Election of new EMBO members, Christophe and Rodolphe Mérieux Prize, Legion of Honor: Institut Pasteur scientists recognized

•    Guillaume Duménil, Myrielle Dupont-Rouzeyrol and Arnaud Echard become members of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO)

The aim of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) is to promote excellence in biology by supporting talented researchers at all stages of their careers, stimulating dialog and encouraging the development of an outstanding scientific environment in the field of life sciences.
 
Some 50 to 60 researchers, leaders in their fields, join EMBO each year after being elected in a highly selective process by the organization's members. Together with the other members, they play a fundamental role in organizing and influencing the direction of European biology research. In total the organization has more than 2,000 members.
 
On Tuesday July 9, the prestigious organization, which is celebrating its 60th anniversary, announced the election of 120 new members, nine of whom are based in France and New Caledonia. The new French members include three Institut Pasteur scientists:
 

Guillaume Duménil, Head of the Pathogenesis of Vascular Infections Unit and Director of the Department of Cell Biology and Infection, for his research on infections caused by Neisseria meningitidis (meningococci), pathogenic gram-negative bacteria responsible for meningitis and septic shock. Guillaume Dumenil employs a multidisciplinary approach combining microbiology, biochemistry, cell biology, vascular biology, immunology and physics to explore the mechanisms underpinning these infections. This use of a combined approach to address a specific biomedical problem is characteristic of his work and results in original scientific contributions that foster links between different disciplines.

Myrielle Dupont-Rouzeyrol,  Head of the research and expertise unit for dengue and other arboviruses at the Institut Pasteur de Nouvelle Calédonie. Her career has been marked by her substantial contributions to arbovirology, particularly in the Pacific region. Her research, diagnostic innovations, and collaboration with health authorities have enhanced our understanding of arboviruses, informed public health strategies, and advanced the field of mosquito-borne disease control. Her work continues to be influential in shaping our response to emerging infectious diseases and our efforts to mitigate their impact on vulnerable populations.

Arnaud Echard, Head of the Membrane Traffic and Cell Division Unit, for his entire body of research, which focuses on the mechanisms of cell division (or mitosis), especially cytokinesis, the stage during which a parent cell physically divides into two daughter cells. This key phenomenon, which concludes all cell division and occurs billions of times during embryonic development, is crucial in the process of cell proliferation. Cytokinesis defects lead to an unequal segregation of genetic material that is characteristic of several forms of cancer.

This year's EMBO Members' Meeting will take place from October 29 to November 1, 2024 in Heidelberg, Germany. The annual meeting will present the organization to new members and associate members and give them the opportunity to meet other EMBO members.
 
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•   Christophe Mérieux Prize awarded by the Christophe and Rodolphe Mérieux Foundation – Institut de France to Emmanuel Nakouné-Yandoko

 

Each year, the Christophe and Rodolphe Mérieux Foundation at the Institut de France awards a major scientific prize, known as the Christophe Mérieux Prize, to support research into infectious diseases in developing countries.

The prize goes exclusively to research teams working on a permanent basis in the field in these countries.

This year, the prestigious prize was awarded to Professor Emmanuel Nakouné-Yandoko, Scientific Director of the Institut Pasteur de Bangui in the Central African Republic, who leads a research team working on arboviruses and tackling issues related to the impact of climate change on the main arboviruses transmitted by Aedes aegypti and Ae. Albopictus in the country.

Professor Emmanuel Nakouné-Yandoko is particularly active as a scientist; his involvement in several international expert committees and his major discoveries on managing outbreaks in Central Africa have made him a key player in virology and public health. He was awarded this prestigious scientific prize for his project aimed at determining the impact of climate change on the dynamics governing the spatio-temporal evolution of arboviruses in the Central African Republic. The research conducted by Professor Emmanuel Nakouné-Yandoko and his team is based on a multidisciplinary "One Health" approach involving multiple partners. It is organized into five stages combining data collection and surveillance, the development of a dynamic map to monitor the distribution of the two Aedes species, and an assessment of the socio-anthropological impact of arbovirus evolution.

 

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•    Two Institut Pasteur scientists recognized in the recent Legion of Honor promotions
 

On Tuesday July 9, the French Official Journal published the list of the latest promotions and nominations to the National Order of the Legion of Honor, as formalized by the decree signed by the French President on July 3, 2024.
 
The promotions include two Institut Pasteur scientists, whose names were put forward by Sylvie Retailleau, French Minister for Research and Higher Education: Yasmine Belkaid and Laure Bally-Cuif.
 

Yasmine Belkaid, President of the Institut Pasteur, has been appointed to the rank of Chevalier.

 

 

 

Laure Bally-Cuif, Head of the Zebrafish Neurogenetics Unit and Director of the Department of Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, has also been appointed to the rank of Chevalier.