On Wednesday, December 15, 2021, the dean’s election for the Montpellier-Nîmes Faculty of Medicine took place. Following the vote, Isabelle Laffont, a professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation, was elected dean of the faculty, making her the first woman to hold this position in the faculty’s 800-year history.
A Committed Woman
Isabelle Laffont was born in Toulouse in 1965. After studying medicine at the Paris-Ouest Faculty of Medicine, from which she graduated with a degree in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation in 1995, she began working as a hospital practitioner (PH) at the Montpellier University Hospital in 2008. In 2011, she was awarded the title of University Professor – Hospital Practitioner. Her career has since been marked by her commitment to both teaching and research.
In fact, Isabelle Laffont began her involvement with the Faculty in 2014. At that time, she served as a member of the academic committee for graduate medical studies. She also became a member of the Faculty Management Council of the Faculty, where she was appointed Project Manager for the University Integration of Paramedical Professions and Regionalization in 2018. During this term, Professor Laffont established a groundbreaking and pioneering program in the Faculty’s history: the Advanced Practice Nurses. In addition, she contributed to the creation of new tracks within the Master’s in Health program at the UFR, and was particularly involved in the REHAB tracktrack, dedicated to professionals in rehabilitation and other fields, for which she serves as academic director alongside Prof. Arnaud Dupeyron and Dr. Anthony Gelis.
In addition to her teaching responsibilities, she is also actively involved in the life of the Montpellier University Hospital, becoming a permanent guest member of the Executive Board in 2011. Finally, she is active in professional societies: she chairs the SOFMER (French Society of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation) for three years from 2019 to 2021 and currently serves as secretary general of the ISPRM (International Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine) for the past two years.
“A Clear Vision for the Future of Our Faculty”
Building on this experience and her strong commitment to teaching, Isabelle Laffont is running in the 2021 deanery elections to succeed Dean Mondain. At the conclusion of the vote, she won the election with 31 of the 40 votes cast, making these elections historic: she became the first woman to serve as Dean since the Faculty’s founding 800 years ago, in 1220.
Dean Isabelle Laffont states in her campaign platform to have a “clear vision for the future of our Faculty,” centered on the values of Excellence, Balance, and Openness. Its governance will be “supportive, respectful of the women and men who enable our institution to fulfill its missions, and attentive to the students for whom we are responsible.”
It is committed to a robust educational initiative, aimed at stabilizing medical and paramedical programs—which are regularly subject to reform—and making the necessary adjustments. The well-being of students, Faculty staff, and teaching teams will be a key priority during her term. She also intends to continue the work already underway to improve the Faculty’s facilities (completion of construction at the Nîmes site, renovation of the historic building, and construction of the Learning Center on the ADV campus).
The research is a key component of its mission, with a strong commitment to developing activities related to applied clinical research, basic research, and translational research. Collaborations with regional health research stakeholders are crucial: the University of Montpellier, research organizations (INSERM, CNRS, etc.), the University Hospitals of Nîmes and Montpellier, and the IRCM. As such, the School of Medicine will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of medicine and health innovations. It will support research training by promoting dual-track programs for our young students.
Finally, the new Dean outlines her vision for social responsibility of the School of Medicine through various initiatives focused on well-being: addressing psychosocial risks, improving quality of life at work, and fostering a culture of belonging and team dynamics. Isabelle Laffont’s deanship will be one of collective intelligence.
The entire faculty community extends its best wishes for success to Dean Laffont.
