- Research
Two new research chairs at INRS to understand the impact of pollutants on health and to develop innovative therapeutic solutions.
The Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS) is launching two new institutional research chairs in environmental health and biomedical chemistry. By addressing major issues, exposure to endocrine‑disrupting chemicals and the development of new therapeutic tools, the INRS is strengthening its key role in protecting public health and advancing life sciences in Québec.
Affiliated with the Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie Research Centre, these two complementary research chairs aim to better understand the risks associated with pollutants present in our environment and to harness the potential of carbohydrates to develop new drugs, vaccines, and biomolecules of interest. Together, they will contribute to improving the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases that have a direct impact on the population.
Understanding the Impact of Endocrine Disruptors on Breast Health
Led by Professor Isabelle Plante, the INRS Chair on Endocrine Disruptors and Mammary Glands : From Mechanisms of Action to Toxicological Risks addresses a major public health issue: the role of environmental pollutants in the development of breast cancer.
Breast cancer remains the most common cancer among women in Canada, and between 70% and 90% of cases are believed to be linked to environmental and lifestyle factors. Among the substances of concern, endocrine‑disrupting chemicals—found in cosmetics, plastics, household products, and food packaging—are drawing increasing attention.
The Chair aims to understand how these substances interact with the hormonal system and influence mammary gland development at different stages of life. Using experimental models, the team will study the mechanisms of action of these compounds, periods of vulnerability, and associated toxicological risks.
“Understanding how environmental pollutants influence breast health is essential to better prevent breast cancer and guide public health decisions,” says Isabelle Plante, INRS Professor in environmental toxicology.
The findings will help improve risk assessment for everyday chemical substances and support prevention strategies tailored to the most vulnerable populations.
Harnessing the Potential of Carbohydrates to Develop New Treatments
The INRS Chair in Carbohydrate Chemistry, led by Professor Charles Gauthier, positions INRS at the forefront of a strategic field in Canada. Ubiquitous in living organisms, carbohydrates play a central role in interactions between microbes and human cells, in immune responses, and as essential structural motifs in drug design. Yet fully exploiting their therapeutic potential remains challenging due to their chemical complexity and natural heterogeneity.
The Chair’s program focuses on three main areas:
- developing broad‑spectrum antivirals derived from natural resources capable of blocking emerging viruses such as HIV, Zika, or SARS‑CoV‑2
- designing a sugar‑based vaccine against melioidosis, a severe and often fatal infectious disease
- creating biosourced surfactants derived from non‑pathogenic bacteria
“The structural complexity of carbohydrates offers tremendous potential for biomedical innovation. By mastering their molecular architecture, we can design targeted therapies and more sustainable biotechnologies,” explains Charles Gauthier, Professor at INRS and Member of the INRS–UQAC Joint Research Unit in Sustainable Health.
Through national and international collaborations, the Chair will help strengthen Québec’s pharmaceutical sovereignty and train highly specialized talent in a strategic field.
A Renewed Commitment to Public Health
With these two new chairs, INRS now counts eight institutional research chairs. Created by the executive committee, they aim to support strategic fields for Québec and foster collaborations with academic, industrial, and government partners. They are fully aligned with the mission of INRS: contributing to Québec’s economic, social, and environmental development through mission‑oriented research and the training of the next generation.