The origins of the Pasteur Institute of Lille
You have to imagine Lille more than 130 years ago.
In 1894, in the working-class district of Saint-Sauveur, a diphtheria epidemic struck the population hard. The mayor of Lille, Géry Legrandthen decides to act.
Having heard about the work of Louis Pasteur Regarding the diphtheria antitoxin, he sent a delegation to Paris to request their help.
Louis Pasteur answered the call and entrusted this mission to his faithful collaborator, Albert CalmetteHe is appointed Director of the new Pasteur Institute of Lille, founded in 1894 and inaugurated in 1899.
A foundation focused on research and innovation
A private foundation recognized as being of public utility since 1898, the Pasteur Institute of Lille has established itself as a center of research excellence, entirely dedicated to scientific innovation and public health.
Our researchers work every day to advance knowledge about the major diseases of our time:
- infectious, emerging and re-emerging diseases
- chronic diseases,
- Age-related diseases.
A pioneer in prevention
At the Pasteur Institute in Lille, there is only one step between research and prevention.
In 1904, Albert Calmette creates the first preventorium within the Institute. An innovative initiative for the time, marking the birth of the primary preventionwhich remains at the heart of our missions to this day.
130 years of commitment to the health of all
For more than a century, the Pasteur Institute of Lille has moved forward with a strong conviction: to better understand in order to act better.
Through research, prevention, and innovation, we are addressing public health challenges so that everyone can live better and longer.
But we cannot do it aloneOur progress is made possible thanks to the combined support of citizens, businesses, patrons, the government, and our institutional partners. Together, we pursue the same mission of public interest: to improve the health of everyone.
