Dr. Luc Montagnier is best known for his 1983 discovery of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which has been identified as the cause of AIDS. This discovery led directly to the development of a test for detecting the presence of HIV in blood samples.

In the years before the onset of the AIDS epidemic, Montagnier made many significant discoveries concerning the nature of viruses, and contributed to the understanding of how viruses can alter the genetic information of host organisms, thereby significantly advancing cancer research. His investigation of interferon, one of the body's defenses against viruses, also opened avenues for medical cures for viral diseases.

Montagnier was born in Chabris, near Tours, France. He studied natural sciences at the University of Poitiers and received his license of sciences from the University of Paris in 1955. In 1960 he qualified for his doctorate in medicine at the same university. Montagnier became research director of the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) in 1974 and in 1985 rofessor at the Pasteur Institute. He is the co-founder of the World Foundation for AIDS Research and Prevention and co-directs the Program for International Viral Collaboration. He has received more than 20 major awards, including the Commandeur de la Legion d'Honneur, the Lasker Award, and the Gairdner prize.

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Luc Montagnier
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