The Human Vaccines Project, a nonprofit public-private partnership focused on decoding the immune system to improve human health, welcomes Dr. Marie-Paule Kieny to its Board of Directors. Dr. Kieny is currently Director of Research at Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherché Médicale (INSERM) where she connects INSERM with the international health research community, and has held several positions at the World Health Organization (WHO).
"Dr. Kieny has been a valued advisor to the Project since its inception," said Wayne C. Koff, PhD, president and CEO of the Human Vaccines Project. "We're looking forward to further applying her skills and experience from international health initiatives in the public and private sectors to advance our mission. Her expertise complements our current Board members, significantly strengthening the depth of our team."
"Immunization is among the most cost-effective and safe public health interventions, but development of vaccines against complex diseases like tuberculous, Alzheimer's, cancer and HIV have resisted the efforts of the world's best scientists," said Marie-Paule Kieny. "Now is the time for a concerted effort to understand the key drivers of the human immune system to enable development of new and improved vaccines for all global populations. This is the objective that the Human Vaccines Project is committed to achieving, and I'm proud to be able to contribute to this important initiative."
Prior to her work at INSERM, Dr. Kieny served as Assistant Director-General at the World Health Organization (WHO), in charge of Health Systems and Innovation. In this position, she oversaw more than 400 staff and managed a budget of over $115 million per year. Between 2002 and 2010, Dr. Kieny directed the WHO initiative for Vaccine Research. Some of her contributions at WHO included the development and licensing of new vaccines against bacterial meningitis, and addressing pandemic influenza in developing countries through technology transfer and manufacturing.
Before joining WHO, Kieny held top research positions in public and private sectors in France, including assistant scientific director of Transgene S.A. and head of the Hepatitis C Virus Molecular Virology Group at the Institute of Virology at INSERM, Strasbourg.
Kieny has published over 350 articles and reviews, mainly in the areas of infectious diseases, immunology, vaccinology and health systems. She has been awarded the coveted Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur, au titre du Ministère des Affaires étrangères (2016); Chevalier de l'Ordre National du Mérite, au titre du Ministère de la Recherche (2000); the Prix Génération 2000-Impact Médecin (1994); and the Prix de l'Innovation Rhône-Poulenc (1991).
About the Human Vaccines Project
The Human Vaccines Project is a nonprofit public-private partnership with a mission to decode the human immune system to accelerate the development of vaccines and immunotherapies against major global diseases. The Project brings together leading academic research centers, industrial partners, nonprofits and governments to address the primary scientific barriers to developing new vaccines and immunotherapies. Supporters and funders for the Project include the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, GSK, MedImmune, Illumina, Sanofi Pasteur, Johnson & Johnson/Janssen, Pfizer, Moderna, Boehringer Ingelheim, Aeras, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, UC San Diego, The Scripps Research Institute, J. Craig Venter Institute and La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology. To learn more, visit www.humanvaccinesproject.org and following @HumanVacProject on Twitter.
