Dr. Hervé Perron | Immunology | Best Researcher Award

Dr. Hervé Perron, Geneuro-Innovation, France

Dr. Hervé Perron is a distinguished scientist and expert in virology and neuroimmunology, currently serving as the Chief Scientific Officer at Geneuro in Geneva, Switzerland, and as the Director of Geneuro-Innovation in Lyon, France. He is also a thesis director at the Doctoral School of the University of Lyon. Dr. Perron completed his Ph.D. in Virology/Neuroimmunology at Joseph Fourier University in Grenoble, France, in 1991, and later earned his HDR in Medical Biology from the Faculty of Medicine at University Grenoble-Alpes in 2000. Dr. Perron’s groundbreaking research focuses on human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs), particularly the HERV-W family, which he originally isolated and characterized during his Ph.D. studies. His work has led to a better understanding of the role of HERVs in autoimmune diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), and various psychoses, with a particular focus on their activation during infections like COVID-19. He has authored over 100 peer-reviewed publications and contributed significantly to the scientific community with more than 1,700 nucleotide and 500 protein sequences deposited in public databases. As a leading figure in the field, Dr. Perron has been instrumental in the development of diagnostic and therapeutic strategies targeting HERV-W, including the humanized antibody temelimab, which has been tested in Phase II studies for MS and is currently being evaluated for long/post-COVID symptoms. His recent work also uncovered a novel translational mechanism in human cells, revealing a mechanism of ribosomal readthrough that produces pathogenic HERV-W envelope proteins.

Professional Profile 🎓

Scopus

Google Scholar

ORCID

Summary of Suitability for Young Scientist Award 🌍

Dr. Hervé Perron is highly suitable for the “Best Researcher Award” due to his exceptional contributions to the field of virology, neuroimmunology, and medical biology, particularly his pioneering research on human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs). His significant achievements include:

Education 📚

Joseph Fourier University, Grenoble, France
- PhD in Virology/Neuroimmunology, 1991
Faculty of Medicine, University Grenoble-Alpes, France
- HDR (Habilitation à Diriger des Recherches) in Medical Biology, 200

Work Experience 💼

Current Positions:

2009 – Present: Director of Geneuro-Innovation, Lyon, France
2006 – Present: Chief Scientific Officer, Geneuro, Geneva, Switzerland

Past Positions:

2001 – 2006: Head of Neurological Biomarker R&D Unit, bioMérieux, France
1999 – 2001: Scientific Director, Stelhys, France
1993 – 1998: Project Manager, CNRS-bioMérieux Unit, Ecole Normale Supérieure, Lyon, France
1992 – 1993: Research Manager, CNRS-bioMérieux Unit, Ecole Normale Supérieure, Lyon, France
1988 – 1992: Research Scientist, Department of Microbiology & Virology, University Hospital, Grenoble, France

Awards and Recognition 🏅

European Union Research Program (HORIZON-HLTH-2021-DISEASE): As a Principal Investigator (PI), Dr. Perron has been awarded funding for the HERVCOV research program, a European Union-funded initiative focused on diseases associated with human endogenous retroviruses.
Recognition in Scientific Research: Dr. Perron has made groundbreaking contributions to the understanding of human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) and their association with autoimmune diseases like Multiple Sclerosis, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, and psychoses. His work has been extensively cited, with 106 peer-reviewed publications listed on PubMed (2024) and 259 in Google Scholar.
Phase II Clinical Trial Contributions: His development of temelimab, a humanized antibody neutralizing HERV-W Envelope (W-ENV) pathogenic effects, has been evaluated in Phase II studies in MS and is now being tested for long/post-COVID symptoms. This work is pivotal for the advancement of medical treatments for autoimmune diseases.
High Impact in Molecular Research: Dr. Perron’s recent work on ribosomal readthrough, leading to the production of a full-length pathogenic HERV-W envelope protein, represents a novel mechanistic insight in human molecular biology, contributing significantly to understanding diseases linked to HERVs.

Research Skills 🔬

Expertise in Virology and Neuroimmunology: Dr. Perron’s PhD research focused on isolating and characterizing novel retroviral elements related to Multiple Sclerosis and other autoimmune diseases. He is an expert in neuroimmunology, particularly in understanding the molecular mechanisms of HERV-W activation.
Interdisciplinary Research: Throughout his career, he has collaborated across scientific and medical disciplines, from basic virology to clinical neurology and immunology, gaining a deep understanding of both the fundamental biology and clinical applications of his research.
Biomarker Research and Diagnostics: As the former Head of the Neurological Biomarker R&D unit at bioMérieux, Dr. Perron developed expertise in the discovery and application of biomarkers for neurological diseases, contributing to better diagnostics and clinical interventions.
Leadership in Translational Research: As the Chief Scientific Officer at Geneuro, he has led translational research initiatives aimed at developing treatments for diseases related to human endogenous retroviruses, bridging the gap between basic science and clinical development.
PhD Supervision and Mentorship: Dr. Perron has been involved in supervising PhD students from diverse fields such as science, medicine, pharmacy, and veterinary studies. His expertise in guiding the next generation of researchers is a significant aspect of his scientific leadership.

Publication top Notes 📖

Identification of inflammatory subgroups of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder patients with HERV-W ENV antigenemia by unsupervised cluster analysis

First Evidence of Pathogenic HERV-W Envelope Expression in T Lymphocytes in Association with the Respiratory Outcome of COVID-19 Patients

Coxsackievirus-B4 Infection Can Induce the Expression of Human Endogenous Retrovirus W in Primary Cells.

Human endogenous retroviral protein triggers deficit in glutamate synapse maturation and behaviors associated with psychosis.

Meeting report: “Human endogenous retroviruses: HERVs or transposable elements in autoimmune, chronic inflammatory and degenerative diseases or cancer”, Lyon, France, november 5th and 6th 2019 – an MS scientist’s digest.

Dr. Dalia Alansary, Saarland University, Molecular Biophysics, Germany

Priv. Doz. Dr. rer. nat. Dalia Alansary is a Group Leader in the Department of Molecular Biophysics at Saarland University, Germany. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy from Cairo University (1999), a Master’s degree in Pharmacology from the same institution (2005), and a Ph.D. in Pharmacology and Biophysics from Saarland University (2010), where she graduated summa cum laude. Her doctoral research focused on the regulatory mechanisms of the calcium-selective ion channels TRPV6 and ORAI1. In 2022, she completed her habilitation at Saarland University, where her research centered on calcium-dependent processes in immune cells, particularly in the context of multiple sclerosis and neuroinflammation. Dr. Alansary’s research investigates the role of calcium homeostasis in immune cell activation, with a particular emphasis on T cell function in diseases like multiple sclerosis. Since 2012, she has led her own research group at Saarland University, where she supervises Ph.D. students and early-career researchers. She has secured several research grants, including funding for projects on calcium-dependent T cell activation in multiple sclerosis and neuroinflammation. Dr. Alansary is also an active reviewer for prestigious journals such as Nature Communications, Scientific Reports, and Frontiers in Immunology. Her teaching contributions span bioimaging, patch-clamp techniques, and immunophysiology, and she has mentored students at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

Education 📚

High School Diploma
Salmmia High School, Kuwait, 1994

Bachelor of Pharmacy
Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Egypt, 1999
Grade: Excellent

Master’s Degree in Pharmacology
Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Egypt, 2005
Grade: Excellent

Dr. rer. nat (PhD)
Saarland University, Germany, 2010
Supervisors: Prof. Flockerzi (Pharmacology) / Prof. Rettig (Physiology)
Thesis: “Regulatory Mechanisms of the Calcium Selective Ion Channels TRPV6 and ORAI1”
Grade: Summa cum laude

Habilitation
Saarland University, Germany, 2022
Thesis: “Regulation of Calcium Dependent Processes in Immune Cells”

Work Experience 💼

Group Leader, Principal Investigator
Department of Molecular Biophysics, Saarland University, 2012 – Present

Postdoctoral Fellow
Department of Molecular Biophysics, Saarland University, 2010 – 2012

PhD Student
Departments of Pharmacology and Biophysics, Saarland University, Germany, 2006 – 2010

Quality Control Pharmacist and Research Assistant
National Organization of Drug Control and Research (NODCAR), Cairo, Egypt, 1999 – 2006
Worked in the departments of Microbiology, Pharmaceutical Control, and Pharmacology

Awards and Recognition 🏆

Summa Cum Laude for Dr. rer. nat. (2010) – Saarland University, for outstanding doctoral work on calcium-selective ion channels TRPV6 and ORAI1.
Habilitation (2022) – Awarded for research on the regulation of calcium-dependent processes in immune cells, particularly in the context of T cell activation and neuroinflammation.
Research Funding – Successfully secured multiple grants, including:
- HOMFORexezellent (2013-2016) to investigate calcium-dependent T cell activation in multiple sclerosis.
- FOR2289 (2016-2019) on calcium homeostasis in neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration.
- Actively contributed to research proposals for SFB TRR219 since 2018.
- HOMFOR-Anschubfinanzierung (2022-2023) for mitochondrial calcium uniporter’s role in regulatory CD4 T cells.
Grant and Research Collaboration with Grünenthal (2017) – Focused on calcium signaling in neuroinflammation.
International Recognition – Ad hoc reviewer for prestigious journals such as Scientific Reports, Nature Communications, and Frontiers in Immunology, reflecting the global recognition of her expertise in immunophysiology and calcium signaling.

Research Skills 🔬

Calcium Imaging – Expertise in the imaging of calcium dynamics in immune cells, with a focus on T cells.
Electrophysiology and Patch-Clamp Techniques – Advanced knowledge of using patch-clamp for ion channel studies.
Research Design & Management – Successful supervision of multiple PhD students, master’s theses, and research projects.
Data Analysis & Interpretation – Proficient in analyzing complex biological data, particularly related to ion channel function and immune cell regulation.
Cross-disciplinary Collaboration – Collaborative research across immunology, pharmacology, and biophysics, contributing to projects such as TRR219 and FOR2289.