Professor Pierre J. Magistretti is a Distinguished Professor of Biosciences and Vice-President for Research at KAUST, where he previously served as Dean of the Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division. He is Professor Emeritus at EPFL’s Brain Mind Institute and at the Universities of Lausanne and Geneva, Switzerland, where his pioneering research revealed the key role of astrocytes in brain energy metabolism and neuroprotection. Author of over 300 peer-reviewed publications and co-founder of three biotech startups, he has received numerous international awards and is a member of the Accademia dei Lincei, Academia Europaea, and the Norwegian Academy of Sciences and Letters. He is a past president of both IBRO and FENS and currently serves on multiple scientific advisory boards worldwide. 

Professor Magistretti’s research explores the cellular and molecular mechanisms of brain energy metabolism, with a central focus on the metabolic cooperation between astrocytes and neurons. His work has revealed how astrocyte-derived lactate supports synaptic activity, plasticity, and neuroprotection, forming the basis of the astrocyte-neuron lactate shuttle hypothesis. His group employs a combination of molecular biology, imaging, electrophysiology, and transcriptomics to uncover how metabolic signaling regulates brain function and contributes to neurological and psychiatric disorders. This research helps identify novel therapeutic targets for conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, depression, and cognitive dysfunction by elucidating how energy metabolism sustains mental activity and resilience.