# Axel Kahn

_French geneticist_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/axel-kahn
Last updated: 2026-11-01

> Axel Kahn was a French geneticist. He was the brother of the journalist Jean-François Kahn and the chemist Olivier Kahn. He was a member of the French National Consultative Ethics Committee from 1992 to 2004 and worked in gene therapy. He first entered the INSERM with a specialization in biochemistry. He was named in 2002 as a counsellor for biosciences and biotechnologies matters by the European Commission. Head of French laboratories specialized in biomedical sciences between years 1984 and 2007, he was elected President of the Paris Descartes University in December 2007, as the sole candidate.

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 5 September 1944 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q325495#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Le Petit-Pressigny ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q325495#P19))
- **Died:** 5 July 2021 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q325495#P570))
- **Place of death:** 15th arrondissement of Paris ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q325495#P20))
- **Citizenship:** France ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q325495#P27))
- **Occupation:** geneticist; politician; university teacher; science communicator; physician; researcher ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q325495#P106))
- **Political party:** Socialist Party (1981–1983); French Communist Party (until 1977) ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q325495#P102))
- **Education:** Lycée Buffon; Paris Diderot University ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q325495#P69))
- **Spouse:** Pascale Briand ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q325495#P26))
- **Official website:** web.archive.org/web/20210706102126/https://axelkahn.fr ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q325495#P856))
- **Positions held:** president (28 June 2019 – 11 May 2021); president (2016–2021); president (2009–2016); président d'université (20 December 2007 – 20 December 2011); vice president (1990–1995); president (1987–1997); editor-in-chief (1986–1998) ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q325495#P39))
- **Awards:** Officer of the Legion of Honour; Commander of the National Order of Merit; Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres; Grande médaille de la francophonie; Officer of the Order of Agricultural Merit; Grand prix de la francophonie; honorary doctor of the University of Sherbrooke; Honorary doctor of the Catholic University of Louvain; Concours général; honorary doctorate at the Laval University; Honorary doctor of the University of Liège; honorary doctorate from the Université de Montréal; CNRS silver medal ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q325495#P166))
- **X (Twitter):** axelkahn ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q325495#P2002))
- **Facebook:** axel.kahn2 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q325495#P2013))

## Questions

**When was Axel Kahn born?**  
Axel Kahn was born on 5 September 1944 in Le Petit-Pressigny.

**What positions has Axel Kahn held?**  
Positions held by Axel Kahn include: president (2019–2021); president (2016–2021); president (2009–2016); président d'université (2007–2011); vice president (1990–1995).

**Where did Axel Kahn study?**  
Axel Kahn was educated at Lycée Buffon, Paris Diderot University.

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## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): Axel Kahn](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axel_Kahn) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q325495](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q325495) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: Axel Kahn par Claude Truong-Ngoc octobre 2015.jpg by Photo Claude TRUONG-NGOC (CC BY-SA 3.0)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Axel_Kahn_par_Claude_Truong-Ngoc_octobre_2015.jpg)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article Axel Kahn, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Axel Kahn par Claude Truong-Ngoc octobre 2015.jpg — Photo Claude TRUONG-NGOC, CC BY-SA 3.0.

## Cite this page

"Axel Kahn". DigiNepal. Last updated 1 November 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/axel-kahn. Retrieved 15 November 2026.