Philippe Kourilsky, director-general of the Pasteur Institute

* Philippe Kourilsky, director-general of the Pasteur Institute, is leaving the troubled medical research centre five months before the end of his contract.

Mr Kourilsky told staff he was resigning on July 31 instead of at the end of December. He took up his position in January 2000 and initiated a modernisation programme that provoked protests from research staff.