Builder of Science, Mentor at Heart
NB: This series of encounters highlights the diversity of the members of the IRCM community, the variety of their expertise and the depth of their commitment to their respective roles
In the quiet hum of the laboratories, where patience, precision, and passion shape daily life, you’ll find Christine Jolicoeur at work — a research professional at the IRCM for more than twenty years. If science moves forward, it is thanks to people like her: experts who test, validate, retry, refine, teach, and in her case, fully participate in running the lab.
Christine first arrived at the IRCM in the early 2000s, after travelling the world — with her husband, also a researcher — from Quebec City to London, California then back to Montreal. It was at the University College London that she discovered neurobiology and fell deeply, overwhelmingly in love with laboratory work and cutting edge knowledge. There, she sharpened her natural strengths — rigour and perfectionism — qualities essential for scientific research to flourish.
“I love learning and I’m a perfectionist. Working with a passionate young postdoc opened up a whole world for me.”
A professional stint at the legendary Stanford University in California would become another unforgettable, transformative experience for the young scientist.
Back in Quebec, Christine helped establish and launch the laboratory alongside Dr. Michel Cayouette. She describes their partnership simply: he is “the science” and she is “the hands”, the methodology, the technical memory, the clarity in experimental complexity. Her role is vast: helping students design experiments, troubleshooting technical challenges, sharing best practices, offering guidance, and encouraging those around her. Many see her as a pillar, a lighthouse and several have become friends for life.
What does she love most? The young people: Their energy, their diversity, their fresh vision of the world, their unshakeable passion for research.
“They’re what keeps me passionate. I never stop learning, thanks to them.”
And they repay her well by trusting her, seeking her advice, sharing their challenges, breakthroughs, and doubts. In a way, their success is also hers.
Christine also highlights something essential: the quality of the IRCM environment. The natural collaboration, the spontaneous willingness to help, the close-knit services, the mutual respect across all teams, from maintenance to finance, from technicians to researchers.
“You can feel that people are truly invested at every level. It creates a unique atmosphere where it’s a joy to work, and where everyone contributes to something bigger.”
She emphasizes the importance of research professionals because they are the backbone of laboratories.
“We work mostly in the shadows, but we’re essential,” she says modestly, but with complete clarity.
Through her journey, Christine embodies exactly what the IRCM hopes to highlight: unwavering passion, technical mastery, generosity, and a deep sense of dedication to the Institute; Qualities that move the IRCM forward in its mission to advance collective health.
Thank you, Christine, for keeping the flame alive, brilliantly and endlessly.
