Dr Jean-Michel Heraud is Research Director at the Institut Pasteur de Dakar. He acquired a broad experience in infectious disease and public health, obtained through his years of work at the Institut Pasteur of French Guiana, the National Institutes of Health, and the Institut Pasteur de Madagascar. Dr Heraud has led several public health and research programs covering a broad variety of topics (e.g., influenza and other respiratory viruses, arboviruses, hepatitis, zoonotic pathogens). In his current position at the Institut Pasteur de Dakar, Dr Heraud is responsible for the National Reference Laboratory for Rabies and viral encephalitis. He oversees developing surveillance and research programs on rabies and viruses associated to encephalitis.

Dr Heraud has developed intense skills in public health and management of infectious diseases and have an important scientific network all over the world. For his 12 years of work on infectious diseases in Madagascar, Dr Heraud received the medal of Knight of the National Order of the Republic of Madagascar.