Victor Narat

Victor Narat is a postdoctoral researcher at the Institut Pasteur, working in the Medical Anthropology and Environment Research Group within the Epidemiology of Emerging Diseases Unit. A veterinarian and primate specialist, he conducts field research on human-animal disease transmission in Central Africa.

His educational background includes:

• Veterinary studies at the National Veterinary School of Nantes (France), 2006-2011, with thesis on "Resilience of bonobos to habitat fragmentation and anthropic pressure"
• PhD from 2011-2014 on "Interactions between bonobos, habitats and humans. Habituation, ecology, health and conservation"

Narat's research focuses on zoonotic pre-emergence through multidisciplinary analysis of human-primate interactions. He employs community-engaged fieldwork in Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of Congo, combining anthropological surveys with biological sampling of gut microbiomes to identify pathogen-sharing mechanisms between species. His work examines how habitat encroachment, hunting practices, and ecological changes influence disease spillover risks.

He leads the Microtone project (2018-2020), funded by the Inception program, which expands his research to include bats, rodents, and antelopes alongside primates. Previously, he contributed to the Shapes project investigating cross-species disease contacts in Equatorial Africa through collaboration with the Pasteur Center in Cameroon, Saint-Louis hospital, and The City University of New York.

As part of Tamara Giles-Vernick's research group, Narat develops innovative field methodologies that integrate local ecological knowledge with scientific sampling protocols, significantly advancing understanding of zoonotic emergence pathways in tropical forest ecosystems.