Françoise Barré-Sinoussi, Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, 2008

Françoise Barré-Sinoussi (born 30 July 1947) is a French virologist and director of the Regulation of Retroviral Infections Division (Unité de Régulation des Infections Rétrovirales) at the Institut Pasteur in Paris, France. Born in Paris, 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, she was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, together with her former mentor, Luc Montagnier, for their discovery of HIV. She mandatorily retired from active research on August 31, 2015 and will fully retire by some time in 2017.

Awards

Barré-Sinoussi 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 of the HPV vaccine.

In addition to the Nobel Prize, Barré-Sinoussi has received awards 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)
• The King Faisal International Prize
• The International AIDS Society Prize

Barré-Sinoussi was 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.

She received an 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.