- Academic Life
The Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie has new experts among its faculty.
The Institut national de recherche scientifique (INRS) recently welcomed two new members into its community. Professor Geneviève Lajoie and Professor Frederic Sorgeloos have joined the Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, in Laval. They contribute to the Centre’s mission of detecting, preventing and improving human, animal and environmental health.
Geneviève Lajoie: microbial ecology to address environmental issues
With a doctoral degree at UQAM and a post-doctoral degree in biology at the University of British Columbia (UBC) , Professor Geneviève Lajoie has a special interest in ecology and the evolution of plant-microbial associations. As a member of Centre Sève and the Réseau québécois de recherche en agriculture durable (RQRAD), Professor Lajoie’s research is focused on understanding the types of microbes that live on the surface and in the leaves of plants, and how they adapt to survive in these environments.
Combining several approaches (genomics, functional ecology, phylogenetics), Professor Lajoie’s microbial ecology research helps address current environmental issues by improving human and plant health, or by maintaining air, water and soil quality.
In addition to her research activities, Geneviève Lajoie is also highly motivated by improvements in equity, diversity and inclusion in the academic environment. She joined INRS in early January.
Frederic Sorgeloos: study of host-pathogen interactions to prepare for future pandemics
Professor Frederic Sorgeloos obtained his PhD in Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences in 2012 in the laboratory of Professor Thomas Michiels, in Belgium, and focused his research on the mechanisms of persistence of Theiler’s virus in the central nervous system of mice.
After several post-doctoral internships in the field of host-pathogen interactions in Cambridge, UK, and another stay in Belgium, Frederic Sorgeloos joined INRS last September.
He is currently focusing his research on the complex relationships between viruses and their hosts with a particular emphasis on innate immunity and short linear motifs (SLiMS), small sequences in viral and cellular proteins that act as molecular interaction platforms and allow viruses to bypass the body’s defences.
Understanding how viruses manipulate their host allows key stages of infection to be identified and new prophylactic antiviral strategies to be developed such as vaccines, or curative in the form of antiviral drugs. In the long term, studying these host-pathogen interactions is essential to better prepare for emerging viruses as well as future pandemics.
Faculty members recruit for internships and master’s and doctoral projects at INRS.
You may also like
August 23, 2024
It’s the start of a new school year!