Â鶹APP

Françoise Barré-Sinoussi Photo sourced from

These are The Top 10 Incredible Facts about Francoise Barré-Sinoussi

Françoise Barré-Sinoussi, born 30 July 1947) is a French virology, gist Director of the Regulation of Retroviral Infections Division, and Professor at the Institut Pasteur in Â鶹APP, France. Born in Â鶹APP, France, Barré-Sinoussi performed some of the fundamental work in the identification of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) as the cause of AIDS. 

In 2008, Barré-Sinoussi was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, together with her former mentor, Luc Montagnier, for their discovery of HIV. Let’s look at some of the most incredible facts about  her;

1. Barré-Sinoussi was interested in science at a very tender age

Barré-Sinoussi was interested in science from a very young age and could spend several analyzing insects and animals during her vacations and also comparing their behaviors and trying to understand why some are different from others in terms of their attributes. 

Soon after, Barré-Sinoussi realized she was very talented in the sciences compared to her humanity courses. She expressed interest to her parents that she would like to attend university to study science or become a researcher and her parents supported her and her dream. 

Read more about her in 10 Famous Female Doctors That Made an Impact

2. She joined the University of Â鶹APP, at age 19 and worked part-time at the Pasteur institute

Françoise Barré-Sinoussi Photo sourced from

She enrolled in the biomedical science program at the University of Â鶹APP, at age 19. She worked part-time and later full-time at the Pasteur institute while studying at the University which greatly improved her performance in class though her classes suffered because she reached a point where she went to the university for only exams. 

 Her part-time work at the Pasteur Institute quickly became full-time. She began to only attend university to take the exams and had to rely on her friends’ class notes because she was not regularly attending classes. She scored higher because she finally had the motivation because she had realized a career in science was what she wanted to do.

3. Barré-Sinoussi discovered HIV which is the cause of the spread of AIDS

Françoise Barré-Sinoussi in 2014 Photo sourced from

Barré-Sinoussi, while working with Luc Montagnier, Jean-Claude Chermann, and others at the institute discovered the cause of the spread of AIDS when she isolated and grew a retrovirus from a biopsied swollen lymph node of a patient at risk for AIDS. This virus would later be known as HIV-1, the causative agent behind the outbreak.

Her discovery allowed for the development of diagnostic tests to aid in controlling the spread of the virus, for informing policy on the treatment of people living with AIDS, and for many important advancements in the science of HIV/AIDS that ultimately saved countless lives. It was just the start of what she was to achieve in the medical world. 

Read more about her discovery here

4. Barré-Sinoussi has her lab and has contributed to many research operations

She has her lab and has contributed to many research operations. The laboratory was started in 1988 and is located in the Pasteur institute. Among Barré-Sinoussi’s many recent research contributions are studies of various aspects of the adaptive immune response to viral infection. 

Her other research contributions include; the role of innate immune defenses of the host in controlling HIV/AIDS factors involved in mother-to-child transmission of HIV, and characteristics that allow a small percentage of HIV-positive individuals, known as elite suppressors or controllers, to limit HIV replication without antiretroviral drugs. 

5. She is currently working as the head of the Biology of Retroviral infections Unit

Francoise Barré-Sinoussi remained at the Pasteur Institute and was appointed head of the Biology of Retroviruses Unit in 1992. The Biology of Retroviruses Unit was reconfirmed in 2005 and renamed the Regulation of Retroviral Infections Unit.

The unit is currently working on vaccine research against HIV and the correlates of protection against AIDS for immunotherapy. The unit has set its eyes on finally doing away with HIV which has been a huge hindrance to so many activities in the US and the world at large. 

6. Barré-Sinoussi has served in several leadership positions 

Barré-Sinoussi has served in several leadership positions including; Being elected to the International AIDS Society (IAS) Governing Council in 2006 and serving as the president of the IAS from 2012 to 2016. She has also worked on the Conference Advisory Committee for the 9th IAS Conference on HIV Science, which took place in July 2017

She is currently serving as co-chair of the IAS, working toward an HIV cure initiative. Her presence in the medicine and research world has helped and promoted many exchanges and workshops between young scientists from resource-limited countries and researchers in Â鶹APP.

7. Barré-Sinoussi has won several awards in her career

Barré-Sinoussi has won several awards in her career including; The Sovac Prize, The Körber European Science Prize (aka Körber Foundation Prize for the Promotion of European Science), The Prize of the French Academy of Sciences (Académie des sciences), and The King Faisal International Prize. 

Her other awards include; The International AIDS Society Prize, she was also named an Officer of the National Order of the Legion of Honour (Ordre national de la Légion d’honneur) in 2006 and was raised to Commander in 2009. She was promoted to the dignity of Grand Officer in 2013.

8. Barré-Sinoussi is also a Nobel Prize winner 

Nobel prize winners Françoise Barré-Sinoussi and Harald Zur Hausen Photo sourced from

Barré-Sinoussi is also a Nobel Prize winner. She shared the 2008 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Luc Montagnier for their co-discovery of HIV, and with Harald Zur Hausen, who discovered the viral cause of cervical cancer that led to the development.

She has since traveled across the world after she went on to become an outspoken advocate for both AIDS research and public health measures. She traveled to African and Asian countries to campaign against the virus something that made her, one of the most renowned people in the world. 

Read more about the Nobel prize here

9. She is also a Ph.D. degree holder and owns other honorary degrees

She owns other honors including; Honorary Doctor of Science degree from Tulane University in May 2009 and an honorary Doctor of Medicine from the University of New South Wales in July 2014. This and many other honors, she was honored for her efforts in medicine.  

The other honorary degrees she has earned include, a doctoral honoris causa she received on October 4th, 2014 from the École Polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne. Making her one of the most honored women in her profession. 

10. She is also a writer, an author, and a co-author of more than 250 articles

Françoise Barré-Sinoussi is also an author and co-author of more than 250 articles and to be specific, 270 original publications, more than 120 articles in book reviews, and 250 communications in international congresses. Her works can be found all around social media. 

She mandatorily retired from active research on August 31, 2015, and fully retired sometime in 2017. However, her achievements and efforts towards a better world free of disease are still visible and present in the life of a normal man.