Odile Launay

Infectious Diseases, Vaccinology – Université paris Cité, Inserm-F-CRIN, APHP, Hopital Cochin Paris, France 

Odile Launay is a Professor of Infectious and Tropical Diseases at the University of Paris Cité and a Hospital Practitioner at Cochin Hospital in Paris.

As a member of the National Academy of Pharmacy, she coordinates the Cochin Pasteur Clinical Investigation Center (CIC), the only French center dedicated to clinical research in vaccinology, and the French clinical research network in vaccinology (I-REIVAC). From 2007 to 2016, she was a member of the Technical Committee on Vaccinations at the French High Council of Public Health, where she served as Vice-President from 2011 to 2016. During the Covid-19 pandemic, she was a member of the Scientific Committee on COVID-19 Vaccines and coordinated COVIREIVAC, a COVID-19 clinical vaccine research consortium led by I REIVAC and INSERM, in collaboration with the ANRS Maladies Infectieuses Emergentes (ANRS/MIE).

Her research focuses mainly on vaccination, specifically targeting special populations, including pregnant women, to provide information on the benefits and potential risks of vaccination in these groups. This research has resulted in numerous scientific publications in peer-reviewed international journals.

Odile Launay is also actively involved in teaching vaccinology for the initial training of health students (medical, pharmacy, and nursing students) at the University of Paris Cité, students in the Diploma of Advanced Studies (DES) in infectious diseases, as well as in various Master’s programs and continuing education through teaching and in numerous university and inter-university diplomas (DU and DIU), including the DIU in Vaccinology and Prevention of Infectious Diseases, which she coordinates with Professors E. Grimprel and Y. Gillet.