Département Infection et épidémiologie

The Infection & Epidemiology department was created 5 years ago. It resulted from the partial merge between two research departments, “Molecular Medicine” and “Ecosystems and Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases” created in 2001 following a large brainstorming on the campus. The department was directed by Jean-Marc Cavaillon for 4 years. It includes 14 research units, one G5, one one platform (Genotyping of Pathogens and Public Health, PF-8), 9 of the 22 National Reference Centers situated on the Campus (Neisseria, Bordetella, Salmonella, E. coli/Shigella, Vibrio, Lyssavirus, Listeria, toxigenic Corynebacteria, Mycoses and Antifungals) and the Urgent Response to Biological Threats laboratory. The Medical Center corresponding to the outpatients’ clinic and the collection of biological samples ICARe were initially part of the Department but are now directly connected to the Medical Direction. Many of the research units coordinate teaching activities in the Institut Pasteur in Paris or in the network of the Instituts Pasteur. The connexions of the Department with various Institutes of the international network are noteworthy with several productive collaborations ongoing. The entities currently integrated into the Department are spread out in 9 buildings of the Campus.

The study of pathogen-host interactions is the backbone that subtends our research projects. This is accomplished through different and sometimes combined approaches that include the analysis of new risk factors for the development of infections, the study of pathogens’ and vectors’ biodiversity and population’s dynamics, the dissection of mechanisms allowing crossing of the host barriers, the study of hosts defence mechanisms and tissue damages, the analysis of the effects of anti-infective drugs, immune modulators and vaccines on pathogens’ evolution (eradication, biodiversity, emergence of resistance), and on host immune responses. The pathogens studied are diverse (bacteria, viruses, parasites and fungi). The tools include epidemiology, microbiology, dynamic imaging, immunology, histopathology, comparative genomics, molecular biology, cell biology, biochemistry, bioinformatics. The projects involve either clinical specimens or strains collected through clinical/epidemiological/field studies or through surveillance programs. Cellular and animal models are also used. Specific attention to the pathogens’ and the hosts’ diversity makes our studies more likely to be relevant to clinical situation and potentially useful for applications to patients’ management. Of note, the majority of our Department’s publications are found in the fields of Clinical Medicine, Immunology and Microbiology
Detailed information about the specific research projects is available for each entity on the website.

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