Jean-Laurent Casanova
Professor
The Rockefeller University & Howard Hughes Medical Institute, NY, and Necker Hospital for Sick Children, Paris.
Biography
Jean-Laurent Casanova is a French physician and immunologist whose work has transformed the understanding of infectious diseases. He revealed that rare, single-gene mutations can explain why otherwise healthy individuals develop severe infections like tuberculosis, herpes encephalitis, and life-threatening COVID-19. In 1999, he co-founded the Laboratory of Human Genetics of Infectious Diseases with Laurent Abel, combining clinical insight with epidemiology and genetics. Casanova’s discoveries have shifted the focus from pathogens alone to the role of inherited immune vulnerabilities, opening new paths for personalized diagnosis, prevention, and treatment. His research shows that severe infectious diseases can often be traced to hidden cracks in a person’s genetic defenses. In 2025, he was awarded the Novo Nordisk Prize for his pioneering contributions to medicine.
