A pioneering scientist and advocate for Canadian investment in science
The youngest of 19 siblings, Michel Chrétien, received his MD in 1960 and trained in endocrinology and protein chemistry at Montréal, McGill, Harvard, Berkeley, Cambridge and the Salk Institute. In 1967, he first published the pro-hormone theory, which has since been applied to many functions of human biology. In 1976, he discovered human β-endorphin, and in 1990, the proprotein convertases (PCs/PCSK1-9). Dr. Chrétien’s theory and its developments opened a new chapter of biology known as ¨Functional Endoproteolysis¨.