Pierre-Marie Girard appointed as the Institut Pasteur's Vice-President International Affairs

On a proposal from Professor Stewart Cole, President of the Institut Pasteur, Professor Pierre-Marie Girard has been appointed as the Institut Pasteur's Vice-President International Affairs. This decision was approved by the Institut Pasteur Board of Directors on April 19, 2019. Pierre-Marie Girard is Head of the Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Department at Saint-Antoine Hospital (part of the Paris Public Hospital Network, or AP-HP), and a Professor in Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine at Sorbonne University Faculty of Medicine. He has taken office on May 2, 2019.

Professor Pierre-Marie Girard has been appointed as the Institut Pasteur's Vice-President International Affairs, on a proposal from the President, Professor Stewart Cole. Pierre-Marie Girard is a consultant and Head of the Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Department at Saint-Antoine Hospital (part of the Paris Public Hospital Network, or AP-HP), and also a Professor in Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine at Sorbonne University Faculty of Medicine. He is Chairman of the Supervisory Board at the Institut de Médecine et d'Epidémiologie Appliquée (IMEA) – Fondation Internationale Léon Mba, and former President of ANRS Coordinated Action 12 – "Research in countries with limited resources".

"I am proud to join the Institut Pasteur, where I look forward to contributing to the development of a collaborative research strategy rooted in global scientific solidarity and strengthening the unique position of the Institut Pasteur International Network among the international community. In a highly competitive context, it is increasingly important to develop long-term, large-scale international initiatives with a real impact in serving the health of the populations covered by the Institut Pasteur International Network," explained Professor Pierre-Marie Girard, the Institut Pasteur's new Vice-President International Affairs.

Professor Stewart Cole, President of the Institut Pasteur, was keen to underscore the scientific excellence of the new Vice-President International Affairs: "The Institut Pasteur intends to achieve its ambition by strengthening its relations with the institutes in the network and implementing a proactive policy of national and international partnerships. Pierre-Marie Girard's international and clinical expertise will be a major asset for the institutes in the Institut Pasteur International Network in optimizing their work to improve human health worldwide."

The Institut Pasteur International Network: a vital player in the service of human health

Since its very early days, the Institut Pasteur has adopted an international outlook. The Institut Pasteur's strategy seeks both to strengthen its close links with the Institut Pasteur International Network – a priority in its 2019-2023 Strategic Plan – and to develop cooperation with key institutions outside the International Network. These activities are led by the Department of International Affairs, which coordinates research and public health programs involving the International Network, manages funds that promote mobility for scientists (including the Calmette & Yersin program and 4-year research groups) and is involved in training programs in the International Network. The Department of International Affairs helps coordinate joint activities and participates in meetings of the Boards of Directors and Scientific Councils of International Network member institutes.

The Institut Pasteur International Network is composed of 32 institutions united by shared Pasteurian values and missions in the service of public health. Spanning every continent, this network is a unique model for cooperation in the area of health care, bringing together men and women who work on a daily basis to tackle infectious agents through biomedical research, public health activities and training.

The Pasteur International Network Association, set up in 2011, is the legal entity of the Institut Pasteur International Network. On January 31, 2019, the renewal of the Pasteur International Network Association's status as a non-state actor in official relations with WHO was approved by the WHO Executive Board for three years. This renewal emphasizes the major role played by the International Network in global health, and enables the Pasteur International Network Association to take part in the World Health Assembly.

Biography of Pierre-Marie Girard

Pierre-Marie Girard has an M.D. from Pierre & Marie Curie University (Paris 6) with a specialization in internal medicine and infectious and tropical diseases, and also a PhD in Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology from Paris Diderot University (Paris 7).

His main research focus is clinical research on the treatment and prophylaxis of opportunistic infections associated with HIV in both developed and developing countries. He has coordinated and been involved in several clinical trials on antiretroviral therapy since the early 1990s, contributing to the drug review process and to the development of antiretroviral strategies linked with national and international multicenter trials. He has authored more than 350 international publications.

This release was first published 6 May 2019 by Institut Pasteur.