After a Cardiology fellowship, Professor Vignon validated Intensive Care Medicine as a supra-specialty at Limoges University, France. His PhD was aimed at developing new echocardiographic tools for a quantitative evaluation of regional ventricular function at the University of Chicago (Non-invasive imaging laboratories, Pr RM Lang, 1994-1996). Since 1992, His clinical research focused on the development and validation of echocardiography in critically ill patients with circulatory and respiratory compromise. He has been running the research program of critical care ultrasonography in the Clinical Investigation Center INSERM 1435 of Limoges Teaching hospital since 2008, and became the head of a 30-bed Medical-Surgical Intensive Care Unit admitting more than 900 patients per year (> 70% ventilated) in 2010. He is the ex-Chair of the EDEC Committee (European Diploma in advanced critical care Echocardiography) of the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine (ESICM) in which he is still keeping an active role in organizing educational events. His scientific contribution is substantial – publishing more than 225 manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals, 50 book chapters and 150 invited talks in congresses.