Pierre Hainaut (22 March 1958–31 July 2025)

It is with deep sorrow that the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) announces the passing of Professor Pierre Hainaut, former head of the Molecular Carcinogenesis Unit at IARC.

Professor Hainaut held a State Doctorate in Biological Sciences from the University of Liège in Belgium (1987) and was Professor (Classe Exceptionnelle) of Cancer Biology at the Université Grenoble Alpes and Hospital Practitioner at the Grenoble Alpes University Hospital (since 2015). After postdoctoral training at the University of Cambridge and the University of York (United Kingdom) and in France between 1988 and 1994, he joined IARC in 1994, became Head of the Molecular Carcinogenesis Unit in 1999, and was Head of the Section of Mechanisms of Carcinogenesis until 2012. Beyond his research, he was a key player in the scientific life of IARC, particularly in its laboratory activities and the establishment of the biobank.

Professor Hainaut supervised a large number of students, becoming a true mentor to many of them. In 2014, he was appointed Professor of Cancer Biology at the Université Grenoble Alpes, holding a Chair of Excellence in Translational Research. From 2015 to January 2025, he served as Director of the Institute for Advanced Biosciences (IAB) in Grenoble, a major research institute with more than 300 scientists supported by the Université Grenoble Alpes, INSERM, and CNRS, with core focus areas such as epigenetics, environment, cellular plasticity, and cancer.

Professor Hainaut is widely recognized for his work on the TP53 gene, the most commonly mutated gene in human cancers. He is particularly known for his work on the mutagenic effects of tobacco, on liver cancers in Africa and Asia, and on Li–Fraumeni syndrome, a predisposition to cancer caused by the hereditary transmission of TP53 mutations. He was the author of more than 500 international publications and several reference works, including Encyclopedia of Cancer (publisher by Elsevier in 2018). His work has been cited more than 50 000 times.

Professor Hainaut chaired the Executive Board of the Cancéropôle Lyon Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (CLARA) from 2020 to 2024. In December 2024, his mandate was renewed. He aimed to strengthen regional and European coherence in cancer research, integrating prevention, innovation, equity in care, and technological development into a broader vision for combating cancer.

Professor Hainaut will be remembered not only for his brilliant mind that pushed the boundaries of knowledge but also for the profoundly human spirit behind the science. With an intellect sharpened by curiosity and a heart guided by empathy, he reminded us that true greatness lies not just in discovery but in how we care for others along the way.

Professor Hainaut is survived by his wife Françoise Hainaut and his children Hadrien and Marie. His passing is an immeasurable loss to global cancer research.

IARC conveys its deepest and heartfelt condolences to Professor Hainaut’s family and friends. May his soul rest in eternal peace.