On the occasion of a visit by Mr. Jean-Pierre Meyers, President of the Fondation Pour l’Audition, to theInstitut Pasteur campusInstitut Pasteur (Paris 15th arrondissement), home to CeRIAH[1] at the Institut de l’Audition—the Pasteur site of the reConnect Institute—a signing ceremony was held for the four-year agreement under which the Fondation Pour l’Audition will provide support to the Institut de l’Audition and the Audiology Research Centers. The event brought together, in an atmosphere marked by scientific enthusiasm and shared pride, Jean-Pierre Meyers, Yasmine Belkaid, Executive Director ofInstitut Pasteur—the umbrella foundation for the reConnect Institute—and Anne-Lise Giraud, Director of the reConnect Institute. The symbolic signing took place in the presence of researchers and staff from the Institut de l’Audition (Institut Pasteur), including Christine Petit, who spearheaded the creation of the Institute, all of whom witnessed this pivotal moment for audiology research and the future of the Institute.
A shared goal to benefit people affected by hearing and speech disorders
The agreement commits the parties to four additional years of support (2025–2028) with a clear and shared goal: to ensure optimal conditions for the development ofHearing Institute the Human Audiology Research Centers—the reConnect Institute’s sites—in order to ultimately offer innovative diagnostic and therapeutic solutions to people affected by hearing loss who seek them.
This agreement celebrates a long-standing relationship built on trust and reaffirms the commitment to advancing scientific and medical knowledge to tangibly transform the lives of those affected—namely, 20% of the world’s population, or 2.5 billion people, by 2050.
“My visit toInstitut Pasteur a truly memorable experience. I owe this, first and foremost, to the quality of my discussions with Professor Belkaïd and to the honor of her warm welcome. I also owe it to the remarkable dedication of the teams and the infectious hope they shared with me, particularly at CeRIAH, the research center driving innovation in personalized medicine for hearing loss.
Scientific excellence, strong motivation, pride tempered by humility, and the human dimension of this collective endeavor: all the elements are in place to instill hope.
We are working together in a truly unique alliance dedicated to the cause of hearing health.” , Jean-Pierre Meyers, President of the Fondation Pour l’Audition
Yasmine Belkaid was keen to emphasize the value of this commitment in the current scientific context:
“At a time when science needs to be promoted and protected more than ever, I am particularly honored to see people like Mr. Meyers and the Fondation Pour l’Audition commit to supporting science. This renewed partnership withInstitut Pasteur first and foremost a sign of trust—one that we have built together since the creation of the Institut de l’Audition in 2019—and one that we are deeply honored to receive. Today, this institute is fully in line with the Pasteurian tradition: ambitious, rigorous, transdisciplinary research—science dedicated to serving society.” — Yasmine Belkaid, Executive Director ofInstitut Pasteur, the umbrella foundation for the reConnect Institute
This was an opportunity for her to reiterate that this partnership is part of a broader initiative: the reConnect Institute, the first university hospital institute dedicated to hearing health, cognitive disorders, and speech disorders, whose mission is to accelerate the transition from scientific discovery to concrete solutions for patients.
A shared journey spanning more than ten years
For Anne-Lise Giraud, Director of the reConnect Institute, this ceremony felt like a moment of special significance, as it embodies the continuity and expansion of a scientific journey that began more than a decade ago:
“Today we are celebrating a new chapter in a shared journey that began in 2013 at the initiative of the Fondation Pour l'Audition. In 2024, the Institut de l’Audition’s ambition to become an IHU became a reality thanks to the France 2030 plan: this designation allows us to look ahead over the next ten years to transform our basic research into therapeutic solutions for people suffering from hearing loss, chronic tinnitus, Alzheimer’s disease, or neurodevelopmental language disorders. This new 2025–2028 agreement also symbolically affirms our alignment with theInstitut Pasteur priority areasInstitut Pasteur with the Alliance for Hearing, initiated by the Fondation Pour l’Audition. I would like to thank Jean-Pierre Meyers for his initial impetus and ongoing support, which enables the reConnect Institute to plan for the long term, as well as Yasmine Belkaid for her energetic and fundamental involvement in this long-term project.” Anne-Lise Giraud, Director of the reConnect Institute and theHearing Institute Institut Pasteur).
This new agreement marks two significant milestones: the integration of CreAs—clinical research platforms at the Pitié-Salpêtrière and Necker Enfants-malades AP-HP hospitals—into the reConnect Institute’s scope, and the opportunity for teams at the university hospital institute to apply for grants from the Fondation Pour l’Audition, thereby participating in a competitive process overseen by its scientific advisory board.
Scientific Excellence at the Heart of Renewal
The excellence of the teams that drive the Institute’s work was recognized during the ceremony. Among the recent honors highlighted were the 2025 CNRS Silver Medal and the 2023 Lamonica Prize, awarded to Anne-Lise Giraud, the 2026 CNRS Silver Medal awarded to Brice Bathellier, who also received the 2026 Pasteur Vallery-Radot Prize on June 4, as well as the arrival of new recruits such as Keith Doelling (G5), Dorothée Arzounian (CeRIAH), and Lise Hobeika, winner of the Inserm researcher competition. These are all strong indicators of a rapidly growing institute whose reputation continues to strengthen.
Interdisciplinary dialogue—a concept dear to Jean-Pierre Meyers—is one of the strengths of the reConnect Institute: neuroscience, biology, clinical research, and engineering intersect and enrich one another there, contributing to an ever-deeper understanding of the human auditory system.
A Visionary Commitment
Beyond the formal renewal of the agreement, the signatories expressed their shared commitment to making this collaboration a long-term partnership. Thanks to the steadfast support of the Fondation Pour l'Audition, the Institute can look to the future with ambition: to attract the best talent, strengthen ties with hospitals and industry partners, and thereby accelerate the development of concrete solutions for those affected.
The support provided by the Fondation Pour l'Audition is unanimously recognized as essential and crucial to the implementation and continuity of the Institute’s activities, particularly those of the Center for Research and Innovation in Human Audiology (CeRIAH) atHearing Institute, located at the Pasteur site of the reConnect Institute and directed by Paul Avan.
Designed from the outset to meet the specific needs of the researchers and volunteers it hosts, CeRIAH is a concrete example of what scientific philanthropy can achieve. Its audiometric booths, vestibulometry room, and auditorium—presented during the guided tour led by Guillaume Andéol (ACASAN/IRBA), Céline Quinsac, Grégory Gérenton, and Clément Gaultier—illustrated the ambition and vision behind this collaborative project.
Yasmine Belkaid made a point of acknowledging the role of the Fondation Pour l’Audition: “Thank you to the Fondation Pour l’Audition for its continued trust, its visionary commitment, and its crucial support alongsideInstitut Pasteur.”
A series of tours during the opening ofInstitut Pasteur explore the wide range of topics covered byInstitut Pasteur Before the signing ceremony, Mr. Jean-Pierre Meyers was welcomed by Yasmine Belkaid for an in-depth look at the research activities ofInstitut Pasteur. He was introduced to two scientific programs:
These fruitful discussions gave Mr. Meyers a broader perspective on the scientific vitality ofInstitut Pasteur, the foundation that houses the reConnect Institute. |
[1] Center for Research and Innovation in Human Audiology
