Marie-Ève TremblayPh.D.

Dr. Marie-Ève Tremblay is a Canada Research Chair (Tier 2) in Neuroimmunity Plasticity in Health and Therapy, researcher within the Neurosciences Axis of the CRCHU de Quebec-Laval University, and Assistant Professor in Laval University’s Department of Molecular Medicine since March of 2013.

Dr. Tremblay is a neuroimmunology specialist who uses state-of-the-art techniques in electron microscopy (with immunostaining and 3D reconstruction) and non-invasive two-photon in vivo imaging, in combination with animal behaviour, as well as cellular and molecular biology. Her discovery that microglia, the immune cells of the brain, actively remodel the neuronal circuitry under normal physiological conditions, has led to the development of a new field of research, investigating their roles in the healthy brain. Through her many initiatives on the national and international scenes, Dr. Tremblay contributes to the development of this emergent field of research which is currently experiencing an explosive growth.

Dr. Tremblay’s work and other recent studies have demonstrated that microglia play a critical role in the remodelling of the neuronal circuits required for learning, memory, and other complex cognitive functions throughout the lifespan. In this context, her laboratory at CRCHU de Québec-Laval University studies the involvement of microglia in the loss of synapses, which is the best neuropathological correlate of cognitive decline across chronic stress, major depression, schizophrenia, aging, and neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s, the most prevalent in Canada and worldwide. Chronic stress is well known for triggering depression, accelerating cognitive aging, predisposing to neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases, as well as exacerbating their progression and symptoms.