Bio
Emmanuel Mignot is the Craig Reynolds Professor of Sleep Medicine in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University and the Director of the Stanford Center for Narcolepsy. He is recognized as having discovered the cause of narcolepsy. Dr. Mignot was born In Paris, France, and he is a former student of the Ecole Normale Superieure (Ulm, Paris, France). He received his M.D. and Ph.D. (molecular pharmacology) from Paris V and VI University respectively. He practiced medicine and Psychiatry in France for several years before serving as a visiting scholar at the Stanford Sleep Disorders Clinic and Research Center. He joined as faculty and Director of the Center for Narcolepsy in 1993. He was named Professor of Psychiatry in 2001. He has received numerous awards for his work and is a member of both the National Academies of Sciences and Medicine.
Dr. Mignot positionally cloned a mutation in the dog causing narcolepsy (hypocretin receptor 2) and discovered that narcolepsy, affecting 1/2000 people, is caused by an immune-mediated destruction of 70,000 hypocretin/orexin neurons in the hypothalamus, also revealing hypocretins as a novel critical sleep-regulatory pathway. Most of his current research focuses on the neurobiology, genetics and immunology of narcolepsy, with indirect interest in the neuroimmunology of other brain disorders such as autoimmune encephalitis or neurological paraneoplastic syndromes.
His laboratory also uses state of the art human genetics, proteomics and immunology techniques, such as genome-wide association, exome or whole genome sequencing or large scale proteomics in the study of human sleep and sleep disorders, with parallel studies in animal models. His laboratory is finally interested in web-based assessments of sleep disorders, and conducts deep learning-based processing of polysomnography (PSG), and outcome research.
Clinical Focus
- Narcolepsy Cataplexy Syndrome
- Kleine-Levin Syndrome
- Sleep Medicine
- Restless Leg Syndrome
Administrative Appointments
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Director, Center For Sleep Sciences and Medicine (2010 - 2019)
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Director, Center For Narcolepsy (1989 - Present)
Honors & Awards
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Elected member, National Academy Of Sciences (2012)
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Elected member, Association of American Physicians (2011)
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Elected member, Institute of Medicine (2006)
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Outstanding Scientific Achievement Award, Sleep Research Society (2006)
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Foster Elting Bennett Memorial Lecture Award, American Neurological Association (2004)
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W. Alden Spencer Award, College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University (2004)
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Investigator Award, Howard Hughes Medical Institute (2002-2010)
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Neuroscience of Brain Disorders Award, McKnight Foundation (2002)
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William C Dement Academic Achievement Award, American Academy of Sleep Medicine (2000)
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Javits Award, National Institute of Neurological Disease and Stroke (NINDS) (1999)
Professional Education
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Fellowship: Stanford University - Dept of Psychiatry (1996) CA
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Board Certification: American Board of Sleep Medicine, Sleep Medicine (1990)
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Residency: Necker Enfants Malades Hospital (1989) France
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Medical Education: University Of Paris (1985) France
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Internship: Necker Enfants Malades Hospital (1984) France
Community and International Work
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World Wide narcolepsy GWAS
Topic
Genetic studies
Populations Served
all across the world
Location
International
Ongoing Project
Yes
Opportunities for Student Involvement
Yes
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Ongoing Project
No
Opportunities for Student Involvement
No
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GWAS studies in narcolepsy and KleineLevin
Topic
Genetics
Partnering Organization(s)
Sleep clinics in the US and internationally
Populations Served
All ethnic groups
Location
International
Ongoing Project
Yes
Opportunities for Student Involvement
No
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immunochip
Topic
Genetic study of many autoimmune diseases
Partnering Organization(s)
>100 laboratories across the world
Location
International
Ongoing Project
No
Opportunities for Student Involvement
No