Dr. Jean-Laurent Casanova is a distinguished physician-scientist who bridges clinical pediatrics with fundamental immunological research. He currently holds dual appointments as Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Paris/Hôpital Necker-Enfants Malades and Professor at The Rockefeller University in New York. After obtaining his MD in 1987 and PhD in molecular immunology in 1992, he completed a residency in pediatrics followed by a clinical fellowship in pediatric immunology-hematology at Necker Hospital. In 1995, he joined pediatric immunologist Claude Griscelli at Necker Hospital as a clinical research fellow, establishing the foundation for his pioneering work on genetic susceptibility to infectious diseases in children.
Dr. Casanova has revolutionized the field by discovering that life-threatening infectious diseases in otherwise healthy children often result from single-gene inborn errors of immunity. His laboratory has identified specific genetic mutations underlying susceptibility to mycobacterial diseases including tuberculosis, invasive pneumococcal disease, and herpes simplex encephalitis, fundamentally changing clinical understanding of these conditions. During the COVID-19 pandemic, his leadership of the COVID Human Genetic Effort revealed that insufficient type I interferon immunity underlies critical cases of pneumonia, explaining differential disease severity among patients. This work has established a new paradigm demonstrating that rare genetic variants and autoantibodies can selectively compromise immune defenses against specific pathogens, transforming clinical approaches to infectious disease management.
As co-founder and co-director of the Laboratory of Human Genetics of Infectious Diseases at Necker Hospital with Dr. Laurent Abel, Dr. Casanova has shaped an entire field of research that redefines infectious diseases as potential genetic disorders. His discoveries have catalyzed a paradigm shift in clinical medicine, opening new avenues for personalized prevention and treatment strategies that benefit millions worldwide. As a member of both the National Academy of Sciences and National Academy of Medicine, he continues to influence global research priorities in infectious disease immunology. Currently, his laboratory remains at the forefront of identifying additional monogenic disorders that selectively compromise immunity to specific infections, with ongoing work poised to further transform our understanding of host-pathogen interactions and revolutionize infectious disease management approaches globally.
