As Quebec’s first chief scientist (2011–2026), Dr. Rémi Quirion was a tireless advocate for interdisciplinary research, international collaboration, and public engagement with science. His vision helped shape Canadian and international science policy, ensuring that science serves the public good, strengthens diplomacy, and advances prosperity.
His efforts as president of the International Network for Government Science Advice to build science advisory capacity in the Francophonie and the Global South have had a particular impact, empowering governments and institutions to strengthen their advisory ecosystems and better integrate science into policy.
Dr. Quirion was the vice-dean for science and strategic initiatives in the Faculty of Medicine at McGill University and senior university adviser on health sciences research. He was also the first scientific director of the Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction, one of Canada’s 13 health research institutes.
Dr. Quirion received a PhD in pharmacology from the Université de Sherbrooke in 1980 and completed his postdoctoral training at the National Institute of Mental Health in the United States in 1983. With more than 750 scientific publications, he is among the most widely cited neuroscientists in the world.
Dr. Quirion has received many awards and recognitions, including officer of the Order of Canada in 2007. He is a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences, a knight of the Ordre national du Québec and a knight of the Ordre de la Pléiade. He is also a member of the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame, the Académie Nationale de Médecine de France and the International Council of Science.