Valerie Legout, MD has been the Jérôme Lejeune Foundation’s International Director of Research and Development since March 2013. Her role is to coordinate activities between the Fondation Jérôme Lejeune and Institut Jérôme Lejeune in Paris, but also to coordinate the global research interests of the Jérôme Lejeune Foundation, and in particular coordination between US and French Foundations and their mutual research interests.

Dr. Legout and Mark Bradford, President of the US Foundation have just concluded a 10 day tour of labs funded by the Foundation and visits with other leading researchers on the east coast of the US.

Following is brief interview with Dr. Legout:

Dr. Legout, what has your professional experience been up to now?

VL: I was trained as a medical doctor and general practitioner, therefore I am deeply concerned with clinical issues. This is why, to me, the purpose of all research must be oriented toward the patient’s benefit. This is what constantly guides me.

For years I have been working in the pharmaceutical industry on the development of new drugs, and especially toward treatments on the central nervous system, i.e., on pathologies related to the brain such as depression, Alzheimer, Parkinson, strokes, etc. In this broad field of diseases, I have focused more precisely on rare genetic diseases which are presently untreatable. I have made available a product to treat the impairment of memory, a product which I also put forward for its effectiveness in relieving children suffering from a very serious muscular pathology of genetic origin, which, until then, was untreatable.

This work was the fruit of cooperation of many individual researchers working to benefit patients, and it resulted in an unexpected effectiveness of the treatment on this particular genetic illness. I have always promoted interactions between research teams, because research can only be effective in the context of horizontal collaboration.

What motivated your decision to be part of the Jérôme Lejeune Foundation?

VL: Down syndrome, as is also the case with all the other genetic intellectual disabilities, is clearly what one would call an “unmet medical need”. The urgency to answer that particular need is well-known. For various reasons, research on these disabilities is unfortunately little served by the public authorities, and consequently not valued in particular by the scientists. The Jérôme Lejeune Foundation, first in the world in terms of budget devoted to therapeutic research in this field, seemed the best structure for me in which to play a part. I gladly provide my expertise in drug development, setting up of industrial processing, and my knowledge of the central nervous system, since the brain is obviously the center of medical issues related to intellectual deficiency.

What exactly is your responsibility within the Foundation?

VL: I am responsible for a newly created post. I am the International Research and Development Director. My mission is to coordinate the whole of the research work in France, Europe and in the United States, and develop synergy between the different teams. It is, indeed, essential to work with all the teams that have the same goals by establishing effective partnerships.

My particular interest is in what is called “translational” research. I really insist on that, because I believe the more brains there are working together, the more chances there are of succeeding!

Do you believe it will be possible to treat Down syndrome one day?

VL: Yes, I am intimately convinced that we can improve the cognitive capacities of people with Down syndrome, otherwise I wouldn’t be here! With the Foundation in France and the US, the Institute in Paris, and all the scientists throughout the world with whom we have partnerships, we want to find a way to enable the patients to better interact with their environment. We thus improve their quality of life and their well-being. More than just having an impact on the patients and their families, it will, of course, be a benefit for the community as a whole. It is not a matter of health for the sake of it: it is health for the person and for society!