Distinguished professor to lecture at IHMC
Dr. Christian Bréchot will speak about virus and microbiome interactions on March 12 in Ocala.
Dr. Christian Bréchot [Submitted photo]
Dr. Christian Bréchot was born and educated in Paris. He shared that he was a “very studious young adult.”
“I spent 18 months in Tunisia for my military service; actually, I was working as a resident in a hospital in Tunis. It was very important for me, since I really discovered my passion for medicine, infectious diseases and liver diseases,” he noted.
Today, Bréchot, MD, Ph.D., is professor in the Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Internal Medicine; Senior Associate dean for Research in Global Affairs; and Associate Vice President for International Partnerships and Innovation at the University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine.
He is the former president of the Institut Pasteur and Inserm, (the French NIH), as well as vice-president of the Institut Merieux (a holding of several companies).
Since 2017, Bréchot has served as president and now vice-chair of the Global Virus Network, which includes 98 research centers worldwide and is headquartered at USF.
Bréchot also is founder and chairman of The Healthy Aging Company and the chief medical officer of Theravectys. He is part of 12 patents and sits on several boards, including the French American Business Council of West Florida.
As for what put him on his current path, he said, “First my stay in Tunisia and then my research at the Pasteur Institute as a student. It was enlightening for me, showing how much I loved being at the interface between basic research and medicine.”
On March 12, Bréchot will share that interface in his Institute for Human & Machine Cognition, or IHMC, evening lecture on “How virus and microbiome interactions affect diseases and infections.”
According to materials provided by IHMC, epidemics and pandemics due to infectious agents, be they viruses or bacteria, are still a major threat for public health.
In addition to HIV epidemics, we have experienced Zika, Dengue, Chikungunya, SARS CoV1 and SARS Cov2 (COVID-19) and we know there will be other epidemics and pandemics. Resistance to antibiotics has emerged as a major concern.
Microbiomes, the populations of bacteria present in our gut, skin and many tissues, have been recognized as major drivers of human health and there is evidence showing their role in cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases, as well as in cancer and other medical conditions.
The composition of the microbiomes has a significant impact on sensitivity to infectious diseases as well as vaccine efficacy. It is possible to intervene on microbiomes through pro-pre-postbiotics as well as transplantation of intestinal microbiota. Some of these molecules not only act on the gut microbiota but show systemic effects (tissue repair, anti-inflammatory) that can offer novel treatments to diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
Bréchot’s lecture in Ocala will describe how viral infections and microbiomes are entangled and what can be the impact for treating infectious diseases and chronic diseases, such as neurodegenerative diseases.
IHMC, headquartered in Pensacola, sponsors a number of outreach efforts in the community, including the public evening lecture series, which has hosted dozens of notable speakers. IHMC also supports education through programs such as Science Saturdays, I LOVE Science and robotics open houses and summer camps.
Bréchot noted in an email exchange that he was contacted by officials with IHMC and “immediately thought this is a very interesting organization.”
He also shared that he has a large family, with five children and nine grandchildren.
“My family is extremely important to me,” he said.
“I love sports (tennis and jogging). I played rugby when I was young and I am passionate about rugby and soccer. I discovered American football when I came to the United States seven-and-a-half years ago and enjoy looking at the plays,” he added.
“I also love reading (history, novels, family stories spanning several generations), good wine and cigars,” he shared.
Each IHMC evening lecture begins with a catered reception at 5:30 p.m. The talk will begin at 6 p.m. The campus is located at 15 SE Osceola Ave., in downtown Ocala. The events are free to attend but seating is limited.
To reserve a spot, go to eventbrite.com/e/christian-brechot-ocala-evening-lecture-tickets-1982834734066?aff=oddtdtcreator
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