Organisation

Since its creation, the INT has been structured around two founding principles: research teams and shared services or platforms.
The teams (14 in 2022) bring together several researchers and teacher-researchers along with their students, postdoctoral fellows, and sometimes engineers and technicians. They form the basic building block of the INT, fostering daily scientific interactions and the emergence of interdisciplinary projects. Teams are evaluated and renewed every five years, but the INT has the flexibility to create or close teams as needed. Mobility between teams is also encouraged.

The other founding principle of the Institute is the strong pooling of technical resources and the organization of major technological resources around shared services or platforms (6 in 2020), which are open to both INT teams and other laboratories on the Aix-Marseille site. Each platform is typically co-managed by a scientific lead (researcher) and a technical manager (engineer).
The INT’s financial resources come from annual funding provided by its supervisory bodies, income generated by the platforms, and a contribution drawn from the research contracts obtained by INT teams.

The Management Team

The Director and Deputy Director(s) of the Institut de Neurosciences de la Timone (INT) are appointed by its supervisory bodies, Aix-Marseille University (AMU) and the CNRS, after consultation with the Institute Council. The management team also includes an Administrative Deputy Director, responsible for the administrative and financial management of the Institute. The team is appointed for the duration of a five-year site contract.

From 2012 to 2017, the INT was led by Guillaume Masson (Director) and Laurent Vinay (Deputy Director), the founding members of the Institute. During the second term (2018–2022), Guillaume Masson continued to serve as Director, while Jean-Louis Chassaing became the Administrative Deputy Director in 2018. For the third term (2024–2028), Frédéric Chavane serves as the Director.

Advisory Bodies

The governance of the Institute reflects these founding principles.
The Team Leaders’ Council meets twice a month. Composed of all team and platform leaders, it is responsible for coordinating and steering the Institute’s activities, particularly in matters such as the recruitment of new members and the creation of new teams.

All categories of staff are represented in the Institute Council, which meets quarterly and is consulted on major aspects of laboratory life, such as the annual budget and scientific activities.
A Health and Safety Committee, under the responsibility of the Administrative Deputy Director, addresses all issues related to improving working conditions, regulatory compliance, and measures to prevent occupational risks.

Mission Coordinators

Several members of the Institute are actively involved in its day-to-day operations and in carrying out the various missions entrusted to the laboratory:

• Thierry Chaminade – Communication Coordinator
• Ivo Vanzetta and Corinne Beurrier – Scientific Training and Events Coordinators
• Pascal Belin – Coordinator of the Grant Review Committee, which supports the preparation of funding applications (ANR, ERC, etc.)
• Joël Baurberg and Sylvie Liabeuf – Safety Officers (Assistants de Prévention)

ORGANIZATIONAL CHART