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INVESTIGATORS
TRAINING
CORE FACILITIES
RESEARCH
MATURATION
Be a global standard bearer in basic and applied research to vanquish cancer
VISION
THREEFOLD MISSION OF THE IRIC
Acquiring new knowledge through high-level basic researchAccelerating the discovery of new therapiesTraining tomorrow's scientists
An access to a research commercialization hub, specialized in drug discovery (IRICoR)
11 core facilities available to investigators from here and abroad
More than 200 students a year benefiting from unique mentoring
Cutting-edge research environment and facilities
A network that includes collaborators across the country
Innovative teaching methods to train the next generation of scientists
28 fundamental, translational and applied research investigators
FACTORS FOR SUCCESS
Close collaborations with the clinical community and with industry
Including more than 40 chemists and biologists working within the medicinal chemistry core facility
A multidisciplinary approach and complementary expertise
HISTORY OF THE IRIC
JUNE 2007Guy Sauvageau appointed Chief Executive Officer
JUNE 2013Marc Therrien appointed Scientific Director
Growth marked by the installation of 11 core facilities, the hiring of new Principal Investigators and the recruitment of the top students and postdoctoral fellows
MAY 2006Launch of the new graduate program in Molecular Biology, Systems Biology option
JUNE 2003Pierre Chartrand, first Chief Executive Officer and Guy Sauvageau, Scientific Director
AUG. 2014Michel Bouvier appointed Chief Executive Officer
FEB. 2017The IRIC is chosen to host the Oncopole, a development and investment hub to accelerate the fight against cancer
2003-2004Initial investigators: Trang Hoang, Sylvain Meloche, Guy Sauvageau, Marc Therrien
OCT. 2011Inauguration of the largest Medicinal Chemistry infrastructure in an academic setting in Canada
JAN. 2005New Marcelle-Coutu Pavilion
FEB. 2008Creation of IRICoR, a research maturation hub aimed at commercializing new anticancer therapies
-
First Canadian anticancer drug discovery chain in a university setting
JUNE 2003Creation of the IRIC under the leadership of Robert Lacroix, Rector at the University of Montreal
CORE
FACILITIES
PRINCIPAL
INVESTIGATORS
~1000
SCIENTIFIC
PUBLICATIONS THUS FAR
200
500
YOUNG SCIENTISTS
IN TRAINING
DEDICATED
INDIVIDUALS
IRIC BY THE NUMBERS
28
$15M
IN ANNUAL
FUNDING
11
CANCER IN 2017: THE LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH IN CANADA
It is estimated that in 2017 alone, more than 200,000 new cases will be diagnosed in Canada and that close to 90,000 Canadians will die from cancer (Source: Canadian Cancer Society)
IMPORTANCE OF RESEARCH
All cancers are the result of genetic alterations in one cell of our body, which results in said cell becoming abnormal, which then leads to a disorderly cell proliferation and tumor formation.
More than 200 different types of cancer can be caused by a number of different mutations producing specific anomalies at the molecular and cellular level.
Traditional therapeutic approaches such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy are nonspecific and are often accompanied by significant adverse side effects.
Investigators are working towards acquiring new knowledge to better understand the mechanisms of cancer and to develop personalized therapeutic approaches.
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS
The IRIC’s investigators form a group of elite scientists with multiple expertise, including physicians, geneticists, cellular and molecular biologists, immunologists, pharmacologists, biochemists and chemists, physicists and computer scientists.
These 28 investigators are from Canada, the United States and Europe. Each investigator was recruited to complement the range of expertise present at the Institute, thus resulting in a multidisciplinary approach to basic research as well as research with a more applied focus, which will have a determining impact on the treatment of the disease.
PHILIPPE P. ROUX, PH. D.
Cell Signalling and Proteomics
T-W
GUY SAUVAGEAU, M.D., PH. D., F.R.C.P.(C)
Molecular Genetics of Stem Cells
PIERRE THIBAULT, PH. D.
Proteomics and Bioanalytical Mass Spectrometry
MICHAEL TYERS, PH. D., FRSC, FRSE
Systems Biology and Synthetic Biology
MATTHEW J. SMITH, PH. D.
Signalling and Structural Biology of Cancer
MARC THERRIEN, PH. D.
Intracellular Signalling
Scientific Director
ALAIN VERREAULT, PH. D.
Chromosome Biogenesis
VINCENT ARCHAMBAUT, PH. D.
Cell Cycle Regulation
FRANÇOIS MAJOR, PH. D.
Ribonucleic Acid Engineering
KATHERINE L.B. BORDEN, PH. D.
Structure and Function of the Cell Nucleus
BRIAN WILHELM, PH. D.
High-Throughput Genomics
ANNE MARINIER, PH. D.
Medicinal Chemistry
MICHEL BOUVIER, PH. D., FCAHS, FRSC
Molecular Pharmacology
Chief Executive Officer
SYLVAIN MELOCHE, PH. D.
Signalling and Cell Growth
DELPHINE BOUILLY, PH. D.
Design and Application of Electronic Nanobiosensors
TRANG HOANG, PH. D.
Hematopoiesis and Leukemia
A-E
SÉBASTIEN CARRÉNO, PH. D.
Cellular Mechanisms of Morphogenesis during Mitosis and Cell Motility
Director, Academic Affairs
BENJAMIN KWOK, PH. D.
Chemical Biology of Cell Division
F-L
SÉBASTIEN LEMIEUX, PH. D.
Functional and Structural Bioinformatics
JEAN-CLAUDE LABBÉ, PH. D.
Cell Division and Differentiation
GREGORY EMERY, PH. D.Vesicular Trafficking and Cell Signalling
JULIE LESSARD, PH. D.
Chromatin Structure and Stem Cell Biology
L-M
SYLVIE MADER, PH. D.
Molecular Targeting in Breast Cancer
LOUIS GABOURY, M.D., PH. D., F.R.C.P.(C), F.C.A.P.
Histology and Molecular Pathology
ÉTIENNE GAGNON, PH. D.
Cancer Immunobiology
P-T
LEA HARRINGTON, PH. D.
Telomere Length Homeostasis and Genomic Instability
CLAUDE PERREAULT, M.D., F.R.C.P.(C)
Immunobiology
MARTINE RAYMOND, PH. D.
Yeast Molecular Biology
DIAGNOSTICS TOOLS AND TARGETED THERAPIES
CELL BIOLOGY
Leukemias are among the cancers that cause the most deaths, and relapses are very frequent. As a result, a number of researchers work in close collaboration with partners from the hospital community to develop therapeutic solutions. Their work has led to several clinical trials currently in progress.
Cancer is caused by the uncontrolled proliferation of abnormal cells. Investigators strive to understand the mechanisms that regulate cell proliferation. They use a great diversity of approaches and experimental models. They study certain important aspects of cell signalling and gene regulation, the mechanics of cell division and cell cycle regulation.
Investigators focus on immunotherapy, ways to overcome the resistance to certain drugs and the development of diagnostic tools. Seven research units combine their expertise to ensure the development of targeted therapies and innovative drugs.
STEM CELLS AND LEUKEMIAS
BIOPHYSICS
MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
HISTOLOGY
Complex computer analyses of a large volume of research data
PROTEOMICS
Preparation and observation of normal or tumor tissue in order to study their pathological properties
Sorting and analysis of the physical and molecular properties of cells
BIOINFORMATICS
FLOW CYTOMETRY
Robotic systems that can measure the effect of hundreds of thousands of molecules
Identification and quantification of proteins based on their chemical composition
HIGH-THROUGHPUT SCREENING
HIGH-THROUGHPUT SCREENING
Analyses of cancer mechanisms using mouse models
Molecular structure and interaction analysis using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy
IN VIVO BIOLOGY
CYTOGENETICS
DNA extraction, determining the genetic code and measuring gene expression
Microscopy and image analysis
GENOMICS
Chromosomal structure analysis of normal cells and cancer cells
BIO-IMAGING
IN VIVO BIOLOGY
Conception, synthesis and discovery of new drugs
CYTOGENETICS
RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS
CURRENT CLINICAL TRIALS
MICHEL BOUVIER - ANNE MARINIER - BMS
GUY SAUVAGEAU - ANNE MARINIER
The research focuses on an important protein of the cell nucleus (eIF4E) found in overabundance in several cancers, notably certain types of leukemias. Studies of the structure of the eIF4E have suggested that ribavirin could bind to it and prevent it from fostering the development of cancer cells.
In this area, a clinical trial involving patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) provided very convincing results. Kathy Borden and her clinical colleagues at Montreal’s Jewish General Hospital are now conducting a second clinical trial combining ribavirin and another drug aimed at preventing the development of resistance to the treatment, in order to produce long-term remissions. This approach may also be used for treating other cancers.
Professors Michel Bouvier and Anne Marinier, along with the IRIC’s Medicinal Chemistry team, teamed up with Bristol-Myers Squibb to create a new drug to prevent blood clots from forming. The drug specifically targets a cellular-receptor (PAR4) involved in the activation of blood platelets.
It belongs to a family of cellular-receptors for which Professor Bouvier’s laboratory has developed world-renowned expertise. A first clinical trial showed that this new drug presents a low risk of bleeding and is therefore safer than the drugs currently available on the market. A second clinical trial is currently underway and will involve more than 1,000 patients from hospitals throughout Quebec, Canada and the world.
The teams led by Dr. Guy Sauvageau and Professor Anne Marinier developed the UM171 molecule, the first of its kind, which has the capacity to multiply the stem cells present in cord blood. The stem cells from the umbilical cord are used in transplants for the purpose of curing several blood-related illnesses, including leukemia, myeloma and lymphoma.
With the new UM171 molecule, it is possible to multiply cultured stem cells and to produce enough of them to treat adults, notably non-Caucasians who have limited access to grafts because of a lack of donors. This worldwide breakthrough by the IRIC’s teams will provide thousands of patients throughout the world with access to a safe stem cell transplant.
A clinical trial currently underway uses stem cells, produced thanks to UM171, at the Centre of Excellence for Cellular Therapy at Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital.
CLAUDE PERREAULT - PIERRE THIBAULT - SÉBASTIEN LEMIEUX
KATHY BORDEN
The teams led by Dr. Claude Perreault and Professors Pierre Thibault and Sébastien Lemieux have developed a strategy to identify, for the first time, a wide range of markers present at the surface of leukemic cells that can be recognized by the immune system.
They have developed a therapy that uses these markers to teach T cells from a donor to recognize and destroy the cancer cells of a recipient during a transplant to treat leukemia. This approach, currently in clinical trial at Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital, will lead to more effective treatment of leukemias.
On a more long-term basis, it may also be extended to other types of cancer and could even lead to real anticancer vaccines.
VARIED PROGRAMS
Molecular Biology
Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine
Bioinformatics
Chemistry
Informatics
Microbiology and Immunology
Pharmacology
Program unique to the IRIC
Students registered in the M.Sc. program receive an annual research stipend of $20,000 (minimum). Students registered in the Ph.D. program receive an annual research stipend of $22,500 (minimum).
Systems Biology
UDEM PROGRAMS OFFERED AT THE IRIC
THE NEXT GENERATION OF SCIENTISTS
Training the next generation of scientists is very important to the Institute. Therefore, everything is set up for students to receive the best possible training.
They have access to the Institute’s cutting-edge facilities, world-class courses, several series of conferences and seminars as well as personalized support.
By choosing to pursue their training at the IRIC, the next generation of scientists receives multidisciplinary training and benefits from the varied expertise of the IRIC’s principal investigators. Recruits come from all over the world and actively take part in the advancement of the research projects being conducted at the Institute.
Cellular and Molecular BiologyImmunologyBiochemistryGenetics
BioinformaticsProteomicsDrug developmentClinical aspects of research
Program unique to the IRIC
A program related to the Molecular Biology programs of the UdeM Faculty of Medicine that encompasses:
Molecular Biology
Genetic Models of Cancer
Bioinformatic Analysis
Functional Genomics
Biochemistry of Proteins
The Summer School in Systems Biology offers several theoretical and practical courses covering a wide range of topics related to cancer research. By its rich and dynamic programming, the Summer School will enable you to directly apply the concepts learned in class, develop your autonomy in the laboratory and become familiar with the equipment and scientific resources available at the IRIC. As a result, you will be able to begin or to continue your research activities with confidence.
Within that framework, you will benefit from the expertise and support of an impressive team made up of more than thirty IRIC professors, investigators and professional scientists, from various Université de Montréal departments.
THEORETICAL COURSES
SUMMER SCHOOL IN SYSTEMS BIOLOGY
SYSTEMS BIOLOGY
LABORATORY COURSES
Cellular and Molecular Biology of Cancer
Molecular Genetics of Eukaryotes
Approaches in Systems Biology
Immuno-oncology (from the lab to the clinic)
Adopt different experimental approaches in the context of a research topic
Benefit from the expertise and guidance of two professors-investigators
Guide your choice of research topic or research team for the purpose of achieving a Ph.D.
LABORATORY ROTATIONS
Experience the work environment of different research groups
Work with various model organisms (e.g., yeast, nematodes, fruit flies, cell lines)
ADVANTAGES OF LABORATORY ROTATIONS
Broaden your scientific horizon by exploring various aspects of a research topic
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APPLICATION TO THE STUDENT RECRUITMENT EVENTOrganized on an annual basis, in June, the purpose of the Student Recruitment Event is to attract and recruit the top prospects in the field of biomedical research.
Its programming and interactive formula make it innovative. The recruiting event provides participants with an opportunity to visit the IRIC, its laboratories and core facilities, to meet the Institute’s investigators and students and discuss with them, and take part in one-on-one interviews with the investigators of their choice.
Each year, approximately forty applicants from various countries (Canada, United States, Brazil, France, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, India, etc.) are selected to take part in three days of recruiting activities in Montreal.
Application deadline: March 12, 2018
Recruitment event: mid-June
M.SC. AND PH.D.
Application for the Student Recruitment Event
UNDERGRADUATE
Deadline: early March
Recruitment event: mid-June
Benefit from the IRIC Next Generation Awards program to carry out an internship
IRIC NEXT GENERATION AWARDS PROGRAMEnables Canadian undergraduate students possessing a good university record to receive an award in order to carry out a research internship as part of an IRIC team during the summer.
The value of the awards is $4,250 for a 12-week internship or $5,670 for a 16-week internship.
These awards are made possible in large part by all the participants and generous donors contributing to the IRIC Great Challenges Against Cancer event, an annual sports challenge.
Application deadline: January 26, 2018
Application for the Student Recruitment Event
M.SC. AND PH.D.
Application deadline: January 26, 2018
APPLICATION FOR THE STUDENT RECRUITMENT EVENT THROUGHOUT THE YEAREligibility requirements:Demonstrate a strong interest in pursuing graduate studies in the field of cancer researchHave successfully completed or be enrolled full-time in a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree program (Master 1 / Master 2) related to life sciences or biomedical researchHave maintained a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 out of 4.3 (70%, B, 12 out of 20, or the equivalent) for M.Sc. candidates, and 3.3 out of 4.3 (75%, B+, or 13 out of 20, or the equivalent) for Ph.D. candidatesPossess working knowledge of both French and EnglishMeet the general admission requirements (Section XI) of the Education Regulations of the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral StudiesApplication deadline: none
Deadline: none
IRIC.ca
investigators, students, postdoctoral fellows, technicians, research professionals, support staff and administrative staff
CLOSE TO 500 DEDICATED INDIVIDUALS
11 CORE FACILITIES
constructed and equipped at a cost of $110M and operated by highly skilled professionals
including a significant amount in the most prestigious journals
CLOSE TO 1,000 SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS THUS FAR
IRICoR
Creation of IRICoR, a research maturation hub aimed at commercializing new anticancer therapies
professors from 8 departments of the UdeM’s Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Arts and Sciences, holding several Canada Research Chairs and one private research chair among them
28 PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS
MORE THAN 200 STUDENTS
200 young scientists in training, multidisciplinary training programs and a vast program of scientific activities
an average of $15M in research funding from government agencies
ANNUAL FUNDING
FROM DISCOVERY TO COMMERCIALIZATION
IRICoR is a research commercialization hub, specializing in drug discovery.
Its team targets the best projects from the academic world in order to transform them into therapeutic innovations that patients will benefit from.
Its ability to attract and select the most scientifically and commercially promising projects
Its expertise in assisting research teams along the path to the maturation of their drug discovery projects
Its power to unify and provide the best infrastructures
Its skill in carrying out successful collaborations between the academic world and the private sector
In collaboration with the public and private sectors, IRICoR addresses unmet needs in oncology and immunology.
IRICoR, A KEY DRUG DISCOVERY RESOURCE
IRICoR, a key drug discovery resource owing to:
Assessment and selection of projects with high commercial potential aimed at sustaining a portfolio of innovative projects
Opportunity to access scientific core facilities at the cutting-edge of technology covering the drug discovery chain
Privileged access to the largest medicinal chemistry team in Canada with industry expertise (42 chemists and biologists)
Agreements reached with targeted partners (scientific and financial)
Creation of new companies
STRATEGIC ASSISTANCE, FROM DISCOVERY TO THE DRUG
IRICoR has provided itself with a versatile business model, adapted to the needs of both the university and private sectors. Its team works on bringing research projects to maturation – by mitigating risk at each step of the commercialization process – so they can lead to the discovery of new drugs.
In-house expertise in intellectual property and business development
Project management according to industry standards
CLINICAL PARTNERSHIPS
AN EXTENSIVE AND EXPANDING NETWORK
ACADEMIC COLLABORATORS
FINANCING PARTNERS
CECR - NCE
IRICoR AT THE HEART OF THE ECOSYSTEM
STRATEGIC PARTNERS
Visit the website >>
~50
Active clinical trials
20
License agreements
Assist in the establishment of the North American affiliate of Domain Therapeutics
3
23
Partnership projects
Excellthera.ca
HIGH-IMPACT ACHIEVEMENTS
Project financings
Patent families generated
~80
IN LESS THAN 10 YEARS
Domaintherapeutics.com
Specificitpharma.com
Companies created
4
Strategic partnerships with industry
IRIC
Pôle de recherche et centre de formation situé au cœur de l’Université de Montréal
INSTITUT DE RECHERCHE EN IMMUNOLOGIE ET EN CANCÉROLOGIE
INSTITUTE FOR RESEARCH IN IMMUNOLOGY AND CANCER
Start
Démarrez
Research hub and training centre located in the heart of the University of Montreal campus
BREAKTHROUGHS IN FUNDAMENTAL RESEARCH (2016-2017)
Julie Lessard
Thorough understanding of RAF activation, an enzyme involved in several types of cancer
Mike Tyers
Vincent Archambault
Identification of an epigenetic regulator essential for the production of white blood cells specialized in defending the body against infections
Discovery of a new mechanism that controls the tracking of a key cell division enzyme
Marc Therrien
Identification of all genes essential for the survival and proliferation of human cells
Supporting nearly 15 years of scientific advances since the IRIC was created
7
Countries hosting associates internationally*
Million dollars in research infrastructure grants
Research publications in high impact factor scientific journals
EN MOINS DE 10 ANS
OUR ACHIEVEMENTS IN NEARLY 15 YEARS OF EXISTENCE
29
*(United States, Argentina, Brazil, Ireland, United Kingdom, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Spain, Portugal, France, Luxembourg, Belgium, Netherlands, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Italy, Russia, Latvia, Israel, India, China, South Korea, Singapore, Japan, Australia, New Zealand)
117
~1000
Departments affiliated with the UdeM
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2950, chemin de Polytechnique | Marcelle-Coutu Pavilion, Montreal (Québec) H3T 1J4
(514) 343-7770
dons@iric.ca