The VRI includes 150 researchers working on more than 40 international projects.
He has been head of Immunology of Viral and Auto-immune diseases department since 2015, and formerly the Department of Immuno-virology (SIV) since 2008. He is the IDMIT, infrastructure for Infectious Diseases Models and innovative Therapies, chief executive since 2012.
Dr. Le Grand’s research group is currently developing NHP models for HIV, HBV, dengue, human influenza, Chikungunya, Chlamydia, Pertussis and new emerging diseases. Dr Le Grand is particularly interested in host-pathogen interactions and the prevention of viral transmission.
His researches have generated more than 150 referenced peer-reviewed publications. He has been working as an expert for several French national research agencies, the French government, the European TRANSVAC program, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the WHO.
The goal of his research is to study host response to infections with the aim to understand basic mechanisms of immunology and develop new prevention strategies of human infectious diseases. His work is mainly based on the use of preclinical models, including non-human primate models of human diseases, and the development of advanced technologies in cytometry and in vivo imaging, with a continuing effort to translate findings in experimental models to the clinical practice.