Jean-Laurent Casanova

Prof. Jean-Laurent Casanova is a leading academic in immunology and human genetics, holding dual appointments as the Levy Family Professor at The Rockefeller University (since 2008) and Professor of Pediatrics at Paris Cité University’s School of Medicine (since 1999). He leads the St. Giles Laboratory of Human Genetics of Infectious Diseases, investigating monogenic disorders that compromise immunity to specific infections. His work bridges clinical medicine and genetics, with notable contributions to understanding genetic vulnerabilities in infectious diseases like tuberculosis and COVID-19.

Education: M.D. (1987) and Ph.D. (1992) from the Pasteur Institute and Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research. Research focuses on identifying genetic defects in immunity, with implications for diagnosis and treatment.

• Awards: Over 20 international honors, including the Légion d’Honneur (France), Khwarizmi Award (Iran), and membership in the U.S. National Academies.

• Labs: Co-founded the Laboratory of Human Genetics of Infectious Diseases with Laurent Abel, split between New York and Paris, integrating experimental (Casanova) and computational (Abel) approaches.