Author: R. V. Bensasson
Bio: Curriculum Vitae
january 2009
BENSASSON René Victor
Biophysicist
Directeur de Recherche Emérite au Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)
(CNRS), (Emeritus Director of Research with the National Centre of Scientific Research)
Born November 19th, 1930 in Tunis, Tunisia
Nationality: French
Married: Catherine van Wassenhove, two children
Education :
- Licence ès Sciences Physiques (B.Sc.),University of Paris (1954)
- Doctorat 3ème cycle , (PhD) University of Paris (1958) :
"Polymerisation of acrylonitrile induced by gamma Rays"
- Doctorat ès Sciences Physiques, University of Paris (1964) "Polymerisation of vinyl
monomers in the solid state induced by X and γ Rays"
Doctorate Research Advisors :
Professors Yvette Cauchois and Michel Magat, both at the Laboratoire de Chimie-
Physique, Université de Paris, 11 rue Pierre et Marie Curie, 75005 Paris
Post-Doctoral Positions:
October 1964- April 1966 with Professor Henry Linschitz, Chemistry Dept., Brandeis
University, Waltham, Massachussets, USA,
" Reduction-oxidation reactions investigated by flash photolysis".
April 1966- April 1967 with Dr Max Matheson, Chemistry Division, Argonne National
Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois, USA,
" Reduction-oxidation reactions investigated by pulse radiolysis ".
Positions with the "Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique " (CNRS)
[National Center of Scientific Research] :
1956-1978 "Laboratoire de Chimie Physique", University of Paris directed by Professor
Yvette Cauchois
1956 Stagiaire de recherche (Research Trainee)
1958 Attaché de recherche (Research Assistant)
1964 Chargé de recherche (Senior Research Assistant)
1972 Directeur de recherche (2ème classe) (Research Director)
1988 Directeur de recherche (1ère classe) (Senior Research Director)
1998 Directeur de Recherche Emérite au CNRS
1978-2003 "Laboratoire de Biophysique du Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle"
directed by Professor Claude Hélène and by Professor Thérèse Garestier
1988 Directeur de Recherche (1ère classe) (Senior Research Director)
1998 Directeur de Recherche Emérite (Senior Research Director Emeritus)
1982-1988 Co-director of the CNRS group: ERA 951 "Photobiologie moléculaire"
2
1988-1993 Director of the CNRS group: UA 481 "Photobiologie moléculaire"
since 2004 Laboratoire de Chimie des Substances Naturelles du Muséum National
d'Histoire Naturelle, directed by Professor Sylvie Rebuffat.
Present Address Laboratoire de Chimie des Substances Naturelles, CASE 54, USM 502/
UMR 5154 CNRS, 63 rue Buffon-F75005 Paris, Tél. 33 (1) 40 79 36 92 (direct) Fax 33 (1) 40
79 37 05 et 33 (1) 40 79 31 35, e-mail: rvb@mnhn.fr
Research Interests
From 1955 to1964
Chemistry induced by ionizing radiations, polymerisations induced by X- and γ-
rays.
From 1964 to 2009
Two main direction of studies:
1) Using mainly two complementary time-resolved spectroscopic
methods, laser flash photolysis and pulse radiolysis our group has investigated
(i) the primary species (Excited States and Radicals) involved in Vision, Photosynthesis,
Photodamage of Nucleic Acids and Photochemotherapies
(ii) the spectroscopic, photophysical, and photochemical properties of Fullerenes C60, C70
and derivatives
2) Using mainly quantum chemical approaches, our group has
investigated
Redox regulation processes involved in
(i) Cancer chemoprotection,
(ii) Anti-inflammation chemoprotection and
(iii) Control of genetic expression.
Publications
- 151 scientific publications
- books
Co-author :
R.V. BENSASSON, E.J. LAND & T.G. TRUSCOTT
Flash photolysis and Pulse radiolysis. Contributions to the Chemistry of
Biology and Medicine.Pergamon Press, 226 pages, Oxford (1983)
ISBN 0-08024949-3
Translated in Russian by the Editions MIR (Moscow, 1987).
R.V. BENSASSON, E.J. LAND & T.G. TRUSCOTT
Excited states and free radicals in biology and medicine. Contributions from
flash photolysis and pulse radiolysis.
Oxford University Press , 440 pages, 89 illustrations, Oxford, (1993)
ISBN 0-19-855560-1
Co-editor :
R.V. BENSASSON, G. JORI, E.J. LAND & T.G. TRUSCOTT
Primary photoprocesses in biology and medicine.
Plenum Press, series A life Science New York and London (1985) 85.
ISBN 0-306-41930-0.
3
Member of national and international scientific committees and networks
1978-1981 Committee "Lasers in Biology and Medicine" of the DGRST "General Direction of
the Technical and Scientific Research" of the French Ministry of Research
1981-1984 Committee "Lasers in Biology and Medicine" of the French Ministry of Research
1982-1986 International Organisation Committee of the
"International Conference on Photochemical Conversion and Storage of Solar Energy" under
the chairmanship of Jean-Marie Lehn
1982-1996 Board of the "Association Française de Photobiologie" (French Society for
Photobiology), Vice-President of the "Association Française de Photobiologie" in 1993 and
President of the "Association Française de Photobiologie" from 1994 to 1996
1998-2002 Coordinator of ten European Laboratories working on the biological effects of
fullerenes ("BIOFULL") under the European Contract FMRX-CT98-0192
2002-2006 Member of a European network investigating fullerene
modelling, synthesis, characterisation and application in Donor-Acceptor
ensembles ("WONDERFULL"), Contract n°HPRN-CT-2002-00177
Member of the Academia Europaea elected in 1989 (section: Biophysics)
Member of the Editorial Board of
(i) Fullerenes, nanotubes and carbon nanostructures (DEKKER)
replacing Fullerene Science and Technology)
http://www.dekker.com/servlet/product/productid/FST
(ii) Acta Laser Biology Sinica (Genetics Society of China)
(iii) Journal of Photochemistry & Photobiology B: Biology
(ELSEVIER)
(iv) Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy. (ELSEVIER)
Present in the ISI's MOST CITED CHEMISTS from 1981 to June 1997,
http://sdpd.univ-lemans.fr/chimie/chimistes.html
Scientific Prize of the French Academy of Sciences
In 1989, awarded the Grammaticakis-Neuman Prize of the French Academy of
Sciences "for my work on photosensitization in biological systems and new
approaches in photochemotherapies".
Member of various scientific evaluation committees set up by
(i) the "Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique" in France,
(ii) the "Ministère de l'Enseignement Supérieur et de la Science du Québec,
(iii) the "Conseil de Recherches en Sciences Naturelles et en Génie du Canada"
(iv) the "NATO"
(v) the "International Human Frontier Science Programme Organization".
Language spoken: french, english and italian