Luc Montagnier (born 1932), a prominent virologist whose contributions in understanding the nature of viruses led to a significant advance in cancer research. Montagnier is also known for discovering the HIV virus that causes AIDS.

Luc Montagnier of the Institut Pasteur in Paris and Queen's College has devoted his career to the study of viruses. He is perhaps best known for his 1983 discovery of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which has been identified as the cause of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) . However, in the twenty years before the onset of the AIDS epidemic, Montagnier made many significant discoveries concerning the nature of viruses. He made major contributions to the understanding of how viruses can alter the genetic information of host organisms, and significantly advanced cancer research. His investigation of interferon, one of the body's defenses against viruses, also opened avenues for medical cures for viral diseases. Montagnier's ongoing research...