The 2025 Christophe Mérieux Prize awarded to Professors Abdoulaye Touré and Alpha Kabinet Keita (CERFIG)

Abdoulaye Touré: a leading public health expert in West Africa

Professor Abdoulaye Touré is a pharmacist, epidemiologist and specialist in infectious pathogens. He is director of the Guinea Centre for Research and Training in Infectious Diseases (CERFIG) and former co-leader of the IRD’s LMI RESPIRE initiative. He is also a university professor and head of the Department of Public Health and Pharmaceutical Legislation at the Gamal Abdel Nasser University in Conakry (UGANC). He contributed to the creation of the international global health research platform, which he heads in Guinea.

He holds a PhD in Pharmacy (UGANC) and a PhD in Public Health (Claude Bernard University, Lyon) and is recognised for his work on Ebola, arboviruses, HIV and healthcare-associated infections. He has led several research projects on the clinical and psychological sequelae of Ebola in survivors. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Prof. Touré contributed to the strategic and technical coordination of the fight against Covid-19 in Guinea. Author of nearly 100 scientific articles, Abdoulaye Touré received the Red Cross Foundation’s Scientific Research Award in 2020 and the Emergence Award for Scientific Research in Guinea in 2024. He has been a corresponding member of the Guinean Academy of Sciences since 2024.

Alpha Kabinet Keita: the expert in virology and genomics

Prof. Alpha Kabinet Keita is a virologist at the TransVIHMI unit (IRD) and a researcher in medical and biological sciences at the University of Montpellier. Since 2019, he has been deputy director of the Guinea Centre for Research and Training in Infectious Diseases (CERFIG). In addition to his research activities, Prof. Keita is also the initiator and director of the microbiology-immunology programme since 2020. Since 2022, he has been rector of Gamal Abdel Nasser University in Conakry.

A recognised expert in the diagnosis and genomic surveillance of emerging germs, he has published over 100 articles. For his achievements, Alpha Keita was awarded the bronze medal by the Infectiopôle Sud Foundation in Marseille in 2012, was named one of the 25 best African researchers under the age of 42 in 2019, was appointed Science and Technology Ambassador for the Next Einstein Forum (2017-2019) and was awarded the prize for best Guinean doctor of the year 2021 by the NGO La Tabala. He has been a corresponding member of the Guinean Academy of Sciences since 2024 and a member of the scientific council of the Helmholtz Institute in Germany.

CERFIG : Guinean research excellence dedicated to public health

The decision to honour the director and deputy director of CERFIG is an act of international recognition for their organisation.

CERFIG, which was established through Franco-Guinean collaboration during the Ebola epidemic of 2013 to 2016, is a research and training centre dedicated to the prevention and response to infectious diseases. It brings together the French and Guinean national authorities, Inserm, IRD, the University of Montpellier and Gamal Abdel Nasser University in Conakry. Under the leadership of Professors Touré and Keita, CERFIG has become a benchmark in infectious disease research in West Africa, participating in international projects such as the AFROSCREEN network and the PREZODE initiative. With 18 PhD students currently training in public health, microbiology, health anthropology and bioinformatics, the centre also stands out for its dynamic approach to training a critical mass of young researchers and future key players in the healthcare system.

PRISME Guinea: a strategic and scientific partnership between France and Guinea

The Franco-Guinean partnership has been strengthened with the creation of PRISME Guinea, an International Research Platform for Global Health. Officially launched in 2022, this initiative aims to structure cooperation around CERFIG.

Professor Touré is in charge of the initiative in collaboration with Professor Eric Delaporte (TransVIHmi Unit, IRD, Montpellier), while Professor Keita chairs its strategic steering committee. This strategic collaboration will strengthen research and training capacities in infectious diseases in Guinea and the sub-region.