The Montréal Clinical Research Institute (IRCM) is pleased to announce the arrival in its laboratories of renowned researcher Nathalie Labrecque. A full professor in the Department of Medicine, as well as in the Department of Microbiology, Infectious Diseases and Immunology at the Faculty of Medicine of the Université de Montréal,
Dr. Labrecque worked until recently at the Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital Research Center (CIUSSS de l'Est-de-l'île-de-Montréal). She was head of the Molecular Immunology Unit and co-leader of the Center's Immunology and Oncology Axis. She is the author of numerous cutting-edge scientific publications.
At the IRCM, Dr. Labrecque will head the T-cell immunobiology laboratory.
‘’We are delighted to see our research team grow in this way," commented Dr. Jean-François Côté, President and Scientific Director of the IRCM. ‘’In just a few months, with the arrival of seasoned women scientists such as Dr. Yasaman Aghazadeh and Dr. Jane Yardley, and now Dr. Labrecque, our expertise has been consolidated and enriched on several fronts, especially in terms of collaboration between basic immunology research and immunodeficiencies within our clinic.’’
In a nutshell
Cellular differentiation is a fundamental process that occurs in the vast majority of living organisms. T lymphocytes provide an exceptional paradigm for understanding new molecular mechanisms of differentiation.
Within the immune system, CD8 T lymphocytes are powerful players capable of controlling viral infections and eliminating cancer cells. Over the past two decades, Dr. Labrecque's research program has focused on understanding the molecular events that orchestrate CD8 T cell differentiation during the immune response. A better understanding of the mechanisms that enable optimal CD8 T cell responses is essential for developing new therapeutic and vaccine strategies to combat infections and cancer.
These promising avenues are the field of exploration for Nathalie Labrecque, whose invaluable expertise will be an important addition to IRCM's expertise.
