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 1974 - 1978 | Birth of research at Sainte-Justine
UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF THE FOUNDER JACQUES DUCHARME
Endowed with an extraordinary vision of patient-oriented clinical research, Dr. Jacques Ducharme, at the time Director of the Department of Pediatrics, envisioned a centre that would bring together many researchers, which he considered establishing at the Nursing School. After the authorities approved his plans and designs, he persuaded the hospital’s foundation, the Inter-Service Clubs Council and the government buy-in to fund the project. The Research Centre opened in 1974.
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1978 - 1982 | Raising awareness among local and government authorities
UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF CLAUDE ROY
Dr. Claude Roy was a pioneer in pediatric gastroenterology. He was appointed Director of the Research Centre in 1978. He published the first book on gastroenterology, which was considered the premier reference work in the field and brought much credibility and visibility to Sainte-Justine and attracted candidates from abroad eager to pursue a career in the field. Dr. Roy convinced the hospital, university, government and public health authorities to fund research for the sake of advancing secondary and tertiary care, in the face of which medicine was still helpless.
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 1982 - 1987 | Sharing resources and opening up new fields of research
UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF JACQUES LETARTE
Dr. Jacques Letarte assumed the direction of the Research Centre in 1982. He also sat on the hospital’s decision-making boards and committees, which represented a significant step forward for research. In addition to supporting clinical research in pediatrics, funding was from then on also extended to psychiatry and surgery. Investments in heavy equipment supporting the work of many researchers were maintained.
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1988 - 1996 | Emergence of the Centre’s major research themes
UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF ROBERT COLLU
Dr. Robert Collu promoted the development of the Research Centre over his two mandates, while outlining what would develop into today’s research themes: molecular genetics, neurological sciences, perinatology, hemato-oncology, virology, gastroenterology, nutrition and orthopedics. |
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 1996 - 2006 | Toward clinical research and the research axes
UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF EMILE LEVY
Under the direction of Dr. Emile Levy, every patient was considered a research participant, recruitment provided a foundation for therapy and the Research Centre set up a hub for clinical research. Annual funding awarded to research by the CHU Sainte-Justine Foundation jumped to 45%. The Centre’s pool of equipment was renewed, and the team of researchers and students tripled. Proteomics was the new trend and the Centre was awarded its first infrastructure grant from the Canada Foundation for Innovation. Technology transfers of patented discoveries gained momentum. In 2003, the Centre’s research axes were created.
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2006 - 2013 | The rapid rise of genetics and genomics
UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF GUY ROULEAU
Under the direction of Dr. Guy Rouleau, the pace of recruitment accelerated with more full-time Ph.D. researchers. Greater impetus was given to genetics and genomics – the Research Centre recruited many researchers in this field, set up a sequencing centre, and the Quebecers health database and biobank infrastructure CARTaGENE was repatriated. Epidemiologists and biostatisticians were recruited to launch the Applied Clinical Research Unit. The building of a new leading-edge research centre was also secured as part of the “Growing up Healthy” modernization project.
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 2013 - 2016
UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF ALAIN MOREAU
“Research will be done differently. It will be extremely exciting and fascinating. With the new Research Centre, technologies many dreamt of 15 years ago will be made available to our research community.”
– Dr. Alain Moreau
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