Claudie Haignere

Overview

Claudie Haignere, 50, has been working as an advisor to the Director General of the European Space Agency since November 2005. Trained as a medical doctor, Claudie Haignere is a rheumatologist and a specialist in aeronautical medicine, holding a PhD in sciences. She was an astronaut first with the French space agency (CNES) and then the ESA (one space mission aboard MIR in 1996 and a second aboard the ISS in 2001). She served as Minister for European Affairs from March 2004 to May 2005, after previously working as Minister for Research and New Technologies from June 2002 to March 2004. Claudie Haignere is also actively involved in supporting several health care associations: homes for parents of hospitalized children, the alliance for rare diseases with the Groupama Foundation, the Kourir association for children with juvenile polyarthritis and as sponsor of the Courtin-Arthritis Foundation. She is a director of the Cite des Sciences et de l'Industrie, of the C-Genial Foundation, and of the Academie des Technologies. She is also a member of the Academie des Sports, and Vice-President of the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA). In 2006, she received the Louise Weiss award for her European activities. She is also sponsoring the Cite de l'Espace in Toulouse, the mycology institute at Pitie Salpetriere, developed by the AFM, and a number of schools and student graduating classes. Claudie Haignere is a Commander of the French Legion of Honor.