For the 3rd edition of EFFERVESCENCE – The future of life sciences! the IRCM will offer a cutting edge session on May 11, on a most relevant subject for the future of health care: the messenger RNA.

For this unique event, which gathers the various players of the life sciences and health technology fields in Montreal, the Institute has made a selection of panellists composed of leading speakers and key stakeholders of the field, to address the untapped potential and challenges of RNA. This plenary discussion, following a scientific assessment, will be expertly moderated by Chantal Srivastava, a journalist at Radio-Canada and national reporter assigned to the current affairs and the science popularization program Les Années lumière.

Discover our panellists:

• Dr. Eric Lécuyer is Full Professor and Director of the IRCM RNA Biology Unit. His team proposes innovative technologies to elucidate the mechanisms of intracellular RNA transport, define their disease-associated dysfunctions, and develop new tools for targeting therapeutic RNA molecules. He is an FRQS Senior Research Fellow who has participated in several major international efforts, including the ENCODE consortium, and is a founding member of the Canadian Consortium for RNA Research. Since establishing his team, he has managed a funding portfolio of more than $ 20 million and trained over 60 students and research professionals.
• Mrs. Patricia Gauthier joined Moderna in 2020 as General Manager to set up and lead the Canadian operations. She played a key role in leading Moderna’s Canadian’s response to the COVID-19, and rapidly established collaborative partnerships with government and other life science stakeholders. Previously, she spent 12 years with GSK, as Head of Access and Public Affairs and as Head of Vaccines. A member of the Bar of Quebec, she holds an MBA from HEC Montreal.
• As a Senior Project Director at Investissement Québec International, Dr. Nadia Dubé contributes to the development of large-scale industrial projects in the life sciences and health technology sectors. Combining her experience in building research partnerships between academia and industry to her scientific background and her knowledge of financial incentives, she brings creative solutions to the table to promote business growth.
• Dr. Sophie Bernard is the Director of the Lipids and the Genetic Dyslipidemias Clinics at the IRCM. A leading physician and researcher in her field, she is a specialist in endocrinology and metabolic diseases who also practises medicine at the Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM). She is an Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine at the Faculty of Medicine of the Université de Montréal and an Accredited Professor in the Department of Nutrition at the Université de Montréal. She is the recipient of the Clinician Scientist Award, received at the Canadian Vascular and Lipid Summit of the Canadian Lipoprotein Conference in 2020, and is the author numerous scientific papers. She also has a strong experience with clinical trials involving patients living with genetic dyslipidemias.
• Mr. Ma’n H. Zawati (LL.B., LL.M., Ph.D. (DCL)) is an Assistant Professor at McGill University's Faculty of Medicine and the Executive Director of the Centre of Genomics and Policy in the Department of Human Genetics. He is also an Associate Member of the Faculty of Law, of the Biomedical Ethics Unit and of the Division of Experimental Medicine at McGill. His research concentrates on the legal, ethical and policy dimensions of health research and clinical care, with a special focus on biobanking, data sharing, professional liability, and the use of novel technologies in both the clinical and research settings. 

An opportunity not to be missed!

To learn more and register