audio-vestibular disorders University Diploma
The Management of Audio-vestibular disorders diploma is directed by Pr Hung Thai Van (Université Lyon 1), Dr Sylvette Wiener Vacher and Dr Charlotte Hautefort (Université Paris Cité). The diploma, created in 2019, can be adapted according to the different modules, for doctors as well as the various players working in the field of hearing or vestibular disabilities (audioprosthetists, physiotherapists, speech therapists, nurses, exploration technicians, orthoptists). The aim is to provide the knowledge needed to understand the physiology and pathophysiology of hearing and vestibular loss, and to enable practical training in the field.
Charlotte Hautefort – Sylvette Wiener-Vacher
Sensory disabilities and rehabilitation of balance disorders University Diploma
The Sensory disabilities and rehabilitation of balance disorders diploma was created over 30 years ago by Professors Yelnik and Tran Ba Huy, and is currently run by Professors Alexis Schnitzler, Philippe Herman and Charlotte Hautefort. The aim is to teach the physiopathological, clinical and therapeutic concepts relating to vestibular, proprioceptive or visual sensory disorders responsible for balance problems. Its aim is to raise awareness in the medical and paramedical world of the need to screen for and treat this major public health problem, by providing the necessary foundations for setting up a balance disorder assessment, falls prevention and rehabilitation activity.
Charlotte Hautefort – Philippe Herman
Aerospace physiology and aerospace medicine University Diploma
The Space Physiology and Ergonomics and the Aerospace Medicine degree provide knowledge of aeronautical and space medicine, such as the conditions for medical fitness to practice aeronautics. They are directed by Professor Henri Marotte and are aimed primarily at doctors and flight crews interested in aeronautical and space physiology. Basic knowledge of the vestibular system and the perception of gravity, as well as the disturbances associated with aeronautical practices, are taught in the core curriculum followed by all students..
Mathieu Beraneck – Henri Marotte
Master International Neurosciences
The International Neurosciences Master at UPCité
has been created in 2018. It is directed by Professor Mernhaz Jaffarian. It trains students in cellular, integrative and cognitive neuroscience, with an approach ranging from molecular to behavioural neuroscience. Systems neuroscience and the neurophysiological bases of the vestibular, visual and proprioceptive sensory systems are taught in dedicated teaching units, directed in particular by M. Beraneck. The teaching also covers the development of the vestibular system, adaptive and post-injury plasticity, including vestibular compensation.
Mathieu Beraneck – Michele Tagliabue
Members
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Mathieu Beraneck
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François Simon
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Françoise Denoyelle
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Cassandre Djian
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Lucile Dupin
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Sylvain Ernest
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Yohan Ejzenberg
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Aziz El Amraoui
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Charlotte Hautefort
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Philippe Herman
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Philippe Herman
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Juliette Housset
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Daniel Lévy
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Natalie Loundon
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Sandrine Marlin
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Audrey Maudoux
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Marine Parodi
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Saaid Safieddine
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Margaux Serey-Gaut
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Michele Tagliabue
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Natacha Teissier
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Sylvette Wiener-Vacher
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