Dr. Jean-Philippe Herbeuval | Immunotherapy | Best Researcher Award

Director of Research at Joint Research Unit (UMR 8601) of the National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), France

Dr. Jean‑Philippe Herbeuval is a renowned French immunologist and CNRS Director of Research at CBMIT (UMR8601), Université Paris Cité. His career spans foundational discovery in immuno‑oncology and viral immunology, including a prestigious Fogarty postdoc at NIH focused on interferon responses in HIV. A serial innovator, he founded the interdisciplinary CBMIT team in 2012 and co-founded two biotech startups—Ermium Therapeutics and Elyris Pharma—drawing major investment and licensing multiple patents. As a CNRS Innovation Ambassador and expert committee member for ANRS and Campus France, he bridges academia and industry. With over 70 publications, nine patents, and an h‑index of 28, Dr. Herbeuval has guided a generation of leaders and chaired numerous doctoral juries. His accolades include the i‑Lab Innovation Prize and the NIH Norman P. Salzman Award. Passionate about translation and public engagement, he mentors emerging scientists and champions immunology’s role in global health.

Professional Profile

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Education

Dr. Herbeuval earned his PhD in immuno‑oncology from INSERM/GIMAP, Université Jean Monnet in Saint‑Étienne in 2001. That year, he received a prestigious Fogarty fellowship to join NIH’s immuno‑virology program, where he studied type I interferon responses in HIV under Dr. Gene Shearer (2001–2006). He obtained his Habilitation to Direct Research (HDR) in 2008 at Université Paris Descartes. His growing leadership was evidenced by his recruitment as a CNRS CR1st-class junior PI in 2006 at Hôpital Necker (UMR8147). He was subsequently promoted to Director of Research—second class in 2013 and first class in 2019—at CBMIT (UMR8601), Université Paris Cité. This rigorous academic trajectory blends clinical immunology, virology, and translational science across French and US institutions, underpinning his capacity to initiate interdisciplinary research programs, train students, and drive biotechnology ventures.

Work Experience

Dr. Herbeuval’s career bridges cutting‑edge research, innovation, and leadership. After his Fogarty postdoctoral fellowship at the NIH (2001–2006), he was recruited as a CR1 researcher with CNRS at Hôpital Necker in 2006. In 2012, he established and has led CNRS’s CBMIT interdisciplinary team at Université Paris Cité, integrating immunology, virology, chemistry, and computational modeling. He also founded and manages the molecular biology and cytometry core facility (Cyto2BM) since 2018. Entrepreneurially, he co‑founded Ermium Therapeutics (2019–2024), securing investment and helping shape the company’s scientific direction, and is currently founding Elyris Pharma (2024), developing anti‑inflammatory therapies. Dr. Herbeuval serves as CNRS Innovation Ambassador, sits on multiple expert committees (ANRS‑EID, Campus France), and advises biotechnology companies. His effective leadership—combining team‑building, core facility management, grant acquisition, and industry outreach—demonstrates his prowess in translating science into innovation and motivating interdisciplinary collaborations.

🏆 Awards & Honors

Dr. Herbeuval has earned numerous prestigious awards in both science and innovation. In 2005, he received the Norman P. Salzman Memorial Award in Virology and the NIH Young Scientist Cash Award for his work on interferon in HIV during his Fogarty fellowship at NIH. He delivered a special lecture at the 25th anniversary of HIV discovery at Bethesda’s NIH in 2007. In France, he was honored in 2013 with the CNRS Prime d’Excellence Scientifique (PES). In 2019, he won the national i‑Lab Innovation Prize (BPI‑France, Ministry of Research) for founding Ermium Therapeutics. He was recently named a CNRS Innovation Ambassador and serves on expert committees for ANRS–Emerging Infectious Diseases and Campus France. He has chaired doctoral and HDR juries, supervised numerous PhDs and postdocs, and is a frequent conference speaker. These accolades attest to his dynamic contributions in fundamental immunology, translational innovation, and mentorship.

Research Focus

Dr. Herbeuval’s research lies at the forefront of fundamental and translational immunology, with emphasis on type I interferon signaling, innate immunity, and inflammatory pathways. He has elucidated the immunological roles of PDK1 kinase and CXCR4 receptor, identifying them as pivotal regulators of innate immune activation and anti‑inflammatory responses—discoveries that have led to multiple patents and biotech startups. His lab investigates autoinflammatory diseases and infectious conditions such as HIV, SARS‑CoV‑2, dengue, and influenza, supporting translational therapeutics. By integrating immunology with chemistry, physics, and in silico modeling, he uses interdisciplinary methods to uncover novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets. Through his core facility Cyto2BM and the CBMIT team, Dr. Herbeuval develops innovative diagnostic and therapeutic platforms aimed at modulating immune responses, advancing personalized medicine, and accelerating bench‑to‑bedside applications.

Skills

Dr. Herbeuval excels in immunology, with specialized skills in cytometry, molecular biology, virology, and interferon signaling analysis. He is proficient in core facility management, including strategic planning, engineering recruitment, and investment decisions. His academic leadership spans team-building, mentoring, PhD and HDR supervision, and jury presidency. He possesses strong grant-writing and fundraising abilities—securing over €8.8M through 45 contracts, EU funding, ANR grants, and innovation awards. Dr. Herbeuval is experienced in startup creation, IP management, and biotech-industry liaison. He thrives in cross-disciplinary settings, leveraging chemistry, in silico modeling, and data analysis. His strengths include scientific communication—publishing research (70+ papers, h‑index 28), engaging public media, and international conference speaking. As editorial reviewer and expert committee member, he evaluates grants, mentors early-career scientists, and identifies emerging talents.

Conclusion

Dr. Jean-Philippe Herbeuval is an exemplary candidate for the Best Researcher Award, bringing together the rigor of academic science, boldness of biotech innovation, and a clear commitment to societal impact. His work has significantly advanced our understanding of immune modulation, viral-host interactions, and therapeutic target discovery. With an exceptional balance of vision, mentorship, funding success, and translational research, Dr. Herbeuval sets a standard for what modern scientific leadership should look like. He is not only deserving of this award but is a model for future generations of interdisciplinary researchers.

Publications to Noted

Title: HIV inhibits CD4⁺ T-cell proliferation by inducing indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase in plasmacytoid dendritic cells
Authors: A. Boasso, J.P. Herbeuval, A.W. Hardy, S.A. Anderson, M.J. Dolan, D. Fuchs, G.M. Shearer
Journal: Blood, 109(8), 3351–3359
Citations: 385
Year: 2007

Title: CD4⁺ T-cell death induced by infectious and noninfectious HIV-1: role of type 1 interferon–dependent, TRAIL/DR5-mediated apoptosis
Authors: J.P. Herbeuval, J.C. Grivel, A. Boasso, A.W. Hardy, C. Chougnet, M.J. Dolan, G.M. Shearer
Journal: Blood, 106(10), 3524–3531
Citations: 289
Year: 2005

Title: Sex differences in plasmacytoid dendritic cell levels of IRF5 drive higher IFN-α production in women
Authors: M. Griesbeck, S. Ziegler, S. Laffont, N. Smith, L. Chauveau, P. Tomezsko, J.P. Herbeuval, et al.
Journal: The Journal of Immunology, 195(11), 5327–5336
Citations: 255
Year: 2015

Title: HIV-1 immunopathogenesis: how good interferon turns bad
Authors: J.P. Herbeuval, G.M. Shearer
Journal: Clinical Immunology, 123(2), 121–128
Citations: 249
Year: 2007

Title: Regulation of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase and tryptophanyl-tRNA-synthetase by CTLA-4-Fc in human CD4⁺ T cells
Authors: A. Boasso, J.P. Herbeuval, A.W. Hardy, C. Winkler, G.M. Shearer
Journal: Blood, 105(4), 1574–1581
Citations: 239
Year: 2005

Title: Differential expression of IFN-α and TRAIL/DR5 in lymphoid tissue of progressor versus nonprogressor HIV-1-infected patients
Authors: J.P. Herbeuval, J. Nilsson, A. Boasso, A.W. Hardy, M.J. Kruhlak, S.A. Anderson, et al.
Journal: PNAS, 103(18), 7000–7005
Citations: 225
Year: 2006

Title: HIV turns plasmacytoid dendritic cells into TRAIL-expressing killer pDC and down-regulates HIV coreceptors by TLR7-induced IFN-α
Authors: A.W. Hardy, D.R. Graham, G.M. Shearer, J.P. Herbeuval
Journal: PNAS, 104(44), 17453–17458
Citations: 213
Year: 2007

Title: Regulation of TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand on primary CD4⁺ T cells by HIV-1: role of type I IFN-producing plasmacytoid dendritic cells
Authors: J.P. Herbeuval, A.W. Hardy, A. Boasso, S.A. Anderson, M.J. Dolan, M. Dy, et al.
Journal: PNAS, 102(39), 13974–13979
Citations: 210
Year: 2005

Title: TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) in HIV-1–infected patients and its in vitro production by antigen-presenting cells
Authors: J.P. Herbeuval, A. Boasso, J.C. Grivel, A.W. Hardy, S.A. Anderson, M.J. Dolan, et al.
Journal: Blood, 105(6), 2458–2464
Citations: 209
Year: 2005

Title: Recruitment of STAT3 for production of IL-10 by colon carcinoma cells induced by macrophage-derived IL-6
Authors: J.P. Herbeuval, E. Lelievre, C. Lambert, M. Dy, C. Genin
Journal: The Journal of Immunology, 172(7), 4630–4636
Citations: 143
Year: 2004

Jean-Philippe Herbeuval | Immunotherapy | Best Researcher Award