" REVERSE THE BRAIN DRAIN "
A RESOUNDING SUCCESS
Reverse the Brain Drain, an initiative launched in 2007 was
implemented in response to an urgent need – the last time a
researcher was successfully recruited to the oncology program at
the Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de
Montréal (CRCHUM) was in 2002. This gap was due to the fact that
financial support granted to researchers by large American and
Canadian research centers to cover start-up costs was clearly
superior to the
funding available from the Centre de Recherche.
To remedy the situation, the Institut du cancer de Montréal (ICM),
whose mission is to support CRCHUM’s oncology program, launched
an initiative to “Reverse the Brain Drain”. This undertaking was
established following consultation with the directors of the
Centre de Recherche and the Faculty of Medicine at the
Université de Montréal. The goal of “Reverse the Brain Drain” is
to generate resources so that the oncology program can compete
with other large medical centers and repatriate high caliber
researchers.
To be competitive, it is necessary to offer talented researchers who have completed their postdoctoral studies a start-up fund of a minimum of $50,000 per year over 5 years. This offer is essential to recruiting the best and brightest young minds. In addition to acting as an impetus for attracting the most qualified candidates, these start-up funds also provide great leverage and an exceptional investment. Specifically, statistics indicate that each dollar invested in start-up funds ultimately yields six times the return in research grants down the road.
The Institut du cancer de Montréal takes great pride in
announcing the outstanding results of its “Reverse the Brain
Drain” program. Thus far, the program has repatriated to Quebec
two basic science researchers and two clinical researchers, all
of whom reinforce the expertise of the existing talent pool.
These recruitments were made in accord with the oncology
program’s strategic plan, which was endorsed by the directors of
the CRCHUM and by the Faculty of Medicine at the Université de
Montréal. Moreover, these recruitments have been approved by the
Fonds de la Recherche en Santé du Québec.
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Dr Estelle Schmitt, Dr Jean-François Cailhier, Dr
Jean-Baptiste Lattouf and |
FOUR REPATRIATED RESEARCHERS
ALREADY ON THE JOB!
It is with great pride that the Institut du cancer de Montréal (ICM)
announces that the first three researchers recruited as a result
of the “Reverse the Brain Drain” campaign have all obtained
Scholarships of Excellence from the Fonds de la Recherche en
Santé du Québec. This distinction reaffirms the excellence and
high caliber work of our recruits.
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Dr. Estelle Schmitt was recruited by the ICM in April 2008. After graduating with a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from the Université de Montréal in 2000, she completed her postdoctoral work at the Université of Grenoble. Her current research, which is subsidized by the Canadian Institute of Health Research, concentrates on the role of centrosomes in the response of tumor cells to genotoxic anticancer agents. |
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Dr. Jean-Baptiste Lattouf, M.D., F.R.C.S. (c), obtained his medical degree from the Université de Montréal in 1999. He subsequently moved to Maryland, where he completed his postdoctoral studies at the world-renowned National Institutes of Health. He then trained in laparoscopic urology at the Elisabethinen Hospital in Austria. As a surgical-oncologist specializing in both prostate and kidney cancer, Dr. Lattouf’s research focuses on the molecular features of these two cancers. |
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Dr. Jean-François Cailhier, M.D., Ph.D., F.R.C.P. (c), obtained his medical degree from the Université de Montréal in 1996, where he also undertook his clinical training in nephrology. He then completed a Ph.D. in pathology (inflammation) at the prestigious University of Edinburgh. Dr. Cailhier’s investigative research explores the role of the microenvironment in the reprogramming of macrophages and the subsequent effects on tumor development and progression. |
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In September 2009, the ICM recruited a fourth researcher, Dr. Francis Rodier. A graduate of the Université de Montréal in 2005, Dr. Rodier completed his postdoctoral studies at the Buck Institute for Age Research in San Francisco. His work examines DNA repair and cellular degeneration associated with aging. Noted for his expertise on the effects of irradiation on the physiology of the cell, Dr. Rodier was recruited by the CRCHUM within the framework of strategic development involving the Department of Radiology at the Université de Montréal and the Radio-Oncology Department of CHUM. Additionally, in September 2009, an article by Dr. Francis Rodier was published in the highly respected scientific journal Nature Cell Biology. This article was also the subject of the editorial page “News and Views”, which selects articles of great scientific value and presents them for analysis. |
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The 2010 concert
Le concert 2009
(french)
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