Focus on the new course "Mother-Child Dyad: Current Evidence in a Global Perspective"

Since the start of the year, in connection with the adoption and implementation of the Pasteur 2030 Strategic Plan, the Institut Pasteur has launched four new specialist courses with content designed to provide participants with the expertise they need to rise to the most pressing global challenges, such as climate change and public health, or vaccination and emerging infectious diseases. 
 
One such present and future challenge is maternal and infant health. To delve further into this topic, the Department of Education ran a new course in March entitled "Mother-Child Dyad: Current Evidence in a Global Perspective." The course was taught in English and was attended by 24 participants, both professionals and students, from France and abroad. 
 

The new course could be taken independently or as part of the Advanced Master's in Public Health run by the Pasteur-CNAM School of Public Health (in collaboration with the French School of Advanced Studies in Public Health (EHESP)). It offered advanced insights into maternal and infant health based on the concept of the developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD).
 
It included several highlights, such as:
 

The session on "Maternal Imprinting on Child Immune System Development," led by Yasmine Belkaid;

 

"I was delighted to lead a training session at the Institut Pasteur about the mother-child bond and the sometimes unsuspected impact of pregnancy and breastfeeding on long-term health, as part of the new course "Mother-Child Dyad: Current Evidence in a Global Perspective." The Institut Pasteur's mother-child research program is aimed at elucidating biological mechanisms and anticipating potential dysfunctions, while also developing collaboration with practitioners in France and at other institutes in the Pasteur Network."

 

A focus on the impact of prenatal and early childhood experiences, especially over the first 1,000 days of life;
 

 

An exploration of subjects such as pathophysiology, toxicology and epidemiology, with case studies on HIV, malaria and prematurity.  

 

 

The course included lectures and case studies leading up to a final written exam, providing participants with a solid foundation for research into mother and child health.
 
Pasteur 2030 is driving the Institut Pasteur to expand its range of courses to train up scientists, physicians and researchers for now and the future who will rise to critical challenges in global health.

The course will run again from February 16 to February 20, 2026. Registration is open until November 30, 2025. 

Find out more

Check out the video testimonial from Edith Turpyn, a student on the very first edition of the course