Charles Louis Alphonse Laveran (18 June 1845 – 18 May 1922) was a French physician.

In 1880, while working in the military hospital in Constantine, Algeria

Constantine, Algeria

Constantine is the capital of Constantine Province in north-eastern Algeria. It was the capital of the same-named French département until 1962. Slightly inland, it is about 80 kilometres from the Mediterranean coast, on the banks of Rhumel river...

, he discovered that the cause of malaria

Malaria

Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...

 is a protozoa

Protozoa

Protozoa are a diverse group of single-cells eukaryotic organisms, many of which are motile. Throughout history, protozoa have been defined as single-cell protists with animal-like behavior, e.g., movement...

n, after observing the parasites in a blood smear taken from a patient who had just died of malaria.He also helped inspire the veternarians today find a cure for animals. This was the first time that protozoa were shown to be a cause of disease.