Alexandra Lamy: a decade of support as Pasteurdon patron

Ten years ago, Alexandra Lamy joined forces with the Institut Pasteur as patron of Pasteurdon to raise public awareness of the need for donations to advance research. The press kit produced for the event and distributed this week features an interview with Alexandra Lamy in which she talks about why she decided to support Pasteurdon and shares her personal highlights and stand-out moments of the past decade – which have only served to strengthen her commitment to the Institut Pasteur and its work.

"I come from the Cévennes, where Louis Pasteur lived and worked – it was there that he developed a treatment for a silkworm disease and saved the region's silkworm farms from collapse. In my region he is seen as a real hero. So when I was given the opportunity to become Pasteurdon patron ten years ago, I didn't think twice – it was a way for me to pay tribute to all the work carried out by the institution."

Ever since she decided to come on board, Alexandra Lamy has been tireless in her support for the Institut Pasteur, spreading the word among the general public through radio messages and video clips and attending every launch event with a real eagerness to do her bit for the cause. As a passionate and committed patron, every year Alexandra Lamy has the opportunity to meet scientists and teams, to get to know people and find out more about the research profession – which is not so different from her own profession as an actor.

"Of all the fascinating people I have met over the years, I was particularly struck by Arnaud Fontanet. He shared his knowledge and talked about his discoveries, like the illness associated with lychee picking which affected children in China. It's so interesting talking to scientists who have found solutions to protect people from specific diseases. I thought of Arnaud at the beginning of the COVID outbreak – I sent him a text message to wish him all the best."

In the ten years that Alexandra Lamy has been supporting the Institut Pasteur, it has made a number of major breakthroughs, including a potential strategy for targeting HIV reservoirs, progress in tackling global outbreaks such as Ebola, Zika and COVID-19, gene therapy and discovery of genes involved in autism. All these developments are only possible thanks to the concerted efforts of the Institut Pasteur's staff – represented for the 10th year running by a patron who is fully aware of the extent of their commitment.

After recording radio messages for the campaign on September 9, Alexandra Lamy will be gracing the Institut Pasteur with her presence once again at the launch event for the 14th edition of Pasteurdon.
 

Photos :
François Gardy - Institut Pasteur
Y. Dejardin - Editel