A leader in neuroscience research and advocate for scientific knowledge in policy development
Dr. Quirion began his career with a PhD in Pharmacology at the University of Sherbrooke with a thesis focused on the role of neurotensin in cardiovascular and brain diseases. He then pursued postdoctoral training at the National Institute of Mental Health in Bethesda, MD working on the mechanism of action of drugs of abuse including phencyclidine and opiates, and neuropeptides in the brain. He moved to the Department of Psychiatry at McGill and soon began development of the Douglas Hospital Research Centre (DHRC), which earned international recognition for research on Alzheimer’s disease and neuropeptide physiology as it relates to mental disorders. In addition to his scientific research, the Quebec government named him Chief Scientist of Quebec.