Summary
Lluis Quintana-Murci, born in 1970, is Director of Research at the CNRS and Professor at the Institut Pasteur, where he heads the "Evolutionary Genomics, Modeling and Health" unit. Author of over 200 publications, Lluis Quintana-Murci is recognized worldwide for his work on the diversity of the human genome, which has many fruitful applications from both fundamental and applied points of view, advancing our knowledge and understanding of certain phenotypes of medical interest, linked to immune response or nutrition.
His early work in genetics validated the hypothesis thatHomo sapiens left Africa ~60,000 years ago (the replacement hypothesis) via the so-called East African route. Following this study, he used his expertise in evolutionary genomics to approach questions relating to the genetic and epigenetic diversity of the human species with a fresh perspective, such as how natural selection - particularly that exerted by pathogens - has shaped the diversity of the human genome.
Lluis Quintana-Murci's research has also focused on the contribution of host genetic variability to differences in immune responses to pathogens and infectious diseases. With his team at the Institut Pasteur, he has shown that certain alleles, which may have been advantageous in the past because they conferred an advantage during infection, are now responsible for increased susceptibility to autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.
