Jessica Quintin

Jessica Quintin is a researcher and Principal Investigator leading the Immunology of Fungal Infections group within the Department of Mycology at the Institut Pasteur in Paris, France. Her research focuses on the mechanisms of host immune responses to human fungal pathogens such as Candida albicans, Aspergillus fumigatus, and Cryptococcus neoformans.

She obtained her PhD from the Université de Strasbourg, working in the laboratory of Prof. Jules Hoffmann, and completed her postdoctoral training at Radboud University Medical Center in the Netherlands under Prof. Mihai Netea, where she studied mammalian immune responses to systemic candidiasis.

Her primary research interests lie in the field of innate immunity, with a specific focus on innate immune memory or trained immunity. She investigates how fungal components, particularly β-glucans, induce functional reprogramming in innate immune cells like monocytes and macrophages, leading to enhanced cytokine production and protection against reinfection. Her work explores the epigenetic (histone modifications) and metabolic (glycolytic shift) changes underlying this phenomenon and its implications for diseases like cryopyrinopathies.

Recent publications highlight trends in her research on β-glucan-induced macrophage reprogramming, inflammasome regulation, and the broader immunobiology of fungal cell wall components. Her work often bridges fundamental immunology with translational applications, including immunotherapy and vaccine development.

• Member, Scientific Steering Committee, Centre de Bioinformatique, Biostatistique et Biologie Intégrative (C3Bi), Institut Pasteur

Dr. Quintin serves as Principal Investigator for multiple ongoing projects, including studies on β-glucan imprinting of macrophages, the immunomodulatory effects of azithromycin on neutrophil responses, and the immune response to a live vaccine (IVORY1). She mentors a team of post-doctoral researchers, PhD students, and master’s students.

Her research is conducted within the Immunology of Fungal Infections group, which utilizes a range of techniques including human and murine models, in vitro and in vivo experimentation, flow cytometry, RNAseq, and ChIPseq to dissect host-pathogen interactions.