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Renowned Quebec scientist to head the Neuro
After a worldwide search, the renowned Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital 鈥� The Neuro 鈥� of 9I制作厂免费 and the 9I制作厂免费 Health Centre has a new director, Guy Rouleau, MD, PhD, FRCPC, OQ. Dr. Rouleau, a prominent Quebec clinician-scientist recognized for his contributions to science and society, will also hold the Wilder Penfield Chair in Neuroscience as Professor of Neurology and Neurosurgery at 9I制作厂免费. The appointment takes effect January 1, 2013.
鈥淭he Neuro is a tremendous asset to Quebec that contributes directly to the advancement of science and health on a regional and international scale,鈥� said Prof. Heather Munroe-Blum, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of 9I制作厂免费. 鈥淚t plays a pivotal role in expanding our basic knowledge of the neurosciences, and applying this knowledge to the diagnosis and treatment of neurological disease and the improvement of countless lives in this province and beyond. With the appointment of Dr. Rouleau, we look forward with great confidence to building on the Neuro鈥檚 global reputation.鈥�
Published: 9 November 2012
鈥淎s Neuro Director and Wilder Penfield Professor of Neuroscience, Dr. Rouleau will have endless opportunities in which to invest his passion for neuroscience, his creativity and his leadership,鈥� said Normand Rinfret, Director General and Chief Executive Officer of the 9I制作厂免费 Health Centre. 鈥淎s the talented professionals at The Neuro continue to map and share their understanding of the brain, as well as provide exceptional care and training, we will also be charting a bright future at the Glen site that will support even more collaboration and benefits for society.鈥�
Dr. Rouleau comes to The Neuro from the Universit茅 de Montr茅al, where in addition to his own research laboratory, he currently directs the CHU Ste-Justine Research Centre, the Centre of Excellence in Neuroscience听 of the Universit茅 de Montr茅al (CENUM) and the R茅seau de m茅decine g茅n茅tique appliqu茅e du Qu茅bec - FRQS. He is a recipient of many honours, including most recently the 2012 Prix du Qu茅bec 鈥� Prix Wilder Penfield, the Henry Friesen Prize and the Margolese Prize. He is also an Officer of the Ordre national du Qu茅bec.听 听
鈥淚 have dedicated my career to advancing neuroscience and neurological care,鈥� said Dr. Rouleau. 鈥淭o increase the impact of this work in Quebec and beyond, The Neuro is the place to be. Staying true to Dr. Penfield鈥檚 vision, scientists and physicians work hand in hand so that problems encountered in the clinic inspire research, and new findings from the labs are directly applied to patients鈥� medical needs. The Neuro is a world leader in its integration of research, patient care and teaching. 鈥�
Dr. Rouleau鈥檚 landmark achievements are his contributions to the identification of over 20 disease-causing genes and his discovery of new mutational mechanisms. Over the last 20 years, Dr. Rouleau and his team have focused on identifying genes causing neurological and psychiatric diseases, including autism, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, hereditary neuropathies, epilepsy and schizophrenia, as well as providing a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms that lead to these disease symptoms.
鈥淒r. Rouleau is a pioneer in both research and clinical care in this field and committed to training the next generation of neuroscientists,鈥� said David Eidelman, Vice-Principal of Health Affairs and Dean of Medicine at 9I制作厂免费. 鈥淗e will be instrumental in reinforcing ties and creating new ones with academic institutions, hospitals and communities across Quebec, Canada and internationally. We are delighted to welcome him back to 9I制作厂免费.鈥�
鈥淭he Neuro is a world-renowned hub of innovation known for taking calculated risks vital for advancing neuroscience and for solving some of the world鈥檚 most pressing neurological problems,鈥� said Mr. Jacques Bougie, Chairman of The Neuro鈥檚 Advisory Board. 鈥淚t requires a visionary leader and Dr. Rouleau is just the person for the job.鈥�
Founded in 1934, The Neuro鈥檚 mission is to conduct cutting-edge neuroscience research and to provide the highest levels of advanced and compassionate care for patients with neurological conditions. Diseases of the nervous system account for more hospitalizations, long-term care and chronic suffering than nearly all other medical conditions combined. As we live longer, half of the Canadians alive today will eventually experience a neurological disease within their own families, making the pioneering work at The Neuro more critical than ever.
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Guy A. Rouleau, M.D., Ph.D., FRCPC,听OQ
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Dr. Rouleau comes to The Neuro from the Universit茅 de Montr茅al, where he was Director of the CHU Ste-Justine Research Centre and founder and Director of the Centre of Excellence in Neuroscience.听 There he held the听Canada Research Chair in Genetics of the Nervous System as well as the Jeanne-et-J.-Louis-Levesque Chair in Genetics of Brain Diseases.听听Dr. Rouleau is Director of the R茅seau de M茅decine G茅n茅tique Appliqu茅e 鈥� Fonds de recherche du Qu茅bec - Sant茅.听
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Dr. Rouleau obtained his MD (Magna Cum Laude) in 1980 from the University of Ottawa and his PhD in Genetics at Harvard University in 1989. His post-graduate research in neuroscience was conducted at the Montreal Neurological Institute and at Massachusetts General Hospital.听 Dr. Rouleau conducted his clinical training in internal medicine at the Montreal General Hospital, neurology residency at the Montreal Neurological Institute, and research fellowship at the Massachusetts General Hospital.
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Dr. Rouleau鈥檚 landmark achievements are his contributions to the identification of over 20 disease-causing genes and his discovery of new mutational mechanisms. Over the last 20 years, Dr. Rouleau and his team have focused on understanding the genetic basis for diseases and identifying genes causing neurological and psychiatric diseases includingamyotrophic lateral sclerosis, stroke, Essential Tremor, familial aneurysms, cavernous angiomas, epilepsy, spinocerebellar ataxia, spastic paraplegia, autism, Tourette syndrome, restless legs syndrome, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.听 He has published more than 500 articles in top peer-reviewed journals such as The Lancet, Cell, and Nature, as well as 40 review articles and book chapters. His work has been cited over 26,000 times. He has delivered more than 120 lectures around the world. He has supervised many students (9 Master鈥檚, 40 PhD, and 40 post-doctoral fellows).听 Many of his former students are now professors at universities in Brazil, France, Portugal, Japan, the USA and Canada.
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He has received numerous awards, most recently the听 2012 Prix du Qu茅bec 鈥� Prix Wilder Penfield, the Margolese National Brain Disorders Prize from the University of British Columbia, and the Henry Friesen Prize from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada / The Canadian Society for Clinical Investigation.听 He is an Officer of the Ordre national du Qu茅bec.
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Dr. Rouleau sits on the editorial boards of major scientific journals including Neurology of Disease and Annals of Human Genetics, and performs ad hoc reviews for more than 25 journals. He also serves on several international scientific boards including the IGBMC Strategic Scientific Advisory Board, Strasbourg, France and is a board member of several foundations and societies dedicated to finding cures for nervous system diseases, including the Jumelles Coud茅 foundation, Ataxia of Charlevoix-Saguenay Foundation, Gairdner Medical Advisory Board, the Cole Foundation and the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences.
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Dr. Rouleau has also served on the panel for numerous grant committees (ex.听CIHR, NIH, ALSA, ENR, NNFF, FRQS).听He has founded and directed several successful companies including RGS Genome Inc., Xenon Genetics Research Inc., and Emerillon Therapeutics Inc.