Christophe BONNEL: 49-year-old student, winner of the Laval Virtual Awards

“I don't get bored for a second. You only live once, so you have to enjoy it!”

[ Can you introduce yourself in a few words? ] – I'm 49 years old and I'm still amazed by technological advances. Whenever I can use them for original or as yet unknown or unrecognized purposes, whether for leisure or work, I jump at the chance. I love challenges, questioning things, adventure.
I'm an entrepreneur at heart. I'm never bored for a second. We only have one life, so we have to make the most of it!!!

“I was president of the medical student association.”

[ What are your passions? Your hobbies? ] – I love traveling with my family and friends, and the photo rallies I co-organize in Europe. I take advantage of these trips to film and take photos, not to mention my taste for modern music. I'm a fan of sound and light shows. I have a long history of community involvement. I was president of the "corpo médecine (ACM)" and an active member of the Montpellier student union (AGEM) in the 1990s.

“I have just completed a diploma in medical training using simulators.”

[ Your education? ] – Doctorate in Medicine, then a specialized degree in emergency medicine. I also have a DEUST "Multimedia and Development"ten years ago. I regularly take continuing education courses: I just completed a diploma in "Medical Education Simulator Trainer."

“Providing surgeons with a rich virtual reality experience where they can immerse themselves in the surgical procedure.”

[ Tell us about the Revinax project, for which you won an award at the Laval Virtual Awards ] – Revinax aims to provide surgeons with a rich virtual reality experience where they can immerse themselves in filmed surgical procedures as if they were performing the operations themselves. All they have to do is put a virtual reality headset on their phone and they're ready to go. They can watch and rewatch a technique that an expert has agreed to demonstrate before practicing it themselves in real life, first in a simulator and then on real patients once they are ready.
It was as part of my AES training (Master's 2 internship) that I joined the Revinax team to assist them with this project. I already knew them because the neurosurgeon who founded Revinax was completing a university degree in medical education at the same time as me at the faculty of medicine, and I had found their first clients, who helped accelerate the adventure of this promising start-up. I tried to bring them the experience of 14 years as medical director of a medical imaging software company that I co-founded with computer scientists from Montpellier in 2002.

“I have a 9-year-old son, so I always make time for my family.”

[ What is a typical day like for you? ] – No two days are the same for me because I have several different professional activities during the week. I have a 9-year-old son, so I always make time for my family. As for the rest—friends, work, hobbies—the secret is to have a good schedule, but that's actually pretty easy. Depending on my schedule, my scooter is always enough to get me where I need to be at the right time.

“A huge thank you to the students in my class who, despite being 25 years younger than me, accepted me from day one.”

[ Your favorite place at the university? ] – As I am part of the heritage team at the Faculty of Medicine, I couldn't choose between the venerable Faculty of Medicine and the modernity of our AES Richter faculty. A huge thank you to the students in my class who, despite being 25 years younger than me, accepted me from day one. I was able to play table football and enjoy the university restaurant with them.
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