12 Facts About Philippe Sansonetti

Philippe J Sansonetti was born on 9 April 1949 and is a French microbiologist, professor at the Pasteur Institute and the College de France in Paris.

Philippe Sansonetti is the director of the Inserm Unit 786 and of the Institut Pasteur laboratory Pathogenie Microbienne Moleculaire.

Philippe Sansonetti practiced internal medicine at the Institut Pasteur hospital before becoming head of its outpatient clinic and then becoming its medical director.

Philippe Sansonetti was chairman of its Departments of Bacteriology and Mycology and Cell Biology and Infection.

Research performed by Philippe Sansonetti has mainly been focused on the understanding of several aspects of the pathogenesis of Shigella, a bacterium causing severe diarrhoea.

Philippe Sansonetti actively contributes to the development of vaccine candidates against the major shigellae causing dysentery in the developing world.

Philippe Sansonetti is the author of over 500 publications in peer-reviewed journals and has served as an editor of several professional publications for many years.

Philippe Sansonetti is considered to be one of the founders of the cellular microbiology field and has launched an eponym scientific publication dedicated to this field.

Philippe Sansonetti was appointed a Knight of the National Order of the Legion of Honour Legion d'honneur and Officer of the Ordre National du Merite.

Philippe Sansonetti has been elected Member of European Molecular Biology Organisation, the French Academy of Sciences, the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, the American Association for the Advancement of Science the US National Academy of Sciences, and corresponding member of the French Academy of Medicine.

Philippe Sansonetti has pioneered the study of molecular pathogenesis of bacterial infections and cellular microbiology, based on his discovery of the mechanism of cell invasion by Shigella.

Philippe Sansonetti has led the field practically and conceptually, by discovering key processes relevant to many pathogens and demonstrating the way in which bacteria subvert eukaryotic cells for their growth.