The 2026 edition of the Scientific Forum of the IRCM was held in the inspiring setting of the Grand Lodge Tremblant, bringing together IRCM’s future scientists and research teams for two days rich in exchanges, discoveries, and collaboration.
Supported by BMO Financial Group, a committed partner in research and in training the next generation of scientists, the event once again highlighted the excellence and dynamism of the IRCM community.
This annual gathering is a unique opportunity for students, postdoctoral fellows, research professionals, and other scientists to present their work to their peers and mentors. Through oral and poster presentations, the Forum fosters knowledge sharing and the emergence of new ideas within an interdisciplinary environment.
The 2026 edition stood out for the exceptional quality of the work presented, reflecting the vitality of research conducted at IRCM in diverse fields such as immunology, genetics, the microbiome, neurobiology, and developmental biology.
“At BMO, we are proud to support the IRCM and its next generation of scientists. By fostering dialogue opportunities such as this forum, we are helping to nurture the ideas and talent that will shape the future of health research.” Sébastien Fauvel, Regional Vice-President, BMO Financial Group
Awards Recognizing Excellence Among Emerging Scientists
Thanks to the support of BMO Financial Group, several awards were presented to recognize outstanding presentations. Each recipient was awarded a $400 prize.
In the standard oral presentation category, awards were presented to:
- Élie Lambert, PhD candidate under the supervision of Dr. François Robert;
- Matheus Naegele Aranguren, PhD student under the supervision of Dr. Emilia Liana Falcone;
- Kaiyue Zhang, PhD student under the supervision of Dr. Frédéric Charron;
- Laure Le Corre, PhD student under the supervision of Dr. Nathalie Labrecque.
In the lightning oral presentation category:
- Arian Kamel, MSc student under the supervision of Dr. François Robert;
- Sneha Sukumaran, PhD student under the supervision of Dr. Frédéric Charron.
Poster presentations also drew strong participation, with award recipients in each category:
- Xiangye Wang, undergraduate trainee under the supervision of Dr. Frédéric Charron;
- Laurence Leclerc, MSc student under the supervision of Dr. Emilia Liana Falcone;
- Evany Bernal Ballesteros, PhD student under the supervision of Dr. Woong-Kyung Suh;
- Christina Sarantopoulos, PhD under the supervision of Dr. Artur Kania;
- Fatima Kassem, PhD student under the supervision of Dr. Michel Cayouette;
- Manni Wang, PhD under the supervision of Dr. Hideto Takahashi;
- Camille Michaud, PhD student under the supervision of Dr. Michel Cayouette;
- Sarah Hales, PhD student under the supervision of Dr. Michel Cayouette;
- Rémi Robert, postdoctoral fellow under the supervision of Dr. Marie Kmita.
A Spirit of Community and Collaboration
Beyond the awards, the Scientific Forum remains a highlight of IRCM’s institutional life. It strengthens connections among teams, stimulates collaboration, and encourages the next generation to pursue innovative projects addressing major health challenges.
The 2026 edition, set in the enchanting Tremblant environment, provided an ideal space for scientific reflection and informal exchanges, helping to foster creativity and engagement across the entire community.
