Professor Laurence Zitvogel is a world-renowned clinical oncologist and immunologist who has fundamentally transformed the understanding of cancer immunotherapy through her pioneering research. She currently serves as a full professor at Université Paris-Saclay and Research Director at INSERM U1015, maintaining her primary affiliation with Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, Europe's largest comprehensive cancer center. After qualifying in medical oncology from the University of Paris in 1992, she began her scientific career at the University of Pittsburgh under Michael Lotze, where she specialized in both translational and fundamental immunology. She returned to France in 1995 to join the Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Unit at Gustave Roussy, establishing herself as a visionary leader in the field. Her exceptional scientific contributions have been recognized through her election to the French National Academy of Medicine in 2021.
Professor Zitvogel pioneered the groundbreaking concept of immunogenic cell death, demonstrating how conventional cancer therapies including chemotherapy and radiotherapy exert their anti-tumor effects through immune system activation rather than solely through direct cytotoxicity. Her team made the seminal discovery of the critical role gut microbiota plays in cancer immunosurveillance and treatment response, fundamentally reshaping the understanding of host-tumor-microbiome interactions and revolutionizing approaches to cancer therapy. This highly influential work has positioned her among the world's most cited scientists, with an impressive h-index of 173, over 599 publications, and more than 165,000 citations according to Clarivate Analytics. She has led numerous Phase I and II clinical trials that have translated these discoveries into practical cancer immunotherapies, and her findings have directly informed the development of novel treatment approaches worldwide. As the scientific founder of everImmune, she continues to advance microbiota-based therapeutic strategies for oncology applications.
Dr. Zitvogel currently serves as Scientific Director of the Clinicobiome program at Gustave Roussy and leads major initiatives including the French RHU Torino-Lumière and European Oncobiome consortia. Her research focuses on developing effective diagnostic tests for gut dysbiosis associated with cancer while establishing comprehensive biobanks of cancer fecal samples at national and international levels. She is pioneering the development of artificial intelligence applications through large-scale analysis of tumor immunological atlases, bringing together mathematicians, biologists, and bioinformaticians to optimize personalized cancer treatments. Her visionary leadership has earned her prestigious recognition including appointment as Officier of the Legion of Honour by the French Ministry of Health in 2019 and numerous international awards including the Brupbacher Prize and ESMO Immuno-Oncology Award in 2017. Professor Zitvogel continues to shape the future of immuno-oncology through her translational research that bridges fundamental discoveries with clinical applications to improve cancer patient outcomes worldwide.
