Xavier Nassif, M.D-PhD. is Professor of Microbiology at the Medical School Paris Descartes. He obtained is Medical Degree in 1987 and a PhD at the Pasteur Institute in 1989. After a postdoctoral fellowship he joined in 1992 the « Faculté de Médecine Paris Descartes » where he is heading the Clinical Microbiology Laboratory and the Institut Necker-Enfants Malades.
Alain Charbit, PhD, is Research Director (DR1) from the CNRS. He obtained a PhD at the Pasteur Institute in 1990. He was recruited by the CNRS in 1997. After 15 years at the Pasteur Institute, he joined in 1998 the « Faculté de Médecine Paris Descartes » where he is currently co-heading team 11 at the Institut Necker-Enfants Malades.
Bacterial systemic infections remain a public health concern in the developed world, Our long term goal is a better understanding of the pathogenesis of these infections in order to identify new targets for prevention and treatment.
Systemic infections are characterized by the ability of infecting pathogens to colonize and to disseminate from their port-of-entry into the bloodstream. Two types of bacterial pathogens disseminate beyond their port-of-entry:
Four main research axes are being pursued.