Dr. Marc Ouellette appointed scientific director of CIHR’s Institute of Infection and Immunity

Ottawa, ON -Dr. Alain Beaudet, president of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), and the CIHR Governing Council have announced the appointment of Dr. Marc Ouellette as scientific director of CIHR’s Institute of Infection and Immunity (III). This appointment takes effect on January 1, 2010, when Dr. Ouellette will replace Dr. Bhagirath Singh, III’s founding scientific director.

“Dr. Ouellette is a welcome addition to the CIHR leadership team,” said Dr. Beaudet. “His many achievements in research on infectious diseases and antimicrobial resistance, as well as his proven leadership, make him the ideal candidate to take CIHR’s Institute of Infection and Immunity forward in the years to come.”

Dr. Ouellette is currently a full professor in the Faculty of Medicine at Université Laval and a researcher at the Infectious Disease Research Centre of the Centre hospitalier de l’Université Laval (CHUL) in Quebec City. He holds a Canada Research Chair in Antimicrobial Resistance.

“CIHR has done me a tremendous honour by choosing me as the new scientific director of III,” says Dr. Ouellette. “It represents a great challenge, but I am highly motivated by the idea of contributing to the development of research on infectious and immune diseases in Canada.”
Dr. Beaudet also thanked Dr. Bhagirath Singh for his leadership and vision. “Dr. Singh has carved out an enviable reputation through his dedication to and enthusiasm for health research; his inclusive, collegial approach; and his passion for his work. He has breathed new energy into the Canadian community of researchers investigating infectious and immune diseases, which are attracting more and more attention in Canada and around the world.”

III supports research in the areas of infectious disease and the body’s immune system. Through the Institute’s programs, researchers address a wide range of health concerns related to infection and immunity.