Institut de recherches cliniques de Montreal

Institut de recherches cliniques de Montréal (IRCM), (also known, in English, as Montreal Clinical Research Institute), is a medical research institute affiliated with

Université de Montréal The Université de Montréal (UdeM; ; translates to University of Montreal) is a French-language public research university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university's main campus is located in the Côte-des-Neiges neighborhood of Côte- ...

. Its work focuses mainly on

cellular biology Cell biology (also cellular biology or cytology) is a branch of biology that studies the structure, function, and behavior of cells. All living organisms are made of cells. A cell is the basic unit of life that is responsible for the living and ...

molecular biology Molecular biology is the branch of biology that seeks to understand the molecular basis of biological activity in and between cells, including biomolecular synthesis, modification, mechanisms, and interactions. The study of chemical and physi ...

genetics Genetics is the study of genes, genetic variation, and heredity in organisms.Hartl D, Jones E (2005) It is an important branch in biology because heredity is vital to organisms' evolution. Gregor Mendel, a Moravian Augustinian friar wor ...

, developmental biology, and proteomics. Its aim is to understand the causes of illnesses and develop new therapeutic solutions or cures.

History

The institute was established in 1967 by Dr.

Jacques Genest Jacques Genest (May 29, 1919 – January 5, 2018) was a Canadian physician and scientist. He founded the Institut de recherches cliniques de Montréal (IRCM) and was an emeritus professor at Université de Montréal and a professor at McGill Uni ...

who had earlier in 1952 established the first clinical research department at

Hôtel-Dieu de Montréal The Hôtel-Dieu de Montréal (founded in 1645) was the first hospital established in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. ''Hôtel-Dieu'', literally translated in English as ''Hotel of God'', is an archaic French term for hospital, referring to the origi ...

hospital and had become the head of the Faculty of Medicine at

McGill University McGill University (french: link=no, Université McGill) is an English-language public research university located in Montreal, Quebec Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous ...

in 1964. With lawyer Marcel Piché, Genest founded ''Centre médical Claude-Bernard'' in 1965, renamed ''Institut de diagnostic et de recherches cliniques de Montréal'' and further changed to ''Institut de recherches cliniques de Montréal'' its present name in 1986. Keeping its links with Hôtel-Dieu de Montréal, the Institute signed in December 1964 a contract of affiliation with the hospital for 25 years, stipulating that clinicians-researchers of the institute would be members in the medical staff of Hôtel-Dieu, ensuring they would have access to the hospital's patients and conducting laboratory tests for the hospital. The construction of the main headquarters for the institute started in January 1966 inaugurated in presence of Quebec Health Minister

Eric Kierans Eric William Kierans (February 2, 1914 – May 10, 2004) was a Canadian economist and politician. Early life Born in Montreal, Kierans grew up in the working-class Saint-Henri neighbourhood. His father worked at Canadian Car and Foundry, and ...

and in 1967, IRCM became affiliated to Université de Montréal, providing additional courses and later recruitment to some of the university's graduates. In 1976, Centre de bioéthique was founded by Dr. David J. Roy. In 1992, a new wing was inaugurated (named bloc Basset) and in 2003, a further expansion and renovation project was launched. On 24 March 2006, the new 26,500 meter square premises and laboratories were inaugurated in the presence of Raymond Bachand, Quebec Minister of Economic Development, Innovation and Export. ;Directors * 1967-1984:

(also founder) * 1984-1994: Michel Chrétien * 1994-2004: Yvan Guindon * 2004-2006: Louis-Gilles Durand * 2006-2019: Tarik Möröy * 2019–2021: Max Fehlmann * 2021–present: Jean-François Côté ;Financing IRCM is a non-profit organism has its own ''La Fondation de l'IRCM''. It also gets financing from various sources including Economic Development, Innovation and Exports Ministry of Québec (MDEIE), from Fonds de la recherche en santé du Québec (FRSQ) and Canadian national organizations. The centre also gets support from the private sector and companies and individuals. It also organizes annual campaigns and various activities for financing

Awards

The Institute awards the Marcel-Piché Prize every two years to an IRCM researcher in recognition of their research and contribution to the growth and outreach of the Institute and the IRCM Merit Award annually to an individual who plays an exceptional role in the development of the biomedical sciences.

References

External links

Official website
{{authority control Research institutes in Canada Organizations established in 1967