Le mzercredi 20 mars 2024, Maïlis DARMUZEY présentera l'examen en vue de l’obtention du grade académique de Docteur en Sciences (Collège de doctorat en Biochimie, biologie moléculaire et cellulaire, bioinformatique et modélisation) sous la direction de Catherine SADZOT et Johan NEYTS (KULeuven, Cotutelle).

Cette épreuve consistera en la défense publique d’une dissertation intitulée :

“Zika Virus Genetic and Physiopathological Evolution: Emergence of a Threat”

Abstract

In 2015, the world experienced the emergence of ZIKV as a new public health threat. The development of neurological defects in infants infected in utero by ZIKV shed light on the dramatically altered pathogenic profile of a virus that was initially considered a benign virus. While ZIKV has evolved to give rise to two lineages, ZIKV outbreaks with increased cases of CZS were only linked to ZIKV strains of the Asian lineage. 
Despite the efforts of a number of research groups, it remained unclear whether African ZIKV, like Asian ZIKV, poses a public health threat. Moreover, the Asian ZIKV lineage emerged decades ago from the African lineage and was first detected in the 1960s. However, the first Asian ZIKV outbreak associated with CZS was only reported in 2013. 

The overall aim of the thesis is to determine whether African ZIKV strains pose a threat to public health and which factors during the Asian ZIKV evolution may have favored the sudden appearance of brain abnormalities in fetuses.

Le Jury sera composé de :

M. D. BAURAIN (Président), Mmes et MM. J. EDGAR (University of Glasgow), L. GILLET (Secrétaire), E. HENCKAERTS (KULeuven), M. LEBRUN, L. LIESENBORGHS (Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp), P.E. MARQUES (KULeuven), J. NEYTS (Promoteur KULeuven), C. SADZOT (Promotrice).