# Luc Montagnier

_French virologist and joint recipient of the Nobel Prize of Physiology or Medicine (2008)_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/luc-montagnier
Last updated: 2026-10-31

> Luc Montagnier (US:  MON-tən-YAY, MOHN-tahn-YAY, French: [lyk mɔ̃taɲe]; 18 August 1932 – 8 February 2022) was a French virologist and joint recipient, with Françoise Barré-Sinoussi and Harald zur Hausen, of the 2008 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his discovery of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). He worked as a researcher at the Pasteur Institute in Paris and as a full-time professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University in China.

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 18 August 1932 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q103598#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Chabris ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q103598#P19))
- **Died:** 8 February 2022 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q103598#P570))
- **Place of death:** Neuilly-sur-Seine ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q103598#P20))
- **Citizenship:** France ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q103598#P27))
- **Occupation:** biologist; virologist; researcher; professor; molecular biologist; physician ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q103598#P106))
- **Education:** Science Faculty of Paris; University of Oxford; Collège René-Descartes (Châtellerault, Vienne) ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q103598#P69))
- **Spouse:** Dorothea Ackerman ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q103598#P26))
- **Positions held:** president (1993–2022); Director of Research at CNRS ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q103598#P39))
- **Awards:** Grand Officer of the Legion of Honour; Commander of the National Order of Merit; Princess of Asturias Award for Technical and Scientific Research; Lasker-DeBakey Clinical Medical Research Award; Canada Gairdner International Award; Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine; King Faisal Prize in Medicine; Körber European Science Prize; Scheele Award; Dr A.H. Heineken Prize for Medicine; National Inventors Hall of Fame; CNRS silver medal; Japan Prize; EMBO Membership; honorary doctor of Saint Joseph University ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q103598#P166))

## About

In 2017, Montagnier was criticised by other academics for using his Nobel prize status to "spread dangerous health messages outside of his field of knowledge". During the COVID-19 pandemic, Montagnier promoted the lab-leak theory that SARS-CoV-2, the causative virus, was deliberately created and escaped from a laboratory. Such a claim has been rejected by other virologists.

## Questions

**When was Luc Montagnier born?**  
Luc Montagnier was born on 18 August 1932 in Chabris.

**What positions has Luc Montagnier held?**  
Positions held by Luc Montagnier include: president (1993–2022); Director of Research at CNRS.

**Where did Luc Montagnier study?**  
Luc Montagnier was educated at Science Faculty of Paris, University of Oxford, Collège René-Descartes (Châtellerault, Vienne).

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## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): Luc Montagnier](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luc_Montagnier) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q103598](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q103598) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: Luc Montagnier-press conference Dec 06th, 2008-6.jpg by Prolineserver ( talk ) (GFDL 1.2)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Luc_Montagnier-press_conference_Dec_06th,_2008-6.jpg)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article Luc Montagnier, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Luc Montagnier-press conference Dec 06th, 2008-6.jpg — Prolineserver ( talk ), GFDL 1.2.

## Cite this page

"Luc Montagnier". DigiNepal. Last updated 31 October 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/luc-montagnier. Retrieved 6 November 2026.