Luc Montagnier, Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, 2008

Luc Antoine Montagnier (born 18 August 1932) is a French virologist and joint recipient with Françoise Barré-Sinoussi and Harald zur Hausen of the 2008 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his discovery of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). A long-time researcher at the Pasteur Institute in Paris, he currently works as a full-time professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University in China.

Awards and honours

The 2008 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to Montagnier and Françoise Barré-Sinoussi for the discovery of HIV. They shared the Prize with Harald zur Hausen, who discovered that human papilloma viruses can cause cervical cancer. Montagnier said he was "surprised" that Robert Gallo was not also recognized by the Nobel Committee: "It was important to prove that HIV was the cause of AIDS, and Gallo had a very important role in that. I'm very sorry for Robert Gallo." According to Maria Masucci, a member of the Nobel Assembly, "there was no doubt as to who made the fundamental discoveries."

Montagnier is the co-founder of the World Foundation for AIDS Research and Prevention and co-directs the Program for International Viral Collaboration. He is the founder and a former president of the Houston-based World Foundation for Medical Research and Prevention. He is also a member of the Académie Nationale de Médecine.

He has received more than 20 major awards, including the:

• National Order of Merit (Commander, 1986)
• Légion d'honneur (Knight: 1984; Officer: 1990; Commander: 1993; Grand Officer: 2009)
• Lasker Award and the Scheele Award (1986),
• Scheele Award (1986),
• Louis-Jeantet Prize for medicine (1986),
• Gairdner Award (1987),
• King Faisal International Prize (1993)
• Prince of Asturias Award (2000).