Professor Rabischong defended his thesis in neuropsychiatry in 1955 in Nancy, specialized in anatomy, and then became head of research at the Institute of Normal Anatomy in Lausanne. Alongside his medical studies, he studied anthropology at the Sorbonne.

Appointed professor of anatomy in 1961, when he was not yet 30, he was assigned to the Faculty of Medicine of Montpellier-Nîmes, where he became chair of anatomy in 1964. At the same time, he took over as head of the Functional Exploration of the Motor System Department at Montpellier University Hospital.

In 1971, he established the INSERM U103 research unit, dedicated to biomechanics and its application to motor disabilities, which he headed until 1995.

In 1981, he founded the Propara Center with Professors Claude Gros, Daniel Grasset, Jacques Vidal, Yves Allieu, basic science researchers, and rehabilitation physicians. This center, which specializes in the treatment of spinal cord injuries, offers its patients access to cutting-edge research in the field of motor function restoration, as well as highly specialized care ranging from surgery to rehabilitation.

He was also Dean of the Faculty of Medicine of Montpellier-Nîmes from 1979 to 1981.

A pioneer of the concept of functional anatomy, he taught generations of students with passion, building his theories around the technological compensation of lost functions.

He contributed to the renown of Montpellier's centuries-old school of anatomy.

On the scientific front, he has distinguished himself through several research projects on functional electrical stimulation applied to spinal cord injury, notably the European project "Get up and walk" in 1996, with the first patient implanted, as well as through his work on artificial hands and walking devices for paraplegics.

He also headed the INSERM unit that inspired numerous research projects, many of which were conducted with Professor Bonnel, such as the external frame fixator that established Professor Vidal's renowned orthopedic school, and the Cotrel-Dubousset instrumentation, which revolutionized spinal surgery. His work on growth through cartilage histology and the first walking track, tested in the unit before being installed at the Institut Marin Saint-Pierre, are also noteworthy.

Author of numerous scientific articles and several books, including "Comprehensive Anatomy of Motor Functions" (2013), "The Human Program" (2003), "The Builder" (2013), and "Disability" (2023), Prof. Rabischong has also held positions of responsibility at the national and international levels. He was one of the founders of the French Society for Hand Surgery in 1963, of which he was president in 1974. Between 1995 and 1997, he chaired several international learned societies and became vice-president of the World Academy of Biomedical Technologies at UNESCO in 2003.

His innovative themes, brilliant intelligence, and relentless dedication to his work, as well as his ability to evolve in all societies (anatomists, doctors, surgeons, engineers), earned him international renown. He traveled the world, from the United States to Japan and China. Legend has it that he always sat in the front row of airplanes so he could be the first to exit and not waste any time. His boundless energy and international renown made him one of our school's greatest ambassadors around the world.

Tireless, visionary, deeply humane and humanistic, his students remember him as an exceptional teacher and an outstanding speaker. Professor Pierre Rabischong will remain a leading figure at the Faculty of Medicine of Montpellier-Nîmes.

Excerpts from the tribute by Dean Isabelle Laffont on Monday, January 27, 2025.