The Ireland Fund of France in conjunction with French pharmaceutical group L’ Institut Servier and RCSI has today announced the awarding of the third annual Servier Scholarship Prize of €10,000 to Prof. Chris Thompson, Professor of Endocrinology at Beaumont Hospital.

Professor Thompson received the award for his efforts and success in supporting research collaborations with France and for his research into pituitary disease, particularly pituitary dysfunction following traumatic brain injury. His collaboration with Dr Patrice Mollard of the French National Science Research Council (CNRS) at the University of Montpellier aims to develop an animal model of head injury and apply microimaging techniques to examine the patterns of blood flow and pituitary cell damage, in order to elucidate the mechanism of pituitary injury at the time of traumatic brain injury.

Named after Dr Jacques Servier, the founding President of the Servier Research Group, this scholarship aims to promote and encourage scientific exchange between the medical community, health care industry, universities and research organisations particularly in the field of therapeutic research. It also represents another initiative in furtherance of the Ireland Fund of France’s mission to enhance Franco-Irish relations.

Mr Laurent Perret, Head of Research, Servier Laboratories who presented the award, said: “We are delighted to recognise Professor Thompson for his contribution to the scientific and medical community both here in Ireland and in France. His own research projects and his collaborations with the CNRS and the University of Montpellier make him a worthy recipient.”

Professor Thompson trained at Dundee University and held postgraduate posts in Glasgow and Newcastle. He completed a MRC Fellowship on osmoregulation in type-1 diabetes in Newcastle between 1986-88. He became a Lecturer in Medicine at the University of Edinburgh in 1988 and was appointed visiting Associate Professor at the University of California, San Francisco, UCSF. In 1997 Professor Thompson was appointed Consultant Endocrinologist Beaumont and appointed Professor in the Department of Medicine at RCSI in 2006.

Professor Thompson was presented with his award at a special ceremony held in the French Embassy in Dublin which was presided over by His Excellency Mr Yvon Roe d’Albert, French Ambassador to Ireland and attended by Mr Pierre Joannon, President, Ireland Fund of France.