Biography
Born in the United States, Vance Bergeron obtained his PhD in chemical engineering from the University of California, Berkeley in 1993. In 2001, he launched his first start-up "AirinSpace" and remained the scientific advisor until 2013.
In 2008, he moved from the USA to France and joined the CNRS. He is currently Research Director at the Laboratoire de physique de l'ENS de Lyon. After an accident, he redirected his research and created the ANTS association (Advance Neuro Rehabiliation Therapies and Sport) in 2015. He is at the origin of the opening in 2018 of the 1st sports hall in France dedicated to motor disabilities.
The same year, he and Amine Metani started the Circles project, which eventually led in 2020 in the creation of the startup Kurage, specializing in the development of electro-stimulation bicycles and rowers for functional rehabilitation centres and sports halls dedicated to people with motor disabilities.
For his many contributions, he was awarded the CNRS Innovation Medal in 2019.
Awards and honours
"Tech 4 inclusion" award to the RAMFES project (Functional electrical stimulation rower) in 2019
"Coup de coeur" award to the film Toujours debout in 2018
Public's favourite award to the MESGUIBOLES project, during the Lyon Science Startup weekend in 2017
Information
TEDx Clermont - Vance Bergeron
Using functional electric stimulation to aid post-paralysis exercise