David Fenard appointed Director of ANSES's Laboratory for Rabies and Wildlife
David Fenard has devoted his career to developing innovative methodologies in therapeutic biotechnology. He has conducted research for various public and private bodies and authored more than 30 scientific publications in leading journals. His areas of expertise include virology, immunology, molecular biology, cell therapy and gene editing.
He will now coordinate all the activities of the Nancy Laboratory for Rabies and Wildlife, succeeding Élodie Monchâtre-Leroy, who was laboratory director from 2011 until the end of 2025. The laboratory was initially set up to combat rabies in foxes in France. It now has a team of around 40 people dedicated to the study of pathogenic viruses, bacteria and parasites circulating in wildlife, particularly those that can be transmitted to domestic animals and humans.
The work carried out by ANSES's Laboratory for Rabies and Wildlife focuses on monitoring pathogens, understanding their transmission mechanisms, and developing prevention and control measures. In particular, the laboratory studies Lyssavirus (a genus that includes the rabies virus), Echinococcus parasites, the viruses responsible for tick-borne encephalitis and Lyme disease, and coronaviruses. The laboratory's expertise is recognised in France and around the world through several national, European and international reference mandates.
"Wildlife is a major reservoir of pathogens, some of which can pose a risk to livestock, domestic animals and humans. In line with the "One Health" strategy, I will be working with the teams at the Nancy Laboratory for Rabies and Wildlife to continue and further develop our reference activities relating to rabies and the Echinococcus parasite. I also intend to consolidate and structure the laboratory's research and epidemiological surveillance work on other health risks, particularly the bacterium responsible for bovine tuberculosis, coronaviruses and tick-borne infectious agents circulating in wildlife."
Background
David Fenard obtained an engineering degree in pharmacology and a doctorate in virology from the University of Nice. He went on to conduct research into HIV at the Gladstone Institute (San Francisco) and then at the University of Montpellier. After this he worked for several companies specialising in biotechnology and gene therapy. He led research teams dedicated to viral vector development and genome editing, with applications in immunology, oncology and virology. He obtained his authorisation to supervise research in 2012 at the University of Evry.