About
Inès Vigan is a leading researcher in immunology and infectious diseases, currently heading the Immunophysiopathology & Infectious Diseases Department at Institut Pasteur de Dakar, Senegal. She has over two decades of scientific leadership in malaria and infectious disease research across Africa within the Pasteur Network. Prior to her current position, she headed the Immunology of Infectious Diseases Unit at Institut Pasteur de Madagascar (2014-2019) and conducted pioneering work at Institut Pasteur, Paris (2002-2013).
Dr. Vigan's research focuses on deciphering immunological responses during infectious diseases to guide vaccine and diagnostics development and public health strategies. Her work centers on malaria (particularly Plasmodium falciparum and P. vivax), arboviruses, and emerging pathogens. She integrates local pathogen genomic surveillance with advanced immunological and single-cell analysis platforms. Her department hosts the CEPI Reference Laboratory, accelerating vaccine validation during clinical trials.
Her recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on malaria diagnostics, vaccine development, and pathogenesis, with particular attention to the African context. She has published extensively on Plasmodium vivax in Duffy-negative populations, malaria transmission dynamics, and cross-reactive immune responses between malaria and other pathogens like SARS-CoV-2.
Dr. Vigan has earned her PhD in Molecular & Cellular Immunology from Joseph Fourier University (2001) and completed her HDR in 2016. Throughout her career, she has mentored over 20 early-career scientists and forged partnerships with national Ministries of Health and international funders.
She leads innovative projects including PvSeroRDT, a point-of-care serological rapid diagnostic test for risk of Plasmodium vivax hypnozoite infection, and has established advanced immunological research platforms focused on malaria and neglected tropical diseases. Her work combines field-based research with laboratory analysis to address critical challenges in infectious disease control in resource-limited settings.
