IRICoR announces the appointment of Dr. Martin Godbout as Chairman of its Board of Directors and of Ms. Catherine Bouchard as a new Board Member

MONTREAL, July 31, 2017 /CNW Telbec/ - IRICoR (Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer - Commercialization of Research) proudly announces the appointment of Dr. Martin Godbout, president of Hodran Consultants Inc., as the new Chairman of its Board of Directors and of Ms. Catherine Bouchard, Head of Research, Life Sciences at the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, as a new Board member.

Dr. Godbout brings to IRICoR's Board a deep expertise in the health sciences sector. With his thorough knowledge of the field and his close to 30-year experience, he will greatly contribute to IRICoR's ongoing initiatives to attract and accelerate the development of promising innovative projects in oncology. Dr. Godbout started his professional career as President and CEO of Société Innovatech Québec, a technology-focused venture capital (VC) fund. He then served as Executive Vice-president of BioCapital, a biopharmaceutical VC firm, after which he founded Genome Canada, which he successfully led for more than 10 years as CEO. He was also a Board member of numerous biopharmaceutical companies, not-for-profit organizations involved in funding research and innovation and philanthropic organizations. He is currently Chair of the Board at Amorchem-I, BioContact, BioQuébec and Genome Quebec, and a Board Member of various organizations, including the Fonds de recherche du Québec – Santé. Dr. Godbout holds a B.Sc. in Biochemistry and a Ph.D. in Physiology and Molecular Endocrinology from Université Laval. He completed his post-doctoral training in Molecular Neurobiology at San Diego's Scripps Research Institute. Finally, Dr. Godbout is an Officer at the Order of Canada.

"We enthusiastically welcome Dr. Godbout to IRICoR's team. His diverse professional expertise both in the healthcare and business sectors, as well as his broad professional network will be critical to the success of IRICoR's ongoing strategic initiatives."
Nadine Beauger, Chief Executive Officer - IRICoR

Dr. Godbout succeeds Johane Boucher-Champagne who was Chair of IRICoR's Board since 2011, after having been a member since 2009. IRICoR takes this opportunity to formally thank Mrs. Boucher-Champagne for having put her deep experience in the life science sector to the service of IRICoR. She has truly been a key resource for the organization through all those years.

"Through her deep knowledge of the pharmaceutical sector and her keen governance skills, Mrs. Boucher-Champagne skillfully managed to further IRICoR's initiatives, leading the organization to become a leader in commercialization of research. We are very grateful for Mrs. Boucher-Champagne's 8 years of continuous commitment."
Michel Bouvier, Chief Executive Officer and Principal Investigator, IRIC (Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer)

Catherine Bouchard has more than 10 years of experience in healthcare equity research. She is currently Head of Research, Life Sciences at the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, where she has served as Senior Healthcare Analyst since 2012. Prior to joining CDPQ, Ms. Bouchard spent 5 years at Valeurs Mobilières Banque Laurentienne, where she was the Lead Analyst covering healthcare stocks. Her expertise in industry analysis and her deep knowledge of the healthcare sector will be key additions for IRICoR. She holds a B.Sc. in Microbiology and Immunology and an M.Sc. in Biomedical Sciences from Université de Montréal, as well as an MBA from HEC Montreal.

Dr. Godbout and Ms. Bouchard are joining a Board that stands out for its Members' deep commitment, diverse expertise in both health sciences and business matters, as well as its extended network.

About the Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer – Commercialization of Research (IRICoR)

As Université de Montréal's drug discovery and project maturation cluster, IRICoR is a not-for-profit organization based at the Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC), with the mandate to accelerate the discovery, development and commercialization of novel therapies in cancer, immunotherapy and related fields. Since its creation in 2008, IRICoR successfully invests in and supports cutting-edge projects with disruptive potential to rapidly translate innovation into patient-accessible therapies, through either co-development partnerships with industry or company creation. IRICoR seamlessly integrates business-related expertise with industry-level drug discovery in a world-renowned research institute, providing academics with access to a full drug discovery chain with one of the largest academia-based medicinal chemistry groups in Canada. For more information about IRICoR: www.iricor.ca

About the Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC)

An ultra-modern research hub and training centre located in the heart of the Université de Montreal, the Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC) was created in 2003 to shed light on the mechanisms of cancer and discover new, more effective therapies to counter this disease. IRIC operates according to a model that is unique in Canada. Its innovative approach to research has already led to discoveries that will, over the coming years, have a significant impact on the fight against cancer. For further information visit www.iric.ca

About the University of Montreal

Deeply rooted in Montreal and dedicated to its international mission, the University of Montreal is one of the top 100 universities in the world. It was founded in 1878, and together with its two affiliated schools, HEC Montréal and Polytechnique Montréal, constitutes the largest centre of higher education and research in Quebec and one of the major centres in North America. The University of Montreal brings together more than 2,700 professors and researchers and welcomes more than 68,000 students. www.umontreal.ca

SOURCE Institut de recherche en immunologie et en cancérologie de l'Université de Montréal

Catherine Cardinal, Chief, Communication and media relations, 514 343-6111, ext 41299, [email protected]; Cristina Annunzi, Advisor, Communication and media relations, 514 343-7283, [email protected]