Adventures into brain science

Dr. Louis-Eric Trudeau

ABSTRACT: In this lecture, presented in the context of the Science College’s 30th anniversary, special attention was paid to research on brain cells including neurons and glia. Also, the lecturer discussed the various stages of his training and how the Science College, impacted on his life to help him become a successful neuroscientist. The speaker described some of the unique stages of his training, which lead a Concordia University undergraduate to become a university professor and neuroscientist. Finally, he discussed some of the recent discoveries that make neuroscience, the science of the brain, one of the most vibrant and exciting areas of modern research.

THE SPEAKER: He is an alumnus of Concordia University’s Science College. He is a professor of pharmacology and neuroscience at the Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal. He graduated with a B.Sc. from Concordia University and the Science College in 1990. He received a Masters degree from the Université de Paris, France and a Ph.D. from the U of M in neuroscience in 1994. He then pursued postdoctoral studies for three years at Iowa State University in the USA. In 1997, Dr. Trudeau was recruited to the Université de Montréal and is currently carrying out research on chemical neurotransmission implicating the neurotransmitter dopamine in the brain. He is exploring some of the normal physiological roles of dopamine in the brain and the pathological implications of this transmitter system. His current research may provide leads to better understand the biology of conditions as diverse as drug abuse, schizophrenia and Parkinson's disease. Dr. Trudeau is author of more than sixty publications in international peer-reviewed scientific journals.