Team
Meet the team!
Dr. Sylvia Villeneuve
Director
Dr. Villeneuve has been director of the StoP-AD Centre since June 2022. She earned her doctorate at l'Université de Montréal in 2011, where she investigated the nature of memory problems in those with mild cognitive impairments of both vascular and non-vascular origins. Her first postdoctoral training took place at the University of California, Berkeley, where she examined the interactions between amyloid deposits, vascular diseases, and cognition in the preclinical phase of Alzheimer's disease. She completed a second postdoctoral training at Northwestern University, where she evaluated the predictive value of neurovascular changes, such as diminished neurovascular reactivity or the deterioration of the blood-brain barrier, in decelerating the early changes associated with amyloid deposits. Dr. Villeneuve has been an associate professor at McGill University since 2015 and a member of the Ordre des psychologues du Québec since 2009. In addition, she is the director of the Multimodal Imaging of the Aging Brain lab at the Douglas Institute.
Dr. Judes Poirier
Assistant Director
Dr. Judes Poirier was one of the founding members of the StoP-AD Centre in 2010 and remains today its assistant director. Dr. Poirier is a pioneer in biomedical research on the causes and treatments of both Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. It was at the Andrus Gerontology Centre in Los Angeles that he identified the primordial role of apolipoprotein E (apoE) in the reparation of brain cells. This breakthrough was shortly followed by a second important discovery which brought to light a genetic variant of apoE which substantially increases the risk of developing the common form of Alzheimer's disease. In 1995 and 1996, he identified a series of genes which carry genetic variations that allow us to predict whether certain types of medication will work in a given patient. In some circles, he is considered one of the founders of central nervous system pharmacogenomics. Recently, his team identified a new protective gene involved in the etiopathology of Alzheimer`s disease which paves the way for new therapeutic approaches based on the biology of cholesterol.
Jennifer Tremblay-Mercier,
M.Sc.
Research Coordinator
(Data sharing and collaborations)
Following my University studies on brain aging, I joined the StoP-AD Centre as a coordinator in 2013. I am currently responsible for relations with research ethics committees and assist the researchers with their grant applications. I make sure to follow up on collaborative projects and encourage the exchange and sharing of research data between researchers.
Dr. Julie Bailly
.
Research Coordinator
(Prevent-AD cohort)
In November 2021, after my doctorate, I started out in Dr. Villeneuve's team and later joined the StoP-AD team as coordinator. I primarily take care of the general administrative and financial management of the Centre. In addition, I supervise the team in order to ensure good cooperation and efficacy in a healthy environment. My role also includes the recruitment of new participants in the cohort and the implementation of new projects in at the Centre.
Gabriel Jean, M.Sc.
.
Research Coordinator
(Scheduling and appointments)
I joined the StoP-AD team as a research coordinator in 2021. I accompany participants throughout the different steps of the research program. I ensure the proper planning and smooth running of participant visits here at the Centre. I also manage the logistical coordination of our projects.
Christine Déry, M.Sc.
Research Coordinator
(Memory clinics and cognitive follow-ups)
I joined the team in May 2022 to manage all matters pertaining to memory clinics. I most notably take care of the preparation of data to be examined, calls to participants, and the management of documents, acting as a link between the Centre and the memory clinics who collaborate with us. I also create the neuropsychological evaluations of our cohort.
Louise Hudon
Research Assistant
Retired from the University of Sherbrooke, I joined the StoP-AD team in December 2018. Since then, I've probably had the pleasure of meeting all of our participants during their annual visits for cognitive tests either in person or online during a virtual visit. I also trained all the research assistants of the Centre for the cognitive evaluations.
Nolan-Patrick Cunningham
Research Assistant
I joined the StoP-AD team as a research assistant in July of 2023, and, as such, my primary tasks include data collection and entry: alongside my colleagues, I prepare participant visits, administer and score neuropsychological tests, accompany participants to MRI scans, and help upload all the data and files we collect into our secure database. Being fluent in French and English, I also take part in the translation of documents, forms, and communications from French to English.
Aurélie Garrone
assistante de recherche
Je me suis jointe à l’équipe en mai 2024 en tant qu’assistante de recherche. Mon rôle consiste à accompagner les participants dans les différentes étapes de leur visite et m’assurer qu’ils soient bien informés et à l’aise tout au long de leur participation. Je suis également impliquée dans l’administration et la correction de tests neuropsychologiques et participe au processus d’entrée de données en collaboration avec les autres membres de l’équipe.
Corina Lazarenco
ASSISTANTE DE RECHERCHE
I joined the StoP-AD team in September 2024 as a research assistant. My main responsibilities involve collecting and entering research data, including administering neuropsychological tests and conducting medical follow-ups, either in person or by phone. I also participate in meetings with the neuropsychologists to review cognitive files.
Laurence Maligne Bruneau, MT
Medical Technologist
I joined Dr. Judes Poirier's team as a research assistant in June 2023. My role includes the management of the biobank of participant biosamples, laboratory maintenance and upkeep, biosample analysis, and the transfer of results into our database. As a medical technologist, I also perform blood draws and inquire about the general health of our participants, including their current medication.
Jean-Michel Raoult
Programmer/Developer
Since October 2022, I maintain, develop, and implement different computer software tools used in the collection, organization, and sharing of data obtained during participant visits.
Alumni
Elisabeth Sylvain
Research Assistant