Dr Romain Paillot

Romain Paillot For media enquiries please contact the Press Team
Senior Lecturer in Equine
Faculty:
Faculty of Science and Engineering
School:
Writtle School of Agriculture, Animal and Environmental Sciences
Location:
Writtle
Research Supervision:
Yes

Romain is a scientist focused on equine infectious diseases, aiming to improve understanding of immunity induced by the pathogens during infection and by vaccination, to increase prevention and biosecurity and to better understand outbreaks when they occur.

[email protected]
ORCID
ResearchGate
LinkedIn

Background

Romain’s research career began in the field of transplantation immunology (immunosuppressive therapy). Romain worked for six years for the pharmaceutical industry to develop immunological assays in several veterinary species before moving to the Animal Health Trust (UK). Here, Romain held the position of Head of Immunology/vaccine study (AHT) with his work focused on equine infectious diseases. As Study/Analytical Investigator, Romain took part in 48 clinical trials for the characterisation/registration of equine vaccines.

Romain was awarded a French Habilitation to Direct Research (HDR) and was Head of Equine Health Research at LABÉO (France). Romain also took part to the equine disease surveillance (France and Europe).

Spoken Languages
  • French
  • English
Research interests
  • Equine infectious diseases
  • Equine prevention, vaccination and biosecurity
  • Epidemiology, diseases surveillance and outbreak investigation
Areas of research supervision

Romain welcomes applications from undergraduate and postgraduate students interested in carrying out research projects in all aspects related to equine infectious diseases.

Teaching
Qualifications
  • Habilitation à Diriger des Recherches (HDR, Habilitation equivalent), Caen
  • Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act, 1986. Home Office Personal Project Licence
  • Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act, 1986. Modules 1, 2 and 3 (horse), and 5
  • PhD, Immunology, Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes (EPHE); Paris
  • Diplôme EPHE (MSc equivalent), Immunology, EPHE; Paris
  • Certificate of Histotechnology & Electron Microscopy, Lyon
  • BTEC Higher National Diploma in Biotechnology (BTS Biotechnologie), Cannes
  • BTEC National Diploma in Biochemistry (Bac. Tech. F7 Biochimie), Cannes
Memberships, editorial boards
  • Fellow, Advance HE
  • Member, International Committee for the organisation of the 11th and 12th International Equine Infectious Diseases conferences (2020-2028). https://www.linkedin.com/in/romain-paillot-54b1573b/
  • Section Chief Editor, Vaccines (MDPI)
  • Section Board Editor, Viruses (MDPI)
  • Section Board Editor, Animals (MDPI)
  • Associate Editor, International Journal of Equine Science (IJS)
Research grants, consultancy, knowledge exchange
  • Fonds Eperon/IFCE/Région Normandie (RIN): (PI). OVERLORD, Chaire Immunologie Equine : développement de l’Expertise Normande et Rayonnement International. 646,034€. 2018–2021.
  • GIS/Centaure/Fonds Eperon: (PI). Organisation of the International Equine Infectious Diseases Congress. 37,800€. Target date : September 2021.
  • Fonds Eperon/IFCE/GIS Centaure: (PI). Efficacy of Valganciclovir in the target species against Equine Herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1). 84.000€. October 2019–September 2020.
  • IFCE: (PI). Field evaluation of a equine farm management protocol against Rhodococcus equi. 20,000€. September 2019–September 2021.
  • Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC): (CoI). Velcro vaccines: directing an enhanced immune response to Streptococcus equi, £268,746. January 2017–January 2020.
  • PetPlan Charitatble Trust: (CoI). Improving the safety of future strangles vaccines. £86,022. January 2017–December 2018.
  • Animal Welfare foundation: (CoI). Validation of equine cell lines as a cellular replacement (3Rs) to model equine primary cells for in vitro studies, £40,100. November 2016–November 2017.
  • Horserace Betting Levy Board: (CoI). Establishing the safety of allogeneic equine embryonic stem cells for tendon regeneration., £143,775. October 2016–October 2018.
  • PetPlan Charitatble Trust (2015-2016): (CoI). The role of Toll-Like Receptors and superantigens in innate immunity against strangles. £9,870.
  • PetPlan Charitatble Trust (2015-2016): (CoI). Randomised controlled trial of Clostridium botulinum type C vaccination for prevention of Equine Grass Sickness. £25,850.
  • MSD Animal Health, Hong Kong Jockey Club, AHT (2015-2016): (PI). Sero-epidemiological surveillance of Equine Influenza vaccination in Hong Kong. £30,000.
  • Horserace Betting Levy Board (2014): (PI from June 2014). Technical transfer and validation of an EHV-1 and EHV-4 ELISA. £7,500.
  • Horserace Betting Levy Board (2014-2016): (CoI). Randomised controlled trial of Clostridium botulinum type C vaccination for prevention of Equine Grass Sickness. £118,739.
  • Basse-Normandie Council and FEDER (2013-2015): (Holder). Chair of Excellence: Equine Immunology. University of Caen Basse-Normandie. 86,416€ (£67,700).
  • Horserace Betting Levy Board (2012-2013): (CoI). Streptococcus equi evolution: quantification of the importance of key genome acquisition events. £84,649./li>
  • PetPlan Charitable Trust pump priming grant (2013) (CoI). Development of equine serological assays for C. botulinum type C. £9,389.
  • PetPlan Charitatble Trust (2012): (CoI). Determining the immune properties of equine stem cells. £24,572.
  • TGAC (The Genome Analysis Centre), Capacity and Capability Challenge Programme (BBSRC): (PI). The MHC class II haplotype determines susceptibility to superantigen-dependent streptococcal disease in the horse. 2011–2013.
  • PetPlan Charitable Trust pump priming grant. (PI). The B-cell effector and memory response to equine influenza vaccination or infections: the forgotten heroes. December 2010–December 2011.
  • PetPlan Charitable Trust pump priming grant. (PI). Importance of IL-6Ra and IL-6 genetic variation in the response to equine influenza vaccination. January 2010–January 2011.
  • PetPlan Charitable Trust pump priming grant. (PI). The association between Streptococcus equi infection, reactivation of Equine Herpesvirus and disease severity in horses. January 2009 to January 2010.
  • Horserace Betting Levy Board (HBLB). (PI). Importance of the PB1-F2 pro-apoptotic protein in Equine influenza virus pathogenicity and potential application. October 2008–September 2010.
  • Horserace Betting Levy Board (HBLB). (CoA). Protection afforded by natural infection or two modern commercial equine influenza virus (EIV) vaccines against challenge with a 2007 outbreak H3N8 isolate. October 2007–March 2008.
  • AHT equine influenza programme. (CoA). October 2008–September 2011.
Selected recent publications

Di Genova, C., Sutton, G., Paillot, R., Temperton, N., Pronost, S., Scott, S.D., 2023. Studying longitudinal neutralising antibody levels against Equid herpesvirus 1 in experimentally infected horses using a novel pseudotype based assay. Virus Res., 2; 339.

Carnet, F., Perrin-Cocon, L., Paillot, R., Lotteau, V., Pronost, S., Vidalain, P.O., 2023. An inventory of adjuvants used for vaccination in horses: the past, the present and the future. Vet Res., 54(1):18.

Carnet, F., Paillot, R., Fortier, C., Hue, E.S., Briot, L., de Geoffroy, F., Vidalain, P.O., Pronost, S., 2022. Immunostimulating Effect of Inactivated Parapoxvirus Ovis on the Serological Response to Equine Influenza Booster Vaccination. Vaccines (Basel), 14;10(12):2139.

Cavalleri, J-M.V., Korbacska-Kutasi, O., Leblond, A., Paillot, R., Pusterla, N., Steinmann, E., Tomlinson, J., 2022. ECEIM consensus statement on equine flaviviridae infections in Europe. Journal of Vet. Inter. Med., 36(6):1858-1871.

El-Hage, C., Hartley, C., Savage, C., Watson, J., Gilkerson., J, Paillot, R., 2022. Assessment of Humoral and Long-Term Cell-Mediated Immune Responses to Recombinant Canarypox-Vectored Equine Influenza Virus Vaccination in Horses Using Conventional and Accelerated Regimens Respectively. Vaccines (Basel), 10(6):855.

Thieulent, C.J., Sutton, G., Toquet, M.P., Fremaux, S., Hue, E., Fortier, C., Pléau, A., Deslis, A., Abrioux, S., Guitton, E., Pronost, S., Paillot, R., 2022. Oral Administration of Valganciclovir Reduces Clinical Signs, Virus Shedding and Cell-Associated Viremia in Ponies Experimentally Infected with the Equid Herpesvirus-1 C2254 Variant. Pathogens, 4;11(5):539.

Carvelli, A., Nielsen, S.S., Paillot, R., Broglia, A., Kohnle, L., 2022. Clinical impact, diagnosis and control of Equine Herpesvirus-1 infection in Europe. EFSA J, 6;20(4).

Nielsen, S.S., Alvarez, J., Bicout, D.J., Calistri, P., Canali, E., Drewe, J.A., Garin-Bastuji, B., Gonzales Rojas, J.L., Gortázar, C., Herskin, M., Michel, V., Miranda Chueca, M.Á., Roberts, H.C., Padalino, B., Pasquali, P., Spoolder, H., Ståhl, K., Calvo, A.V., Viltrop, A., Winckler, C., Carvelli, A., Paillot, R., Broglia, A., Kohnle, L., Baldinelli, F., Van der Stede, Y., 2022. Assessment of listing and categorisation of animal diseases within the framework of the Animal Health Law (Regulation (EU) No 2016/429): infection with Equine Herpesvirus-1. EFSA J, 12;20(1).

EL Brini, Z., Fassi Fihri, O., Paillot, R., Lotfi, C., Amraoui, F., El Ouadi, H., Dehhaoui, M., Colitti, B., Alyakine, H. and Piro, M., 2021. Seroprevalence of Equine Herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) and Equine Herpesvirus 4 (EHV-4) in the Northern Moroccan Horse Populations. Animals, 11(10), 2851.

Sutton, G., Normand, C., Carnet, F., Couroucé, A., Garvey, M., Castagnet, S., Fortier, C., Hue, E.S., Marcillaud-Pitel, C., Legrand, L., Paillot, R., Pitel, P.H., Cullinane, A., Pronost, S., 2021. Equine Herpesvirus 1 Variant and New Marker for Epidemiologic Surveillance, Europe, 2021. Emerg Infect Dis, 27(10):2738-2739.

Leclerc, A., Mulot, B., Goddard, N., Nicolau, A., Sutton, G., Paillot, R., Lemberger, K., Pronost, S., Legrand, L., 2021. Equid alphaherpesvirus 9 outbreak associated with mortality in a group of grevy's zebra (equus grevyi) housed in a mixed-species exhibit. J Zoo Wildl Med., 52(2):774-778.

Dilai, M., Fassi Fihri, O., El Harrak, M., Bouchiba, A., Dehhaoui, M., Mahir, W., Dikrallah, A., Legrand, L., Paillot, R., Piro, M., 2021. An Evaluation of Three Different Primary Equine Influenza Vaccination Intervals in Foals. J Equine Vet Sci, 99:103397.

Thieulent, C., Hue, E.S., Sutton, G., Fortier, C., Dallemagne, P., Zientara, S., Munier-Lehmann, H., Hans, A., Paillot, R., Vidalain, P.O., Pronost, S., 2020. Identification of antiviral compounds against equid herpesvirus-1 using real-time cell assay screening: Efficacy of decitabine and valganciclovir alone or in combination. Antiviral Res., 183:104931.

Sutton, G., Thieulent, C., Fortier, C., Hue, E.S., Marcillaud-Pitel, C., Pléau, A., Deslis, A., Guitton, E., Paillot, R., Pronost, S., 2020. Identification of a New Equid Herpesvirus 1 DNA Polymerase (ORF30) Genotype with the Isolation of a C2254/H752 Strain in French Horses Showing no Major Impact on the Strain Behaviour. Viruses, 12(10):1160.

Kinsley, R., Pronost, S., De Bock, M., Temperton, N., Daly, J.M., Paillot, R., Scott, S., 2020. Evaluation of a Pseudotyped Virus Neutralisation Test for the Measurement of Equine Influenza Virus-Neutralising Antibody Responses Induced by Vaccination and Infection. Vaccines (Basel), 8(3):466.

Paillot, R., Regourd, E., Behr-Gross, M.E., 2020. Establishment of a candidate equine influenza Florida Clade 2 strain A/eq/Richmond/1/07 horse antiserum as Ph. Eur. Biological Reference Preparation/OIE International Reference Reagent. Pharmeur Bio Sci Notes, 2020:125-140.

Dominguez-Medina, C.C., Rash, N.L., Robillard, S., Robinson, C., Efstratiou, A., Broughton, K., Parkhill, J., Holden, M.T.G., Lopez-Alvarez, M.R., Paillot, R., Waller, A.S., 2020. SpeS: A Novel Superantigen and Its Potential as a Vaccine Adjuvant against Strangles. Int J Mol Sci., 21(12):4467.

Thieulent, C., Hue, E.S., Sutton, G., Fortier, C., Dallemagne, P., Zientara, S., Munier-Lehmann, H., Hans, A., Paillot, R., Vidalain, P.O., Pronost, S., 2020. Identification of antiviral compounds against equid herpesvirus-1 using real-time cell assay screening: Efficacy of decitabine and valganciclovir alone or in combination. Antiviral Res., 183:104931.

Paillot, R., Sutton, G., Thieulent ,C., Marcillaud-Pitel, C. & Pronost, S., 2020. New EHV-1 variant identified’. Vet Record.

Léon, A., Castagnet, S., Maillard, K., Paillot, R., Giard, JC., 2020. Evolution of In Vitro Antimicrobial Susceptibility of Equine Clinical Isolates in France Between 2016 and 2019. Animals (Basel), 10(5).

Hue, E., Orard, M., Toquet, MP., Depecker, M., Couroucé, A., Pronost, S., Paillot, R., Richard, EA., 2020. Symmetrical Pulmonary Cytokine Profiles Are Linked to Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid Cytology of Horses With Mild Airway Neutrophilia. Front Vet Sci., 7:226.

Pronost, S., Fortier, C., Marcillaud-Pitel, C., Tapprest, J., Foursin, M., Saunier, B., Pitel, PH., Paillot, R, Hue, ES., 2019. Further Evidence for in Utero Transmission of Equine Hepacivirus to Foals. Viruses, 11(12).

Fougerolle, S., Fortier, C., Legrand, L., Jourdan, M., Marcillaud-Pitel, C., Pronost, S. & Paillot, R., 2019. Success and limitation of equine influenza vaccination: the first incursion in a decade of a Florida Clade 1 equine influenza virus that shakes protection despite high vaccine coverage. Vaccines, 7(4), 174.

Recent presentations and conferences

Several presentations (as presenter or co-author) at the 11th International Equine Infectious Diseases Conference. Online, 27 September–1 October 2021. Available at: https://beva.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/20423306/53/S56.