Dr. Norosoa Razanajatovo, Pasteur Network Talent Award 2022

During the Pasteur Network Annual Meeting from November 28 to 30, 2022 in Rome, Dr. Norosoa Razanajatovo, from the Institut Pasteur de Madagascar received the Pasteur Network Talent Award 2022^[1] issued by the President of the Institut Pasteur, Stewart Cole.

Dr Norosoa Razanajatovo joined the National Influenza Centre (NIC) of the Virology Unit of the Institut Pasteur of Madagascar in 2013 as a research engineer. She received her doctorate with an option of applied biochemistry in medical sciences, which she obtained in 2015. Carried out under the supervision of Dr. Jean-Michel Héraud, her thesis work, which focused on the identification and molecular characterization of respiratory viruses circulating in Madagascar, has helped to implement a better prevention strategy against respiratory diseases. Norosoa Razanajatovo has notably played a role for the implementation of the program to develop national surveillance of influenza in collaboration with the Ministries of Malagasy Public Health and Livestock.

From 2016, she became technical manager and deputy chief of the National Center for Influenza. The same year, she was also appointed WHO technical advisor. Over the years, she has acquired solid experience in the field of surveillance of respiratory viruses through the management of various epidemics such as H1N1 influenza, or more recently, COVID-19. In 2022, she was promoted researcher. She coordinates laboratory surveillance of viral respiratory infections and associated research programs.

“A good surveillance system is important to master an epidemic, but an effective and up -to -date research strategy is the keystone to achieve this.”

She studies the viral causes of acute respiratory infections, the identification of a seasonal characteristics for common respiratory viruses, the development of predictive diagnostic tools and molecular biology of human and zoonotic viruses.

Her latest project focuses on the dynamics of the introduction and dissemination of respiratory viruses relevant for human and animal health for the country and worldwide. In parallel, Dr. Norosoa Razanajatovo is invested in the transmission of her knowledge by the supervision of different students, by holding training workshops for local and regional laboratories and by training the staff of regional institutions in the executive training program in field epidemiology. With regard to her commitment and her career, she received the Pasteur Network Talent Award 2022 at the Annual Meeting on November 28, 2022 in Rome.

For more information:
Article from the Institut Pasteur de Madagascar: https://www.pasteur.mg/dr-norosoa-harline-razanajatovo-laureate-du-prix-pasteur-network-talent-award-2022/

^[1] Each year, the Pasteur Network Talent Award recognizes one or two Pasteur Network researchers who are the future leaders of the network.