The University of Montreal will welcome two renowned scientists thanks to the Eddie Goldenberg Canada Research Chairs Program. Epidemiologist Sheryl Magzamen and physicochemist Patrick Charbonneau will consolidate the work carried out at UdeM in areas ranging from environmental health to artificial intelligence and complex materials.
Formerly called the Impact+ Canada Research Chairs Program, the federal program aims to attract to the country scientists established abroad whose work focuses on national and global issues deemed to be priorities. It has a budget of approximately $1 billion and provides long-term funding to build teams, build partnerships and promote the translation of research findings.
“In a context of strong international competition, this program creates a magnificent opportunity to recruit leading scientists in their scientific disciplines and to enrich our research and training ecosystem. We are delighted to welcome, following the first round of the competition, an exceptional researcher,” underlines Vincent Poitou, vice-rector of research and innovation at UdeM.
Understanding the links between environment and health
Until recently a professor of epidemiology at Colorado State University, Sheryl Magzamen studies the effects of the environment on health, particularly among populations more exposed to environmental risks. Her work focuses on air pollution, wildfire smoke, chronic respiratory diseases, cumulative environmental exposures and children's health.
The researcher is also interested in environmental justice and ways to make schools healthier and more sustainable. Its approach is part of the One Health perspective, which jointly considers human health, animal health and that of ecosystems.
Sheryl Magzamen favors interdisciplinary research carried out with communities. Affected people, local organizations and public health officials thus participate in defining problems and developing solutions. She has collaborated on projects supported by NASA, the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the National Institutes of Health.
To learn more about his background and research, readthe interview that Sheryl Magzamen gave to UdeMnouvelles.
Model complex behaviors
Professor of physics and chemistry at Duke University, Patrick Charbonneau will join the teaching staff of the Department of Physics at UdeM in 2027. His research focuses on complex systems in which a large number of simple components interact and give rise to cascading behaviors that are difficult to predict.
The physicochemist studies in particular disordered materials, glasses, the blocking transition, soft materials and the self-assembly of proteins. It combines theory, numerical simulations and machine learning methods to better understand systems whose multiple interactions complicate modeling.
His work on protein crystallization notably contributed to the creation of MARCO (Machine Recognition of Crystallization Outcomes), a deep learning system developed with Google and pharmaceutical partners that automates the analysis of images produced during crystallization experiments. This step is important for studying protein structure and supporting biomedical research.
To discover his career and his research work, consultthe interview with Patrick Charbonneau published on UdeMnouvelles.
Upcoming recruitments to support the next generation
In the coming months, UdeM will also recruit early-career researchers who will become Impact+ Canada Emerging Leaders chairs. These new recruits will have the mandate to lead independent and innovative research programs.
Through their expertise and leadership, they will help strengthen the next generation of research, stimulate interdisciplinary collaborations and advance work likely to have concrete benefits for society.