Scaling up measures to develop collective scientific expertise within the Institut Pasteur-UCSF QBI partnership: a look back at the annual symposium and introduction of mini sabbaticals between the Paris and Californian campuses

In connection with the new partnership established in late 2022 between the Institut Pasteur and the University of California San Francisco, Quantitative Biosciences Institute (UCSF QBI) to create an "Institut Pasteur-UCSF QBI center of excellence for emerging infectious diseases," several measures have already been taken to implement and scale up the project.

The Center of Excellence strives towards four overarching goals:

•  Become a leader in the multilevel study of pathogens, infectious diseases and counter-measures development

•  Increase capacity and research capabilities of both partners in the field of emerging infectious diseases through exchange programs.

•  Harness the power of artificial intelligence to emerging infectious diseases.

•  Gain a deeper knowledge of the effects of climate change on the emergence and reemergence of infectious and neglected tropical diseases.

 

 

 

A first trip to the United States in February

 

As part of the steps taken to implement the project, an Institut Pasteur delegation composed of various members of the Senior Management Board and several scientists made a first visit to San Francisco in February for face-to-face discussions with those involved in the partnership, namely research teams, laboratories and start-ups, as well as representatives of scientific and economic cooperation in the fields of bioscience and biotechnology, to ensure that the future center of excellence is firmly rooted in the local landscape and to explore possibilities for the organization of joint events.

See a selection of photos and videos of the trip

 

Third edition of the annual symposium on the Paris campus

 

 

Following on from this first trip, the US members of the partnership were invited in turn to visit the Institut Pasteur's Paris campus to take part in the third edition of the annual Institut Pasteur-UCSF QBI symposium on infectious diseases, held on April 12 and 13.

The aim of the event, which attracted more than a hundred participants, was to strengthen collaboration between scientists at the two institutes on a number of topics and research areas. The symposium was organized by Carla Saleh, Head of Ibeid LabEX and of the Viruses and RNA Interference Unit and scientific coordinator of the partnership for the Institut Pasteur, and Nevan Krogan, Director of the Quantitative Biosciences Institute (QBI) at UCSF. It featured a dozen speakers from the Institut Pasteur, who presented on topics ranging from virology, phage therapy and human genetics to chemistry, mycology and genomics, illustrating just how important it is to work together to tackle infectious diseases. Several speakers from UCSF QBI also presented their research in pharmaceutical chemistry, molecular and cellular pharmacology and molecular design.

The event gave rise to many fruitful discussions and exchanges, driven by the expertise of the scientific communities at both institutions, who also took advantage of the event to explore possibilities for future collaboration. This atmosphere of healthy scientific competition is the perfect basis to look ahead to the fourth edition of the symposium!

A full report on the event will be available soon.

 

Organizing mini sabbaticals for the scientific community in San Francisco and Paris

 

 

This Mini-Sabbatical Program is designed to exchange top academic talents from the Institut Pasteur and the University of California San Francisco for one- to three-month visits to build knowledge and new partnerships.

Participants will have the opportunity to flourish in their academic pursuits with an emphasis on original research and creativity. It is hoped that they will return to their home institutes with an enhanced understanding and the tools required for pandemic preparedness and the fight against emerging infectious diseases.

These mini sabbaticals are open to applications throughout the year and time spent at the host institution is based on the availability of sabbatical housing.

Funded by the Institut Pasteur - UCSF QBI Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, faculty will be hosted full-time from 1 to 3 months at the host institution. Their travel costs will be covered, as well as housing and, if hosted in San Francisco, will receive a supplementary stipend.

The faculty member is expected to be onsite during their sabbatical, give at least one institutional seminar, and engage actively in everyday exchanges with students, postdocs and faculty.

Find out more and access the application form

 

Photos: Institut Pasteur - François Gardy et Frederic Aube 2023; UCSF