2026 Ambassadors GalaCelebrate homegrown knowledge

Fabrice Labeau has served as Vice-President (Administration and Finance) at McGill University since June 1, 2024. A Full Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering since 2000, he has also held several academic leadership roles, including Associate Provost for Student Life and Learning.

Internationally recognized for his research in signal processing, telecommunications, and information infrastructures for energy networks, he has authored or co-authored more than 200 scientific publications. He has led major research programs, including an industrial research chair supported by NSERC and Hydro-Québec.

Highly active within the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), he currently serves as President of the IEEE Consumer Technology Society and has previously led several of its scientific organizations, including the IEEE Sensors Council and the IEEE Vehicular Technology Society. For more than two decades, he has also contributed to the organization of major international scientific conferences.

Dr. Gilbert Bernier completed his graduate studies in molecular biology at the Université de Montréal, where he contributed to identifying the mutated gene responsible for the neurological disorder dystonia musculorum in mice. He later pursued research at the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry in Germany, where he specialized in the developmental biology of the retina.

Since 2001, he has led the Stem Cell and Developmental Biology Laboratory at Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont. His research focuses on the use of human pluripotent stem cells to study and treat neurodegenerative diseases, including retinal degenerative disorders and Alzheimer’s disease.

An Associate Professor in the Department of Neuroscience at the Université de Montréal, he is also co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of StemAxon, a Canadian company developing new therapeutic approaches for neurodegenerative diseases, including a macular transplantation program using human pluripotent stem cells.

Daria C. Boffito is a Full Professor of Chemical Engineering at Polytechnique Montréal and holds the Canada Research Chair (2021–2026) in Electrification of Intensified Processes and Catalysis (EPIC), where she leads the research team.

Her work focuses on process intensification, gas-to-liquids technologies, and metal extraction. She collaborates with several Canadian and international companies and has founded, together with her colleagues and students, MedTech Breaking Bone and Carbon Exel, a company dedicated to the design of modular reactors.

Recipient of Canadian and international distinctions, including the “Emerging Leader” Award from the Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering, she has also been invited to chair the 4th International Conference on Process Intensification (IPIC4), to be held in Montréal in 2025.

Dr. François Martin Carrier is an anesthesiologist and intensivist at the Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM), an Associate Clinical Professor at the Université de Montréal, and a researcher at the CHUM Research Centre.

He leads research programs in transfusion medicine as well as on the effects of perioperative interventions on postoperative outcomes in liver transplantation. His work also focuses on liver and cardiac surgery, critical care, and clinical epidemiology, contributing to the improvement of practices and patient care in complex medical settings.

Holder of a research chair in transfusion medicine, he is recognized for his scientific leadership and his commitment to advancing medical knowledge.

Dr. Benoit Chabot is a Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences of the Université de Sherbrooke, where he has been a faculty member since 1988 and served as Department Chair from 1999 to 2008. He holds a PhD in biophysics and biochemistry from Yale University and completed postdoctoral training at the Mount Sinai Hospital Research Institute in Toronto.

An internationally recognized specialist in RNA (ribonucleic acid), a molecule essential to gene expression, and in alternative splicing, he studies the role of these mechanisms in evolution, aging, and various human diseases, including cancer and rare disorders. His work has helped establish Sherbrooke as a world-class hub in RNA research and has contributed to the training of more than 45 researchers.

Holder of a Canada Research Chair in Functional Genomics, Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences, and Member of the Royal Society of Canada, he has also played a key role in organizing major international RNA conferences, contributing to the scientific visibility of Québec and beyond.

Dr. Philip A. Ferguson is a space systems engineer and Associate Professor of Aerospace Engineering at the University of Manitoba. He earned his Bachelor of Applied Science in Engineering Science from the University of Toronto, where he worked at Spar Aerospace (now MDA) on robotics for the International Space Station. He also holds a Master’s and PhD in Aerospace Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he studied astronaut adaptation to microgravity under contract with NASA.

Before joining academia, he held several leadership roles in Canada’s aerospace sector, including positions at Microsat Systems Canada, Magellan Aerospace, and PrecisionHawk. In these roles, he led engineering teams and programs related to satellite control systems, the RADARSat Constellation Mission, and the development of drone technologies.

He is the founding Director of the Space Technology and Advanced Research Laboratory (STARLab) at the University of Manitoba. His research focuses on satellite guidance, navigation, and control technologies aimed at improving reliability while reducing costs and design timelines, helping make space technologies more accessible. He also collaborates with the Centre for Earth Observation Science to explore how space and drone technologies can support Indigenous and Inuit communities in Canada’s Arctic.

Dr. Diane Francoeur is an obstetrician-gynecologist at CHU Sainte-Justine and an Associate Professor affiliated with the Université de Montréal. With more than 30 years of commitment to women’s health, she is recognized for her leadership and her advocacy for sexual and reproductive rights and for strengthening the capacity of health professionals.

She served as President of the Fédération des médecins spécialistes du Québec from 2014 to 2021, becoming the first woman to hold this position. During her tenure, she contributed to the creation of the Institut de pertinence des actes médicaux (IPAM). Since 2022, she has been Chief Executive Officer of the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada, and in 2025 she was elected Honorary Treasurer of the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO).

She earned her medical degree from Université Laval, completed her specialty training in obstetrics and gynecology at the Université de Montréal, and pursued subspecialty training in pediatric gynecology at the University of Louisville. She also holds a Master’s degree in Health Care Management from Harvard University. Through her professional and societal engagement, she actively contributes to advancing sexual and reproductive health care, particularly for women in situations of vulnerability.

Dr. Lucy Gilbert is Chair of the Gerald Bronfman Department of Oncology in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at McGill University, becoming in 2024 the first woman to hold this position. She is also a Professor in the Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Oncology at McGill and holds the Robert Kinch Chair in Women’s Health.

At the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC), she directs the Multidisciplinary Gynecologic Cancer Service as well as the Division of Gynecologic Oncology. In 2002, she founded the Women’s Health Research Unit in Gynecologic Oncology, which is now the largest clinical trials unit in Canada dedicated to gynecologic cancers.

A pioneer in the early detection of ovarian and endometrial cancers, she led the DOvEEgene program, a Phase III clinical trial supported by Genome Canada and Genome Quebec. Her work has earned numerous distinctions, including Québec Science’s Discovery of the Year award, recognition among Canada’s Top 25 Women of Influence, the King Charles III Coronation Medal and, in 2025, the Medal of the National Assembly of Québec for her scientific contributions and leadership.

Dr. Hélène Girouard is a Professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Physiology at the Université de Montréal. She earned her PhD in cardiovascular physiology there before pursuing postdoctoral training in cerebrovascular regulation at Weill Medical College of Cornell University and at the University of Vermont. Since 2008, she has led the Neurovascular Pharmacology Laboratory at the Université de Montréal and, since 2025, has served as Vice-Dean for Fundamental Research in the Faculty of Medicine.

Her research focuses on the mechanisms underlying cerebrovascular regulation in health and disease, particularly in the context of hypertension and arterial stiffness. Her program aims to identify therapeutic targets to protect the brain from vascular diseases by combining approaches ranging from molecular biology to brain imaging in both animal models and humans.

Recipient of numerous scientific distinctions, including awards from the FRQS, the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, and the American Heart Association—of which she is a Fellow—she is actively involved in several scientific societies and research networks in hypertension and neuroscience.

Dr. Walter H. Gotlieb is Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Oncology at McGill University and Director of the Division of Gynecologic Oncology at the Jewish General Hospital. He earned his medical degree from the Université Libre de Bruxelles and pursued research training at the National Institutes of Health before completing a fellowship in gynecologic oncology at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

Before joining McGill in 2003, he helped establish and develop the Department of Gynecologic Oncology at the Sheba Medical Center in Israel. He is widely recognized for his pioneering role in the introduction and advancement of robotic surgery for gynecologic cancers.

A researcher at the Lady Davis Research Institute, his work focuses on ovarian and endometrial cancers. Author of more than 280 scientific publications, he has also held leadership roles in several international professional societies and has received numerous distinctions, including the Presidential Gold Medal from the Society of Gynecologic Oncology of Canada.

Dr. Amin Hammad is a Full Professor at the Concordia Institute for Information Systems Engineering (CIISE) at Concordia University. A civil engineer by training, he earned his bachelor’s degree with highest distinction from Damascus University, and his master’s and PhD from Nagoya University in Japan.

He directs the Cyber-Physical Construction and Infrastructure Systems Lab and serves as Associate Director of the Centre for Innovation in Infrastructure Engineering and Management (CICIEM) at Concordia. Internationally recognized, his research focuses on construction automation and infrastructure management, integrating advanced approaches in remote sensing, simulation, optimization, machine learning, and robotics.

Highly active within both the scientific and industrial communities, he has led numerous collaborative research projects with industry and has supervised more than 70 graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. A prolific author, he has published close to 300 scientific papers and serves on the Board of Directors of the International Association for Automation and Robotics in Construction (IAARC), reflecting his leadership and international impact.

Meagan Hanna is Director of Urban and Community Forestry for Canada at the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI). She works with a broad network of partners to advance the sustainable management of urban and community forests across the country.

She contributes to the implementation of the SFI Urban and Community Forest Sustainability Standard and helps develop the SFI Urban and Community Forest Improvement Program, while also supporting the Career Pathways Program, which aims to expand green job opportunities in the forestry and urban forestry sectors. Her approach emphasizes multidisciplinary collaboration, the integration of Indigenous knowledge, and the promotion of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

A Board Certified Master Arborist with the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA), she holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts from McGill University, as well as a certificate in horticulture and green space management from Université Laval. Her professional path reflects a strong commitment to sustainability and workforce development in urban forestry.

Dr. Jason Karamchandani is an Associate Professor in the Department of Pathology at McGill University and a neuropathologist at the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital. Specializing in neuropathology and anatomic pathology, his research uses bioinformatic approaches to identify and characterize biomarkers that help classify and predict the progression of brain tumours and neuromuscular diseases.

At the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC), he also serves as Director of Immunohistochemistry and Special Stains, Program Director for the McGill Anatomic Pathology residency program, and a member of the MUHC Research Ethics Board tissue and biobanking committee.

A graduate of Harvard University and Stanford University School of Medicine, where he was class valedictorian, he has authored or co-authored about 40 peer-reviewed scientific publications as well as several book chapters focusing on the molecular alterations and clinical testing of tumours of the central nervous system.

Sanda Koboevic, Ph.D., Eng., is an Associate Professor at Polytechnique Montréal, where she teaches courses in high-rise building design and earthquake engineering. Prior to joining academia, she worked for over a decade as a consulting engineer on projects in Canada and internationally.

Her research focuses on the seismic design and analysis of steel and reinforced concrete structures, the assessment of existing buildings, and soil–structure interaction. Actively involved in national and international technical committees, she contributes to advancing best practices in earthquake engineering.

She led the bid committee that secured Montréal as host of the 19th World Conference on Earthquake Engineering (19WCEE) in 2028 and now serves as its Executive Director. Recipient of the H.A. Krentz Award from the Canadian Institute of Steel Construction and of the Palais des congrès de Montréal and Fonds de recherche du Québec International Conference Support program, she actively contributes to Montréal’s international scientific visibility.

Roxane Maranger is a Full Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the Université de Montréal, holder of a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Aquatic Ecosystem Science and Sustainability, and a member of the Groupe de recherche interuniversitaire en limnologie.

Her research focuses on the impacts of anthropogenic and climate-driven changes on aquatic ecosystems, particularly water quality, ecosystem services, major biogeochemical cycles, and greenhouse gas emissions in freshwater and marine environments.

An engaged leader within the scientific community, she served as President of the Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography (ASLO) from 2020 to 2022, a major international scientific society with more than 3,500 members worldwide. Her scientific contributions and service to the community have earned her several distinctions, including the Rigler Award from the Canadian Society of Aquatic Sciences and an honorary doctorate from Uppsala University in Sweden.

Dominique Michaud is a leading figure in research administration in Canada. With more than thirty years of experience, she is widely recognized for her expertise in research funding ecosystems and in the institutional support structures that enable scientific research at both the provincial and federal levels.

After an influential career at the Université du Québec à Montréal, she joined Concordia University, where she served for more than twelve years as Director of Research Development. In this strategic role, she oversaw services supporting researchers and led initiatives aimed at strengthening the university’s research capacity.

Deeply engaged in the professional community, she served as President of the Association des administratrices et des administrateurs de recherche universitaire du Québec (ADARUQ) and currently acts as Past President of the Canadian Association of Research Administrators (CARA), where she has played an important role in strengthening collaboration between francophone and anglophone research administration communities across Canada.

Charles Morin is a Professor of Psychology at Université Laval and Director of the Sleep Disorders Research Center at the CERVO Brain Research Centre. Holder of the Canada Research Chair in Behavioral Sleep Medicine from 2004 to 2025, he is internationally recognized for his work on sleep disorders, particularly insomnia.

Author of numerous books and scientific publications, he has made significant contributions to advancing knowledge in this field, including the publication of a popular science book titled Overcoming the Enemies of Sleep. He has also served as President of the Canadian Sleep Society and the World Sleep Society, demonstrating his leadership within the international scientific community.

Recipient of prestigious distinctions including the Ordre national du Québec, the Order of Canada, and the Killam Prize, and a member of the Académie des Grands Québécois, he serves as Chair of the Scientific Committee for the upcoming World Sleep Society Congress to be held in Montréal in 2027.

Siva Nadarajah is a Professor at McGill University, where he leads the Computational Aerodynamics Group. A graduate of Stanford University, he develops next-generation algorithms to analyze and design complex aerodynamic surfaces at the intersection of engineering, applied mathematics, and computer science.

His research has contributed to the development of numerical methods used in the aerospace industry to simulate complex flows and design aircraft wings. He collaborates closely with several aerospace companies, and work from his research group has notably supported technological innovation at Bombardier Aerospace.

An Associate Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, he co-founded its Aerodynamic Design Optimization Working Group and Workshop. He currently serves as Director of the McGill University Institute for Aerospace Engineering and as an editor for international journals in optimization and fluid dynamics.

Marie-José Nollet is a Professor in the Department of Construction Engineering at the École de technologie supérieure (ÉTS). She holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Université Laval and a PhD in structural engineering from McGill University. After beginning her career at Hydro-Québec, she joined ÉTS in 1995 and served as Dean of Academic Affairs from 2019 to 2025.

A specialist in earthquake engineering, her research focuses on assessing the seismic vulnerability and risk of urban structures, including buildings and bridges. She has a particular interest in unreinforced masonry structures and heritage buildings, such as churches, and contributes to the development of analytical tools and damage prediction models.

Throughout her career, she has supervised nearly one hundred graduate students and published extensively. Actively engaged in the international advancement of her field, she currently serves as Co-Chair of the 19th World Conference on Earthquake Engineering.

A prominent researcher in natural language processing, Siva Reddy studies how machines can better understand human language and interact more naturally with users. His work focuses on fundamental representations of language, reasoning, and safety in artificial intelligence systems.

By combining symbolic and deep learning approaches, he contributes to the development of systems capable of interpreting language for applications such as question-answering and conversational systems.

He is an Assistant Professor in the School of Computer Science and the Department of Linguistics at McGill University, a Canada CIFAR AI Chair at Mila – the Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute, and a research scientist at ServiceNow Research. He received his PhD from the University of Edinburgh and completed a postdoctoral fellowship with the Stanford NLP Group. He received the Outstanding Early Career Computer Science Researcher Award from CS-Can | Info-Can.

Dr. Marie-Eve Robinson is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at McGill University and a pediatric endocrinologist at Shriners Hospital for Children – Canada, where she also serves as Medical Director of Clinical Programs. She specializes in metabolic and genetic bone diseases in children.

Following her training in pediatric endocrinology at McGill University, she completed additional fellowship training in pediatric bone disorders at Shriners Hospital for Children – Canada and the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario. She also holds a Master’s degree in Epidemiology and Biostatistics from McGill University.

Her research aims to better understand the patient experience and develop precision health approaches to improve the biological, psychological, and functional outcomes of individuals with bone disorders. She is actively involved in national and international initiatives advancing knowledge in pediatric bone health and participates in outreach programs aimed at improving care for children in developing countries.

Nathalie Roy, Eng., Ph.D., is Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at the Université de Sherbrooke and a Full Professor of Civil Engineering. A recognized leader in equity, diversity, and inclusion, she has implemented innovative initiatives aimed at increasing the representation of women in engineering.

An active researcher in earthquake engineering and a Fellow of the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering, she advances knowledge in her field while engaging internationally in sustainable engineering projects in Africa. Her work contributes to the development of practical solutions for vulnerable communities.

Recipient of the Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec’s Honoris Genius Award in 2025, she is committed to advancing the engineering profession and fostering the next generation of engineers.

Dr. Ravi Rungta is an Associate Professor at the Université de Montréal and Canada Research Chair (Tier 2) in Neurovascular Interactions. A neuroscientist specializing in neurophysiology and advanced optical imaging, his research investigates how the brain regulates its own blood supply, a process fundamental to brain health.

He earned his PhD in Neuroscience from the University of British Columbia and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at INSERM in Paris before returning to Canada in 2020 to establish his laboratory at the Université de Montréal.

Leading a highly interdisciplinary research team, his work is supported by major national funding agencies, including NSERC, CIHR, FRQS, the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, CFI, and Brain Canada. His research integrates state-of-the-art imaging across spatial scales to better understand the interactions between neural activity and cerebral blood flow.

Julien Saguez is a biologist and entomologist who holds a PhD from the Université de Picardie Jules Verne (France). Since 2007, he has pursued his career in Québec, where his work focuses on the monitoring and integrated management of crop insect pests. After conducting research at the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Research Centre in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, he is now a researcher at CÉROM – the Centre de recherche sur les grains.

A member of Québec’s Réseau d’avertissements phytosanitaires, he contributes to the monitoring of pest populations across the province. His research aims to better understand their dynamics in the context of climate change and to develop alternative control strategies that reduce the use of pesticides.

Author of numerous scientific and technical publications, he is also actively involved in knowledge transfer with agronomists and producers, contributing to the evolution of agricultural practices and to the advancement of applied entomology.

Pavel Trofimovich is a Professor of Applied Linguistics in the Department of Education at Concordia University in Montréal. His research focuses on the cognitive and sociolinguistic aspects of second language acquisition, particularly the perception and learning of speech sounds and the teaching of pronunciation.

His work examines how both children and adults process and acquire the sounds of a second language, as well as the cognitive, social, and experiential factors that shape this learning. He also co-directs the Concordia Applied Linguistics Lab, a research group dedicated to the study of additional language learning and use.

He holds a PhD in Applied Linguistics and Educational Psychology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and served as Editor-in-Chief of the journal Language Learning, one of the leading international journals in second language acquisition.