The Fondation pour la recherche médicale or FRM, is a French foundation created in 1947 among others by professors Jean Bernard and

Jean Hamburger Jean Hamburger (15 July 1909 – 1 February 1992) was a French physician, surgeon and essayist. He is particularly known for his contribution to nephrology, and for having performed the first renal transplantation in France in 1952. Biograph ...

, on a private management basis but recognized as being of public utility in 1965. Its mission is to support and finance public research in all areas in the fields of

medicine Medicine is the science and Praxis (process), practice of caring for patients, managing the Medical diagnosis, diagnosis, prognosis, Preventive medicine, prevention, therapy, treatment, Palliative care, palliation of their injury or disease, ...

and

pathophysiology Pathophysiology (or physiopathology) is a branch of study, at the intersection of pathology and physiology, concerning disordered physiological processes that cause, result from, or are otherwise associated with a disease or injury. Pathology is ...

. The FRM's funding is based solely on the donations and legacies it receives. To promote its action to the public and enable them to call on donations with confidence, the foundation joins the Charter committee.

History

Since its creation in 1947, the Association for Medical Research has not limited itself to funding research on a particular pathology but on all diseases:

Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease and the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in remembering recent events. As the disease advances, symptoms can include problems wit ...

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving Cell growth#Disorders, abnormal cell growth with the potential to Invasion (cancer), invade or Metastasis, spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Po ...

heart attacks A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops in one of the coronary arteries of the heart, causing infarction (tissue death) to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is retr ...

leukemia Leukemia ( also spelled leukaemia; pronounced ) is a group of blood cancers that usually begin in the bone marrow and produce high numbers of abnormal blood cells. These blood cells are not fully developed and are called ''blasts'' or '' ...

diabetes Diabetes mellitus, commonly known as diabetes, is a group of common endocrine diseases characterized by sustained high blood sugar levels. Diabetes is due to either the pancreas not producing enough of the hormone insulin, or the cells of th ...

multiple sclerosis Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease resulting in damage to myelinthe insulating covers of nerve cellsin the brain and spinal cord. As a demyelinating disease, MS disrupts the nervous system's ability to Action potential, transmit ...

Parkinson's disease Parkinson's disease (PD), or simply Parkinson's, is a neurodegenerative disease primarily of the central nervous system, affecting both motor system, motor and non-motor systems. Symptoms typically develop gradually and non-motor issues become ...

, diseases of aging,

infectious diseases infection is the invasion of tissues by pathogens, their multiplication, and the reaction of host tissues to the infectious agent and the toxins they produce. An infectious disease, also known as a transmissible disease or communicable dise ...

orphan diseases A rare disease is any disease that affects a small percentage of the population. In some parts of the world, the term orphan disease describes a rare disease whose rarity results in little or no funding or research for treatments, without financi ...

. The association acquired foundation status in 1962 following an appeal for private aid signed by 132 researchers and doctors. It was recognized as being of public utility on May 14, 1965.

Medical discoveries

The FRM has financially supported several research programs which have led to certain advances in the medical field: * 1983: Identification of a key gene in the regulation of blood pressure; * 1990 – 1991: Identification of the genetic anomaly responsible for acute promyelocytic leukemia ; * 2000: Evidence of the effectiveness of deep brain stimulation in the treatment of severe forms of Parkinson's disease; * 2014: Use of stem cells in improving cardiac functions after myocardial infarction.

Resources

The FRM finances its actions thanks to funds paid by its donors, testators and partners. It does not receive state funds. It benefits from the “Don entrust” label, issued by the Charter Committee. FRM expenditure is controlled by an independent auditor. This control results in an annual publication of the certified accounts. All of the association's activity reports are made public and accessible on the Foundation's website. Each donor can request that their donation be directed towards a specific area of research.

Structure

The FRM supervisory board is chaired voluntarily by Denis Duverne who succeeded Jacques Bouriez in 2017. It defines strategic choices in terms of research funding thanks to a board appointed by the supervisory board, which is made up of three members (director of scientific affairs, director of development and communication and administrative and financial director). The FRM employs 42 employees for its operations, but all of its bodies are voluntary. The Scientific Council examines the funding requests sent to it through the various calls for projects. Its opinion is then transmitted to the management board before being approved. The Scientific Council is made up of 32 members, all carrying out research activity within a public or mixed establishment.

Presidency

* 1983-2010 : Pierre Joly * 2010-2017 : Jacques Bouriez * Since September 2017 : Denis Duverne

Financial data

The Foundation for Medical Research has dedicated 47 million euros to medical research in 2022, enabling the financing of more than 400 research projects.2022 : unir nos forces pour aller plus loin !
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References

External links

Official Website
{{Authority control Non-profit organizations based in France Foundations based in France 1947 establishments in France Medical and health organizations based in France Educational institutions established in 1947 Scientific organizations established in 1947