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Curriculum
Vitae
Date of birth: November 2, 1948.
Address: 19, place Saint Vincent, 1457 Nil St. Vincent, Belgium.
Married, one daughter
Laboratory of Molecular
Parasitology, Institute of Molecular Biology and Medicine, Free
University of Brussels, 12, rue des Professeurs Jeener et Brachet,
B-6041 Gosselies, Belgium. Tel: 32 2 650 9759; fax:
32 2 650 9750; e-mail: epays@ulb.ac.be
Diplomas
- 1ère candidature Biologie (Univ. Louvain)
1966-67, Grande Distinction
- 2de candidature Biologie (Univ. Louvain) 1967-68, Grande Distinction
- 1ère licence Zoologie (Univ. Brussels) 1968-69, Grande Distinction
- 2de licence Zoologie (Univ. Brussels) 1969-70, La Plus Grande
Distinction
- Doctorat Sc. Zoologiques (Univ. Brussels) 1974, La Plus Grande
Distinction
- Agrégé de l'Enseignement Supérieur (Univ. Brussels) 1984
Occupations
- Stagiaire FNRS: 1970-71
- Aspirant FNRS: 1971-75
- Contract ULB: October 1975-December 1975
- Unemployment: January 1976-April 1976
- Contract asbl SMIB-ULB: May 1976-March 1977
- Concerted Action State-ULB: April 1977-December 1984
- "Long-term" EMBO fellowship: October 1977-September 1978
- Chef de Travaux ULB: January 1985
- Agrégé de Faculté ULB: January 1988
- Professeur Ordinaire ULB: January 1998
- Co-Director (October 1991), then Director
(October 1992) of the Laboratory
of Molecular Cytology and Embryology. In 1993, name converted into
Laboratory of Molecular Parasitology.
Honorary
distinctions
- Membre
titulaire de l’Académie Royale de Médecine de Belgique
- Membre du Comité national de Biochimie et Biologie Moléculaire
- Chevalier de l’Ordre de Léopold
Scientific distinctions
- Léon et Henri Frédéricq Prize (Academy of
Sciences, Brussels) 1983
- Albert Dubois Prize (Academy of Medicine, Brussels)
1986
- Adolphe Wetrems Prize (Academy of Sciences, Brussels) 1990
- Mohamed El Fasi Prize (Haut Conseil de l'AUPELF/UREF, Paris)
1990
- Merck, Sharp & Dohme Prize (FNRS, Brussels) 1992
- Francqui Prize (Francqui Foundation, Brussels) 1996
- Carlos J. Finlay Prize (UNESCO, Paris) 1997
- Francqui Chair (Vrije Universiteit Brussel) 1999
- Nomination for the International Research Scholars
Program of the Howard
Hughes Medical Institute (USA) 1999
- Quinquennal Prize for fundamental biomedical sciences (FNRS, Brussels)
2000
- Member of the Scientific Council of the Pasteur Institute (Paris)
(2001-
2004)
- Member of the « Collège d'examinateurs du Programme des chaires
de
recherche du Canada »
(2004)
- Member of the Advisory Board of the Cochin
Institute (Paris) (2005)
- Member of the Scientific Council of the
Institute of Microbiology and
Physiology, Université Joseph Fourier, Grenoble (2001)
- Member of the Belgian Society of Tropical Medicine (1990)
- Member of the British Society for Parasitology (1990)
- Board member of the Belgian Society of Biochemistry and Molecular
Biology
(2000)
- Member of the « Commission Biochimie-Biologie Moléculaire" of the
FNRS/FWO and jury member at the FRIA (1993-2002)
- Member of the Scientific Council of the DEA "Expression Génique chez
les
Microorganismes et les Parasites" (Orsay and Lille, France)
- Member of the Steering Committee “GPH 1” (Pasteur Institute, Paris)
(2004- )
- President of the Scientific Council of the Erasme Foundation
(Brussels)
- Board member of BioVallée asbl
- Board member of the Brachet Foundation (Brussels)
- Board member of the Lambertine Lacroix Foundation (Brussels)
- President of the Belgian Society of Protozoology (1993-1996)
- Expert (Department of Immunology, Pasteur Institute, 1988, 1992 ; STD3
Program of the EU, 1991, 1992, 1993; AUPELF-UREF (Paris), 1995,
1996,1997,1998,1999; WHO; Wellcome Trust (London); NATO; Ministry of
Cooperation (France), 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999; ARC Paludisme
(Agence des Universités Francophones, Paris); UPRES A 6023
(Biologie des Protistes, Université Blaise Pascal, Clermont II,
France); IFR
M. Prensier (Univ. Clermont-Ferrand); CNRS (Comité ATIP
Microbiologie).
- Referee (Cell, Nature, the EMBO Journal, Molecular
and Cellular Biology,
Nucleic Acids Research, European Journal of Biochemistry, Molecular and
Biochemical Parasitology, International Journal of Parasitology, Gene,
Infection and Immunity, Parasitology, Experimental Parasitology, Trends
in
Parasitology, Molecular Microbiology, Journal of Cell Science, Eukaryotic
Cell, Molecular Biology of the Cell)
- ‘Guest Editor’ of Molecular and Biochemical Parasitology, Special
Issue 91,
1 (1998)
- Member of the Editorial Board of « Microbes and Infection » (Pasteur
Institute, Paris)
Work periods abroad
- INSERM Virology Unit, Lille,
France, april 1973
- Beatson Institute for Cancer Research, Glasgow, UK, 1977-1978
- Laboratory of Prof. P. Chambon, Strasbourg, France, April and October
1979
Academic activities
- President of the Institute of
Molecular Biology and Medicine (IBMM) (2006-
2008)
- Direction of Master theses : 56 in 2006
- Direction of PhD theses : in 2005, 18 completed, 5 under way
- Teaching : Biologie Moléculaire des Parasites (15h) (2de
Licence Zoologie
and Licence Spéciale en Biologie Moléculaire)
- Jury member for many PhD theses (ULB, VUB, UCL,
Univ. Namur, Pasteur
Institute Lille, Pasteur Institute Paris, Univ. Bordeaux, Univ.
Cambridge,
Univ. Clermont-Ferrand ...)
- President of the « Comité des Bourses » of the
Brachet Foundation
* * *
Scientific
achievements
Antigenic
variation and the problem of the vaccine against African trypanosomes.
Introduction
African trypanosomes are unicellular parasites that cause "sleeping
sickness" in man and a related disease termed "Nagana" in cattle.
These deseases occur throughout large areas of subsaharan and central
Africa, and have enormous medical, veterinary and economic consequences,
representing a major hindrance to the development and well being.
The
trypanosomes are injected in the bloodstream wy the biting of mammals by
several species of Glossina usually called tsetse flies. The
mammals react by raising antibodies against the major surface protein of
the parasite, termed VSG for Variant Surface Glycoprotein. However,
the trypanosomes are able to change repeatedly this surface antigen and,
thus, evade the immune defences of their host. The continuous
interplay between this mechanism of antigenic variation and the immune
response leads to a constant limitation in the number of parasites
present in the bloodstream, which allows the survival of the host long
enough to ensure the possibility of transmission of the trypanosomes to
the next vector, the tsetse fly. Therefore, the variation of the
VSG is responsible for the development of long-lasting chronic infection
by the parasite and, of course, represents a major obstacle for
vaccination against trypanosomiases.
Genetic
mechanisms of antigenic variation.
In order to design effective measures against trypanosomiases, it
was important to understand the mechanisms of antigenic variation of the
parasite. Our work has contributed to the characterization of the
genetic processes involved in this phenomenon. At any given time,
a single VSG gene is transcribed from a repertoire of 1,000 VSG genes
present in the parasite genome. This transcription always occurs
at an "expression site" located at the end of a chromosome. While
several chromosome ends can be used as expression sites, only a single
one is active at a given time. Antigenic variation occurs either
by rearrangement of the transcribed BSG gene (DNA recombination) or by
switching of the expression site. These mechanisms allow the
trypanosome to continuously create new VSG genes from fragments of other
genes. Analysis of these gene activation procedures led to the
conclusion that the variation potential of the VSG is probably unlimited.
This study also produced a wealth of information about the processes of
DNA recombination, replication, modification and transcription at
chromosome ends (telomeric DNA).
Mechanisms
of cellular differentiation.
During their life-cycle in the fly and mammalian bloodstream, the
trypanosomes undergo important transformations (cellular differentiation)
which enable them to adapt to the very different environmental
conditions. We undertook the analysis of the genetic controls
underlying these transformations. This work has uncovered an
original organization of the genome, which is completely different to
that of other eukaryotes (organisms with a cellular nucleus). The
trypanosome genome is organized in polygenic transcription units
containing different genes transcribed together. The relative
extent of expression of each gene, which in turn determines cellular
differentiation, is controlled at several steps during the production of
individual messenger RNAs from the initial polygenic RNAs. These
observations have led to new insights in some of the processes involved
in the expression of genetic information in all living cells.
Invariant
surface proteins and vaccination prospects.
The study of the function of the different genes present within the
polygenic transcription unit containing the VSG gene led us to discover
several invariant surface proteins, the functions of which are important
for the growth of the parasite. Examples include several different
adenylate cyclases with a receptor-like structure and a novel type of
receptor for fransferrin, which carries the vital iron molecules.
Together with other surface receptors, these molecules are clustered in
a specialized invagination of the parasite membrane, termed the
flagellar pocket. Our recent results allow us to hope that some of
the proteins present in this particular location may prove useful as new
vaccination targets against trypanosomiases.
* * *
Report of the Jury
(April 13, 1996)
Considering
the impact that the elucidation of the mechanism of antigenic variation
in trypanosomes has had on the understanding of how invading
micro-organisms evat their hosts' immune defences and in particular its
importance to the health of developing countries;
considering
the advances in understanding the mechanisms of transcription of
polycistronic transcription sites and regulation of gene expression at
the post transcriptional levels in cells with true nuclei and its
importance in understanding how cells differentiate;
the Jury
proposes that the Board of the Francqui Foundation awards teh 1996
Francqui Prize to Professor Etienne PAYS of the Free University
of Brussels (French).
Jury members
:
Professor
Howard RASMUSSEN
Professor and Director Institute for Molecular Medicine and Genetics
Medical College of Georgia
Augusta, Georgia - USA
Voorzitter
en
verder
Professor Lorne BABIUK
Director of the Veterinary Infectious Disease Organization
University of Saskatchewan
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan - Canada
Professor Allan BALMAIN
Professor of Molecular Oncology
University of Glasgow
UK
Professor Brian F.C. CLARK
Professor at the Aarhus University
Department of Biostructural Chemistry
Aarhus - Denmark
Professor Norbert E. FUSENIG
Professor at the Deusches Krebsforschungszentrum
Heidelberg - Germany
Professor Félix M. GONI
Professor at the University of Basque Country
Department of Biochemistry
Bilbao - Spain
Professor P. Helena MAKELA
Research Professor Departement of Vaccines
National Public Health Institute
Helsinki - Finland
Professor Peter PROPPING
Professor and Director of the Institut für Human genetik
Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhems-Universität
Bonn - Germany
Professor R. VAN DE WATER
Professor of Otolaryngology & Neuroscience
Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Bronx, New York - USA
Professor H. VOORHEIS
Professor at the University of Dublin
Senior Lecturer in Biochemistry
Trinity College
Dublin - Ireland
Professor C. WEIR
Professor at the Joslin Diabetes Center
Harvard Medical School
Boston, Massachusetts - USA
* * *
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