Five Québec next-generation researchers honoured in the “Ça mérite d’être reconnu!” competition

The partners of Rendez-vous du Savoir – the Palais des congrès de Montréal, the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montréal, the Conférence des recteurs et des principaux des universités du Québec (CREPUQ), the Montréal Regional Conference of Elected Officers (CRÉ), Montréal International and the Ville de Montréal – have the pleasure of announcing the winners of the first edition of the “Ça mérite d’être reconnu!” competition.

Five next-generation researchers were selected among 46 nominees, all equally impressive, from 14 Québec universities. These university researchers stood out for work that contributes to the advancement of knowledge, with applications that will have a concrete impact on our everyday lives. The “star researchers” of this first edition are:

David Buckeridge, PhD, Associate Professor with the Faculty of Medicine at McGill University and Canada Research Chairholder in Public Health Informatics. Dr. Buckeridge monitors diseases and epidemics, using methods derived from biomedical informatics, epidemiology and biostatistics, thus allowing more effective interventions;

Étienne Caron, PhD student and Fellow at the Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC) at the Université de Montréal. His thesis in the field of systems biology and immunobiology concerns the interactions between the immune system and cancer cells. His research could lead to a cancer vaccine;

Yan Cimon, CD, PhD, Assistant Professor with the Department of Management of the Faculty of Administrative Sciences at Université Laval. His research concerns strategy, alliances and social networks in industries for a better understanding of organizations and the importance of the structure of their relations for the development of a lasting competitive advantage;

Maxime Descoteaux, PhD in Information and Communications Sciences and Technology (ITSC). Mr. Descoteaux is an Assistant Professor with the Department of Information Technology at the Université de Sherbrooke and a member of the Research Centre on Modeling, Imagery & Visualization of Neural Networks (MOIVRE), and is an expert in magnetic resonance imaging. His research on the properties of the nerve fibre wiring of the white substance of the brain will allow a better understanding of the brain and neurodegenerative diseases, thus allowing new solutions for the study of aging and neurosurgery;

Catherine Sabiston, PhD, Assistant Professor of Exercise and Healthy Psychology in the Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education at McGill University. Ms. Sabiston is Director of the Health Behaviour and Emotion Lab. Her work deals with physical activity and mental health. Her research seeks to show how physical activity can be an effective means of improving the quality of life of breast cancer survivors.

“In addition to extending the influence of new Québec talents, the “Ça mérite d’être reconnu!” competition, initiated within the context of Rendez-vous du Savoir, introduces the public to next-generation researchers and the dynamism of research in Québec. Our Québec universities play a central role in increasing the creativity, productivity and innovation of our society, particularly through the training of a highly educated workforce and through fundamental and applied research,” concluded Dr. Pavel Hamet, co-spokesperson of Rendez-vous du Savoir. Dr. Harnet, a member of the Selection Committee, is a researcher with an international reputation.

On October 21, from 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Palais des congrès de Montréal, the public is invited to attend a series of free public lectures, where the star researchers will present the applications and the influence of their research. The five candidates selected will also be honoured at the Recognition Gala, which will be held that same evening at the Palais des congrès de Montréal.

About Rendez-vous du Savoir

The first edition of Rendez-vous du Savoir will be held this October 20 and 21 at the Palais des congrès de Montréal. This event, organized by six partners from the business, university and institutional community, is a testimonial to the collective wealth created by the academic community. This will be the opportunity to build additional bridges between the universities and the business community, and to recognize the central role of Québec universities in increasing the creativity, productivity and innovation of our society.

The partners of Rendez-vous du Savoir are proud to count on two renowned spokespersons, Ms. Monique F. Leroux, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Mouvement des caisses Desjardins, and Dr. Pavel Hamet, OQ, MD, PhD, Associate Professor in the Faculty of Medicine at the Université de Montréal and Canada Research Chairholder in Predictive Genomics. The Mouvement Desjardins is acting as sponsor-presenter of the event.

To find out more, visit www.rendezvousdusavoir.com