Dr. Jean-Michel Heraud is the head of the Virology Unit at the Institut Pasteur de Madagascar. He is a virologist and public health expert with over two decades of experience in infectious disease research and global health strategy. He holds a Ph.D. in Virology and Immunology from the University of Paris Denis Diderot, with postdoctoral training at the U.S. National Institutes of Health. His career spans several leading institutions, including the Institut Pasteur of French Guiana, Madagascar, and Senegal, where he led research on influenza, arboviruses, rabies, and viral encephalitis. He has coordinated regional influenza surveillance programs within the Pasteur Network and directed national reference laboratories in Madagascar and Senegal. His work has earned him national honors in Madagascar and recognition as a key figure in global health. Dr. Heraud has played a pivotal role in strengthening infectious disease surveillance networks across Africa and low-income countries. As a Senior Technical Officer at the World Health Organization, he contributed to the development of the global influenza surveillance strategy aiming at integrate respiratory viruses with epidemic or pandemic potential. He also led the update of the WHO public health research agenda for influenza.