France honours Dr. Alain Beaudet
Montreal June 14, 2007 – The Consul General of France in Quebec City Mr. François Alabrune, bestowed the Order of Academic Palms distinguished Officer’s award to Dr. Alain Beaudet, FRSQ President and CEO. France thus pays tribute to the major Dr. Beaudet has played in promoting scientific exchanges between France and Quebec. Dr. Beaudet's ongoing close collaboration with France's research community began in his postdoctoral days. His neuropeptide research colleagues in Paris include Jean Rossier and William Rostène. He has also conducted major studies on the intracellular traffic of neuroreceptors in collaboration with researchers at the Université de Nice. Lastly, he has collaborated with French biotechnology firms, including Biocom, specialized in cell-imaging software development. Dr. Beaudet has also made outstanding contributions to teaching and training; in addition to his Québec students, he has trained many postdoctoral fellows from France. Dr. Alain Beaudet enjoys an international reputation for his work in neuroscience. His interests in that field include the role of neuropeptides in neuronal communication and his studies have revealed more about the mechanisms of analgesia and drug habituation. They are also helping to develop new therapeutic drugs involving peptide-mediated neurotransmission. Biographical Notes for Alain Beaudet Most recently, Dr. Beaudet headed MNI's functional neuro-anatomy laboratory. He pursued basic research into the action mechanisms and role of neuropeptides in the central nervous system, the control of neuroreceptor circulation and its involvement in neuron signalling, and new pain therapies. Funded continuously since 1980 by the Medical Research Council of Canada (MRC) and then the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), he has written more than 175 original articles and some 40 monographs and book chapters. Dr. Beaudet has received numerous grants and distinctions (Killam postdoctoral fellowship, MRC and FRSQ grants and the Murray L. Barr Junior Scientist Award). In September 2004, he was awarded the Prix Adrien-Pouliot by the Association francophone pour le savoir (Acfas). He was president of the Canadian Association for Neuroscience from 1995 to 1997 and has sat on many peer review committees, both in Canada (FRSQ, MRC) and elsewhere (NIH, Human Frontier Science Program). At the FRSQ, Alain Beaudet was previously scientific advisor (1999-2000) and director of scientific affairs and programs (2000-2004). The Order of Academic Palms Today this distinction honours certain members in the field of education and not only teachers and professors. In 1866, the scope of the award was widened to include major contributions to French national education made by others, including foreigners and French citizens living abroad. It is also made available to French nationals outside of France who are actively contributing to the expansion of French culture in the rest of the world. The Order of Academic Palms has three ranks: Knight, Officer, Commander. - 30 - |
 Information: Michelle Dubuc, M.Sc. |
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