At the Prix du Québec awards ceremony, which took place today at the Quebec National Assembly, Rémi Quirion, PhD, FRSC, CQ, scientific director of the Douglas Hospital Research Centre and the first scientific director of the Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction, one of the thirteen Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), was presented with the Wilder-Penfield Award. This award is given in recognition of a researcher’s overall contribution to biomedical science and is the highest honorary award presented by the Quebec government.

If we are to better understand the complexity of the central nervous system, both in its normal and pathological state, we must have a better understanding of the many ways cells communicate through a multitude of neurotransmitters and receptors. Such was the scientific quest undertaken by Rémi Quirion.

In 1983, at the young age of 28, Rémi Quirion assumed the role of director of the Neuroscience Laboratory at the Douglas Hospital Research Centre. He and his team focused on the study of neuropeptides (i.e.: neuropeptides Y, CGRP), growth factors (e.g. nerve growth factor and insulin-like growth factor-1), and the role of programmed cell death in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer Disease and other neurodegenerative diseases. His team enjoys an international reputation in the field of neuroscience, with several discoveries to its credit.

In 1995, Rémi Quirion was named scientific director of the Douglas Hospital Research Centre. Under his direction, the Research Centre tripled its number of researchers and grants. Today, the Douglas Hospital Research Centre operates with a budget of 12 million dollars, making it the most important mental health research centre in Quebec and one of the most important in the country.

In 2000, the Government of Canada recognized Rémi Quirion for his leadership as a researcher and administrator by appointing him the first scientific director of the Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction (INMHA), one of the thirteen Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). He has just accepted a second four-year mandate to head this institute.

Training the Next Generation of Researchers: A Personal Mission
Since joining the Douglas Hospital Research Centre, Rémi Quirion has trained more than 75 doctoral and post-doctoral students from throughout the world, thus playing a key role in training the next generation of neuroscientists—a personal mission to which he is devoted and in which he has invested enormous time and energy.

An International Reputation
Rémi Quirion enjoys an international reputation. He has received many awards, including the 1997 Prix Léo-Pariseau, awarded by the Association canadienne-française pour l'avancement des sciences (ACFAS); the Ambassador's Medal at the 1999 "Gala du rayonnement" from the University of Sherbrooke for his contribution to the advancement of scientific knowledge; and the 1997 Prix Galien Canada for excellence and innovation in Canadian pharmaceutical research. Proclaimed one of the most highly-cited investigators in the fields of neurosciences and pharmacology by the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI-United States), Rémi Quirion is recognized by his peers as one of the top research scientists in the world. He was recently named Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, and awarded the title of National Champion of Mental Health by the Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health. In addition, he received the médaille de l’Assemblée nationale du Québec.

Committed to Dispelling Taboos
Remi Quirion’s involvement in mental health goes far beyond his research. During his many trips abroad, he makes a point of condemning the stigmas faced by people with mental illnesses. In addition, he is a member of the board of directors of Les Impatients, a Quebec foundation promoting artistic expression through therapeutic art for people with mental health problems.
 

Information

Florence Meney
Media Relation
Communications and public affairs
Phone: 514-761-6131, ext. 2769
Cell.: 514-835-3236
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