Jean-Paul Gonzalez

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Jean-Paul Gonzalez
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Jean Paul Gonzalez conducting public health interview in Laos
Born
France
Alma materUniversity of Clermont-Ferrand (PhD in viral ecology, 1984); Bordeaux University Medical School (MD)
Known forResearch on disease emergence, viral hemorrhagic fevers, arbovirology, zoonotic pathogens; application of One Health approaches
Scientific career
FieldsVirology, Eco-epidemiology, Emerging Infectious Diseases
InstitutionsInstitut Pasteur International Network; French Research Institute for Development (IRD); Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Yale Arbovirus Research Unit; Mahidol University; Metabiota Inc.

Jean-Paul Joseph Gonzalez (born August 28, 1947) is a French virologist whose research focuses on pathogen emergence, disease eco-epidemiology, arbovirology and vector-transmitted diseases, and viral hemorrhagic fevers. He graduated from the Medical School of Bordeaux University (M.D., Internal Medicine), France and completed Ph.D. in Viral Molecular Biology and Genetics from the Faculty of science, University of Clermont-Ferrand. [1]

Contents

Early life

Gonzalez was born and raised near the town of Saint Georges de Didonne in South-West of France in 1947. His father, Jesus Gonzalez, was a Spanish immigrant, born in Madrid who fled from General Franco’s regime to France during the Spanish Civil War. Jean-Paul's mother, Jeanne Charlotte Rives, was third daughter of a barrel maker from the Blaye vineyard of Bordeaux. She raised their three children (Denis, Denise and Jean-Paul). [2] [3]

Education and early career

Gonzalez graduated from the Medical School of Bordeaux University in 1974. At the same institution, he also earned a Master’s degree in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene and a medical diploma for the French Commercial Navy. [4]

He subsequently completed a medical residency in French Guiana at Hôpital André-Bouron, located along the Maroni River. [5]

Upon returning to Bordeaux, he was appointed associate professor of parasitology and fundamental sciences at the Bordeaux School of Medicine and served as a medical attendant at the Hôpital des Enfants Malades. He also worked as a dual appointment as biologist at Saint-André Teaching Hospital. [5]

Academic appointments

In the 1990s, Gonzalez served as visiting professor of epidemiology and public health at the Yale School of Medicine, focusing on arboviruses and hemorrhagic fevers, including dengue and South American viral hemorrhagic fevers. [6]

From 1997 to 2005, he held multiple academic and research leadership roles at Mahidol University in Thailand, including visiting professor of virology and vaccinology, co-director of research programs on emerging viral diseases in Southeast Asia (Center for Vaccine Development) and co-director of research programs on vectors and vector-borne disease (Faculty of Science). [7]

From 2008 to 2012, he served as Director-General and Scientific Director of the International Center for Medical Research of Franceville (CIRMF) in Gabon, following appointment by the French Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs and nomination by the President of Gabon. During his tenure, CIRMF expanded research in eco-epidemiology, including, among others, emerging infectious diseases, zoonoses, human genetics, and One Health–oriented public health strategies. [8] [9]

ORSTOM, IRD, Institut Pasteur and international research

Gonzalez completed his French national service as a Volunteer at the National Active Service (VSNA) at the Pasteur Institute of Tunis, where he conducted preliminary research on parasite natural cycles and entomological surveillance for malaria under World Health Organization programs. During this period, he published foundational studies on parasites of Tunisian fauna. [10] [11]

After returning from Tunisia, he was recruited by the Office of Overseas Scientific Research (ORSTOM; now the Research Institute for Development, IRD), where he spent approximately thirty years as a physician-researcher working in countries across the Americas, Africa, and Asia. He was ORSTOM’s first medical virologist. As a research director at IRD, he established two research units in the early 21st century that adopted transdisciplinary approaches to emerging diseases with study sites on four continents. He later collaborated with teams within the Pasteur Institute’s international network. [12]

He later spent more than a decade as a laboratory chief and department head within the Institut Pasteur International Network, including posts in Bangui (Central African Republic) and Dakar (Senegal), where he led research programs in arbovirology, hemorrhagic fevers, and field epidemiology. [13] [14]

During two periods at the Pasteur Institute in Bangui, and in collaboration with researchers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and USAMRIID, he contributed to the identification and characterization of a wide range of viruses associated with hemorrhagic diseases in Central and West Africa. This work expanded understanding of viral diversity in the region and informed subsequent research on hemorrhagic fever viruses, including Crimean–Congo hemorrhagic fever, Rift Valley fever, Ebola, Marburg, Lassa, and related viruses. [15] [16] [17]

Therefore, in 1990, Gonzalez became one of the first foreign scientist  to work in a CDCs’ BSL-4 laboratory in the United States, analyzing samples collected in Central Africa for Ebola, Marburg, arenaviruses, hantaviruses, and Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus. [18] [19] [20]

Later career

In 2012, Gonzalez joined Metabiota, Inc. as senior scientist and program advisor, contributing to emerging disease surveillance, biosafety, and biosecurity programs in Africa and Eastern Europe. [21] [22]

Jean Paul Gonzalez presenting the Center of Excellence of Emerging Zoonotic and Animal Disease (Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS) at University of Kansas School of Medicine, Lawrence, KS. CEEZAD Conference.jpg
Jean Paul Gonzalez presenting the Center of Excellence of Emerging Zoonotic and Animal Disease (Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS) at University of Kansas School of Medicine, Lawrence, KS.

From 2016 onward, he held leadership roles at Kansas State University, including Deputy Director of the Center of Excellence for Emerging Zoonotic and Animal Diseases (CEEZAD) [23] , where he focused on zoonoses [24] [25] , vaccine development, and global health security. [26] [27]

Gonzalez is currently an adjunct professor of medicine in the Department of Immunology and Microbiology at Georgetown University School of Medicine. [28] [29]

Research

Disease emergence and viral ecology

Gonzalez’s research has focused on the emergence of infectious diseases and the ecological factors associated with viral spillover from animals to humans. Drawing on training in viral ecology, he has studied interactions among viruses, animal reservoirs, vectors, and human populations, with attention to the effects of environmental change, biodiversity loss, land use, climate variability, and human mobility on pathogen emergence and re-emergence. [30] [31] [32]

Arbovirology and vector-borne diseases

Gonzalez has conducted extensive research on arboviruses transmitted by mosquitoes and other arthropods. His work includes epidemiological, entomological, and laboratory studies on dengue virus, Rift Valley fever virus, yellow fever virus, Zika virus, chikungunya virus, and other emerging arboviruses in space and time, depending on the geographical areas and populations studied. [33]

His research has addressed virus circulation and epidemiological patterns, vector competence, outbreak prediction, and biosurveillance strategies. He has also contributed to the use of geographic information systems (GIS) and spatial modeling for mapping arbovirus transmission and identifying high-risk zones, particularly in Africa, Southeast Asia, and Latin America. [34] [35]

Jean Paul Gonzalez and team training public health workers for viral hemorrhagic fever preparedness and response Jean Paul Gonzalez - Sierra Leone Trainer Lassa Fever.jpg
Jean Paul Gonzalez and team training public health workers for viral hemorrhagic fever preparedness and response

Viral hemorrhagic fevers

A major component of Gonzalez’s scientific output concerns viral hemorrhagic fevers (VHFs). He has worked extensively on Ebola virus disease, Marburg virus disease, Lassa fever, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, hantavirus infections, and South American arenaviral hemorrhagic fevers. [36] [37]

His research includes field investigations, outbreak response support, sero-epidemiological studies, and laboratory analysis conducted in high-containment (BSL-3 and BSL-4) facilities. [38] Gonzalez was among the early international researchers analyzing African hemorrhagic fever samples in U.S. high-security laboratories and contributed to improving diagnostic, surveillance, and biosafety practices for these pathogens. [39] [40]

Zoonoses and wildlife reservoirs

Gonzalez has examined zoonotic transmission at the human–animal interface, including the role of wildlife, livestock, and domestic animals as viral reservoirs or amplifying hosts. His field-based research has focused on pathogen circulation in forested and rural environments and has informed zoonotic spillover risk assessment and interdisciplinary infectious disease research. [41]

One Health and global health research

Throughout his career, Gonzalez has supported integrated health approaches that link human, animal, and environmental health. He was involved in the early development and application of the One Health framework, particularly in relation to translational research in intertropical regions. His contributions included field-based research programs, institutional roles, and capacity-building initiatives in Africa and Asia.

His work in this area has addressed health system preparedness, the development of surveillance networks, and interdisciplinary training programs focused on strengthening local and regional responses to emerging infectious diseases. [42]

Vaccinology and translational research

In later phases of his career, Gonzalez has been involved in translational research related to vaccines for emerging viral diseases. His contributions include pre-clinical and early clinical research efforts related to dengue, Ebola virus disease, Rift Valley fever, and Zika virus. [43] [44] [45] [46] [47] [48] [49] In the same strategy, he also actively participated in the development of early diagnostics for detecting epidemic risk. This work bridges laboratory science, field epidemiology, and public health implementation. [50]

Selected publications

References

  1. ↑ "Georgetown University Faculty Directory". gufaculty360.georgetown.edu. Retrieved 2026-02-03.
  2. ↑ "Jean-Paul Gonzalez resume".
  3. ↑ Gonzalez JP, Souris M, Valdivia-Granda W (2018). "Global Spread of Hemorrhagic Fever Viruses: Predicting Pandemics". Hemorrhagic Fever Viruses. Methods in Molecular Biology. Vol. 1604. pp. 3–31. doi:10.1007/978-1-4939-6981-4_1. ISBN   978-1-4939-6980-7. PMC   7120037 . PMID   28986822.
  4. ↑ "UFR Sciences et Technologies, Université Clermont Auvergne". sciences.univ-bpclermont.fr (in French). Archived from the original on 2018-05-26. Retrieved 2018-05-23.
  5. 1 2 "L'hôpital des Enfants". L'hôpital des Enfants (in French). Retrieved 2018-05-23.
  6. ↑ "The Yale School of Epidemiology and Public Health". Archived from the original on 2018-07-28. Retrieved 2018-05-25.
  7. ↑ "My Bibliography - My NCBI Collection". www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Retrieved 2018-05-23.
  8. ↑ Clottey, Peter. "Gabon President Bongo Launches Ambitious Development Agenda". VOA. Retrieved 2018-06-29.
  9. ↑ Idiata DF, Gonzalez JP, Obiang LE (2010). 50 ans de recherche scientifique au Gabon: bilan et perspectives (in French). Éditions du CENAREST. ISBN   9782356650283.
  10. ↑ Mishra GS, Gonzalez JP (September 1978). "[Parasites of fresh water turtles in Tunisia]". Archives de l'Institut Pasteur de Tunis. 55 (3): 303–26. PMID   756699.
  11. ↑ Mishra GS, Gonzalez JP (March 1978). "Eimeria gundii n. sp. (Protozoa: Eimeriidae) from Tunisian gundi (Ctenodactylus gundi)". Annales de Parasitologie Humaine et Comparée. 53 (2): 241–3. doi: 10.1051/parasite/1978532241 . PMID   677725.
  12. ↑ "The Institut Pasteur International Network". Institut Pasteur. 2016-08-24. Retrieved 2018-05-23.
  13. ↑ Marrama L, Spiegel A, Ndiaye K, Sall AA, Gomes E, Diallo M, Thiongane Y, Mathiot C, Gonzalez JP (November 2005). "Domestic transmission of Rift Valley Fever virus in Diawara (Senegal) in 1998". The Southeast Asian Journal of Tropical Medicine and Public Health. 36 (6): 1487–95. PMID   16610651.
  14. ↑ Gonzalez JP, Camicas JL, Cornet JP, Wilson ML (November 1998). "Biological and clinical responses of west African sheep to Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus experimental infection". Research in Virology. 149 (6): 445–55. doi:10.1016/S0923-2516(99)80013-2. PMID   9923021.
  15. ↑ Georges AJ, Gonzalez JP (1986). "Could Crimea-Congo haemorrhagic fever be a biohazard in the Central African Republic?". Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. 80 (6): 994–5. doi:10.1016/0035-9203(86)90287-7. PMID   3111034.
  16. ↑ Gonzalez JP, Bowen MD, Nichol ST, Rico-Hesse R (July 1996). "Genetic characterization and phylogeny of Sabiá virus, an emergent pathogen in Brazil". Virology. 221 (2): 318–24. doi: 10.1006/viro.1996.0381 . PMID   8661442.
  17. ↑ Emonet S, Lemasson JJ, Gonzalez JP, de Lamballerie X, Charrel RN (July 2006). "Phylogeny and evolution of old world arenaviruses". Virology. 350 (2): 251–7. doi: 10.1016/j.virol.2006.01.026 . PMID   16494913.
  18. ↑ Gonzalez JP, Sanchez A, Rico-Hesse R (July 1995). "Molecular phylogeny of Guanarito virus, an emerging arenavirus affecting humans". The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. 53 (1): 1–6. doi:10.4269/ajtmh.1995.53.1. PMID   7542842.
  19. ↑ Gonzalez JP, Du Saussay C, Gautun JC, McCormick JB, Mouchet J (1985). "[Dengue in Burkina Faso (ex-Upper Volta): seasonal epidemics in the urban area of Ouagadougou]". Bulletin de la Société de Pathologie Exotique et de ses Filiales. 78 (1): 7–14. PMID   3886182.
  20. ↑ Barbazan P, Yoksan S, Gonzalez JP (June 2002). "Dengue hemorrhagic fever epidemiology in Thailand: description and forecasting of epidemics". Microbes and Infection. 4 (7): 699–705. doi:10.1016/S1286-4579(02)01589-7. PMID   12067829.
  21. ↑ "jpgonzalez@metabiota.com – PLOS Currents Outbreaks". PLOS Currents Outbreaks. ISSN   2157-3999.
  22. ↑ Yurchenko OO, Dubina DO, Vynograd NO, Gonzalez JP (August 2017). "Partial Characterization of Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus Isolates from Ticks of Southern Ukraine". Vector Borne and Zoonotic Diseases. 17 (8): 550–557. doi:10.1089/vbz.2016.2094. PMC   5564047 . PMID   28654319.
  23. ↑ "Leadership and Staff". ceezad.org. Retrieved 2018-06-29.
  24. ↑ Ezama A, Gonzalez JP, Majalija S, Bajunirwe F (March 2018). "Assessing short evolution brucellosis in a highly brucella endemic cattle keeping population of Western Uganda: a complementary use of Rose Bengal test and IgM rapid diagnostic test". BMC Public Health. 18 (1): 315. doi: 10.1186/s12889-018-5228-9 . PMC   5838946 . PMID   29506522.
  25. ↑ "International sickle cell symposium gets underway". www.newvision.co.ug. Retrieved 2018-06-29.
  26. ↑ "Jean-Paul GONZALEZ". ISHEID 2018. Retrieved 2018-06-29.[ dead link ]
  27. ↑ Luboya LW, Malangu M, Kaleka M, Ngulu N, Nkokele B, Maryabo K, Pourrut X, Vincent T, Gonzalez JP (April 2017). "An assessment of caprine tuberculosis prevalence in Lubumbashi slaughterhouse, Democratic Republic of Congo". Tropical Animal Health and Production. 49 (4): 875–878. doi:10.1007/s11250-017-1252-5. PMID   28258542. S2CID   29947263.
  28. ↑ "Kansas State University taking over production of One Health Newsletter, the go-to..." www.k-state.edu. Retrieved 2018-06-29.
  29. ↑ "One Health Initiative - One World One Medicine One Health". www.onehealthinitiative.com. Archived from the original on 2018-06-29. Retrieved 2018-06-29.
  30. ↑ Gonzalez JP, Prugnolle F, Leroy E (2013). "Men, primates, and germs: an ongoing affair". One Health: The Human-Animal-Environment Interfaces in Emerging Infectious Diseases. Current Topics in Microbiology and Immunology. Vol. 365. pp. 337–53. doi:10.1007/82_2012_304. ISBN   978-3-642-36888-2. PMC   7121697 . PMID   23239237.
  31. ↑ Souris M, Selenic D, Khaklang S, Ninphanomchai S, Minet G, Gonzalez JP, Kittayapong P (January 2014). "Poultry farm vulnerability and risk of avian influenza re-emergence in Thailand". International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 11 (1): 934–51. doi: 10.3390/ijerph110100934 . PMC   3924483 . PMID   24413705.
  32. ↑ "Vie et Mort des Épidémies". 2015. Archived from the original on 2018-06-29. Retrieved 2018-06-29.
  33. ↑ Gonzalez JP, Saluzzo JF, Hervé JP, Geoffroy B (September 1979). "[Serological survey on the prevalence of arboviruses in man in forest and periforest environments of the region of Lobaye (Central African Republic)]". Bulletin de la Société de Pathologie Exotique et de ses Filiales. 72 (5–6): 416–23. PMID   233526.
  34. ↑ Leroy E, Gonzalez JP (September 2012). "Filovirus research in Gabon and equatorial Africa: the experience of a research center in the heart of Africa". Viruses. 4 (9): 1592–604. doi: 10.3390/v4091592 . PMC   3499821 . PMID   23170174.
  35. ↑ Bourgarel M, Wauquier N, Gonzalez JP (2010-06-03). "Emerging viral threats in Gabon: health capacities and response to the risk of emerging zoonotic diseases in Central Africa". Emerging Health Threats Journal. 3: e7. doi:10.3402/ehtj.v3i0.7099. PMC   3167654 . PMID   22460397.
  36. ↑ Ivanoff B, Duquesnoy P, Languillat G, Saluzzo JF, Georges A, Gonzalez JP, McCormick J (1982). "Haemorrhagic fever in Gabon. I. Incidence of Lassa, Ebola and Marburg viruses in Haut-Ogooué". Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. 76 (6): 719–20. doi:10.1016/0035-9203(82)90089-x. PMID   7164137.
  37. ↑ Saluzzo JF, Gonzalez JP, Hervé JP, Georges AJ, Johnson KM (May 1980). "[Preliminary note on the presence of antibodies to Ebola virus in the human population in the eastern part of the Central African Republic]". Bulletin de la Société de Pathologie Exotique et de ses Filiales. 73 (3): 238–41. PMID   7014009.
  38. ↑ Coulaud X, Chouaib E, Georges AJ, Rollin P, Gonzalez JP (1987). "First human case of haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome in the Central African Republic". Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. 81 (4): 686. doi:10.1016/0035-9203(87)90455-x. PMID   2895515.
  39. ↑ Georges AJ, Gonzalez JP, Abdul-Wahid S, Saluzzo JF, Meunier DM, McCormick JB (1985). "Antibodies to Lassa and Lassa-like viruses in man and mammals in the Central African Republic". Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. 79 (1): 78–9. doi:10.1016/0035-9203(85)90242-1. PMID   2986324.
  40. ↑ Gonzalez JP, McCormick JB, Baudon D, Gautun JP, Meunier DY, Dournon E, Georges AJ (November 1984). "Serological evidence for Hantaan-related virus in Africa". Lancet. 2 (8410): 1036–7. doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(84)91130-9. PMID   6149414. S2CID   38525248.
  41. ↑ Gonzalez, Jean-Paul; Vincent, Tom (2019-12-31). "Moving Arbovirology in a Changing World". Archives of Medical Case Reports: 14–15. doi:10.33696/casereports.1.004. ISSN   2691-7971.
  42. ↑ Belay ED, Monroe SS (February 2014). "Low-incidence, high-consequence pathogens". Emerging Infectious Diseases. 20 (2): 319–21. doi:10.3201/eid2002.131748. PMC   3901478 . PMID   24596949.
  43. ↑ Gonzalez JP, Josse R, Johnson ED, Merlin M, Georges AJ, Abandja J, Danyod M, Delaporte E, Dupont A, Ghogomu A (July 1989). "Antibody prevalence against haemorrhagic fever viruses in randomized representative Central African populations". Research in Virology. 140 (4): 319–31. doi:10.1016/S0923-2516(89)80112-8. PMID   2505350.
  44. ↑ Johnson ED, Gonzalez JP, Georges A (September 1993). "Haemorrhagic fever virus activity in equatorial Africa: distribution and prevalence of filovirus reactive antibody in the Central African Republic". Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. 87 (5): 530–5. doi:10.1016/0035-9203(93)90075-2. PMID   8266402.
  45. ↑ Gonzalez JP, Wauquier N, Vincent T (February 2018). "Revisiting Ebola, a quiet river in the heart of Africa". Médecine et Santé Tropicales. 28 (1): 12–17. doi:10.1684/mst.2018.0751. PMID   29616631.
  46. ↑ Gonzalez JP, Herbreteau V, Morvan J, Leroy EM (September 2005). "Ebola virus circulation in Africa: a balance between clinical expression and epidemiological silence". Bulletin de la Société de Pathologie Exotique. 98 (3): 210–7. PMID   16267963.
  47. ↑ Wauquier N, Bangura J, Moses L, Humarr Khan S, Coomber M, Lungay V, Gbakie M, Sesay MS, Gassama IA, Massally JL, Gbakima A, Squire J, Lamin M, Kanneh L, Yillah M, Kargbo K, Roberts W, Vandi M, Kargbo D, Vincent T, Jambai A, Guttieri M, Fair J, Souris M, Gonzalez JP (April 2015). "Understanding the emergence of ebola virus disease in sierra leone: stalking the virus in the threatening wake of emergence". PLOS Currents. 7. doi: 10.1371/currents.outbreaks.9a6530ab7bb9096b34143230ab01cdef . PMC   4423925 . PMID   25969797.
  48. ↑ "The Ebola Footprint – Broader Than You Think". www.oneillinstituteblog.org. 2018-02-22. Retrieved 2018-06-29.
  49. ↑ "The Truth About Ebola". Time. Retrieved 2018-06-29.
  50. ↑ Nakgoi K, Nitatpattana N, Wajjwalku W, Pongsopawijit P, Kaewchot S, Yoksan S, Siripolwat V, Souris M, Gonzalez JP (January 2014). "Dengue, Japanese encephalitis and Chikungunya virus antibody prevalence among captive monkey (Macaca nemestrina) colonies of Northern Thailand". American Journal of Primatology. 76 (1): 97–102. CiteSeerX   10.1.1.1007.5947 . doi:10.1002/ajp.22213. PMID   24105916. S2CID   30633437.
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