Cyceron is a biomedical imaging platform that has been conducting research in Caen-la-Mer since 1985. The centre plays host to world-renowned research units as well as providing the latest technological equipment and a unique group of labs on the same site. Let’s meet Benoît Haelewyn, managing director of the GIP (public interest group) in charge of the centre.
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Cyceron’s €20 Million Investment in Research
The Cyceron site is based at Epopea Park (on the north side of Caen) nearby GANIL (Large Heavy Ion National Accelerator). It has 8000m2 of buildings housing almost 20 million Euros of heavy equipment. Cellular and molecular biology labs, MRI imaging devices and other equipment enables research to be conducted in all areas of life sciences.
Cyceron has established several partnerships – already in its consortium – with Caen university, Centre François Baclesse (cancer research), Caen-Normandy hospital, councils (Caen-la-Mer council, Normandy region), national research centres (CNRS, l’Inserm, CEA) and Ganil. Cyceron is like a container, a venue that can host different research projects, institutions, training courses and more.
Cyceron’s Global Collaborations in Healthcare
Researchers, technicians, engineers, administrative staff and other roles make up the 300 staff involved in the centre. Cyceron hosts research teams from all horizons as well as the BB@C research institute (researching the relationship between blood and the brain), university courses and businesses. That means a variety of national and international research projects are happening in the same place.
Several research projects are conducted at Cyceron's facilities. For example, cardiac sciences studying myocardial lesions/heart attacks, oncology studying therapeutic strategies to combat brain tumours plus a wide variety of neuroscience, ranging from brain development in children to PTSD after the november 2015 Paris attacks, neurovascular studies focusing on strokes or cerebral, healthy and pathological ageing.
This focus on both advanced technology and the expertise of the on-site research teams is what makes Cyceron such as unique site.
Cyceron’s Future Growth
The structure’s renown has seen it grow significantly in the last decade with almost 10% more people every year. Expansion plans are in the pipeline for 2026-2027 to fulfil demand.
The idea is to bolster the hub where hospital practitioners, students, researchers and research professors can mingle and work together on group projects at Cyceron. It will encourage new entrepreneurs, young people who want to expand their start-ups or companies using our heavy equipment and Normandy itself.
Healthcare in Normandy
Thematics
