Yves Carlier

Specialist in parasitic diseases and parasite immunology, YC (MD, PhD) has developed investigations on schistosomiasis from 1972 to 1979 (in Brazil and at the Pasteur Institute in France). He discovered the first circulating antigens in urines from patients infected with Schistosoma mansoni, demonstrating their mucinic composition, their production by the digestive tract of parasite, their role in pathology and maternal-fetal immunological relationship, as well as their diagnostic interest in humans. From 1979 up to date, his investigations were mainly focused on leishmaniases and Chagas disease. Since the 90s, he has particularly studied the epidemiological, clinical, pathological and immunological aspects of the congenital Chagas disease, dissecting the mechanisms of maternal-fetal transmission of T. cruzi (in Bolivia, Peru, Chile, USA -New Orleans- and Belgium- Brussels). With his team, he has shown that: i) congenitally-infected newborns are able to overcome their immunological immaturity and to mount parasite-specific IFN-γ (Th1) responses; ii) such responses control infection and limit the morbidity and mortality associated with congenital Chagas disease; iii) T. cruzi-infected mothers and congenital infection with T. cruzi have a boosting Th1 effect on immune responses of infants to standard vaccines. He contributed to establish the WHO/PAHO recommendations for the diagnosis, treatment and control of such congenital infection. YC has published 186 scientific papers in international reviews and book chapters. He is the former President of the Belgian Society of Parasitology and former Vice-president of the European Federation of Parasitologists and member of the Belgian Royal Academy of Medicine.