Thérèse and René Planiol Foundation for the study of the brain

Registered charity from 2 February 2005

Who are Thérèse and René Planiol?

Madame the professor Thérèse Planiol, 12 february 2005, Veigné (I-L)

Thérèse Planiol is a dynamic and talented woman of our time, of remarkable determination and curiosity. She was born in Paris on 25th December 1914 and brought up by a foster family in the Clermont-Ferrand region. After studying science she qualified as a medical doctor and specialised in medical physics, becoming the first female professor of the subject in France. She developed a keen interest in the application of radio isotopics (nuclear medicine) in neurology and was a world pioneer in the speciality. At the same time she developed the first use of ultrasound for detecting brain haematomas and tumours.

After entering the Institut National d'Hygiène as a researcher, Thérèse Planiol became a hospital biologist in the Pitié Salpetrière Teaching Hospital in Paris. In 1968 she left Paris and came to Tours with the highly original goal of bringing together doctors and engineers to create a large Functional Exploration department at the Bretonneau teaching Hospital as well as a Biophysics Laboratory at the Medical Faculty. In 1972 she founded the French Society for the Application of Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology, and in the following year was involved in creating the European Federation of Ultrasound in Medicine. From 1968 to 1980, Thérèse Planiol was proactive in coordinating high level research into medical imaging - of foetus to adult - for which she obtained many awards and distinctions. This avant-garde work led to the creation of several internationally recognised research teams.

Thérèse Planiol has a strong sense of commitment. She established a close working relationship with her collaborators, and passed on her enthusiasm and desire for perfection to all the members of her team.
She retired from hospital and university life in 1980, but retains a close interest in medical progress and research in general, while continuing to pursue her great love of music and poetry in which she excels.

In 2003, Thérèse Planiol set up the "Thérèse and René Planiol Foundation for the study of the brain" with her own money. The foundation became a registered charity in February 2005.

René Planiol was an engineer, physicist and mathematician, and through his help in designing and building equipment, Thérèse Planiol was able to carry out her initial work on the detection of tumours using radio isotopes.

Some of Thérèse Planiol's works:

Director of publication:
Professeur Thérèse Planiol

Administrator :Yves Tillet

Last update : 26 mars 2007

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