Full professor
Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproduction
Faculty of Medicine

Prof. Leclerc is a full professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproduction at the Faculty of Medicine of Laval University. As a regular researcher within the Reproduction, Maternal and Youth Health program at the CHU de Québec-Université Laval Research Center, he is also a member of the Research Center in Reproduction, Development, and Intergenerational Health at Laval University (CRDSI), and is part of the Quebec Network in Reproduction (RQR). Prof. Leclerc is involved in the training of graduate students enrolled in the Molecular Medicine and Cellular and Molecular Biology programs at the Faculty of Medicine, as well as in Animal Sciences at the Faculty of Agriculture and Food Sciences. He is also a member of the Molecular Medicine program committee.

Prof. Leclerc’s research interests lie in the field of male infertility, sperm fertilizing ability, and interactions between gametes. Following ejaculation, spermatozoa, although morphologically intact and motile, are unable to fertilize an egg. They must undergo a maturation step that normally occurs in the female genital tract as they move towards the site of fertilization. The intracellular mechanisms that lead to metabolic and membrane changes rendering spermatozoa capable of interacting with and fertilizing the egg are at the heart of Prof. Leclerc’s research activities.

His research also focuses on the mechanisms involved in gamete interactions during fertilization, specifically on proteins mediating sperm-egg recognition and binding.

Approximately 7% of men suffer from infertility, and for nearly a third of these individuals, the reasons are unknown. Prof. Leclerc’s research can thus help better understand the causes of these cases of unexplained infertility. Furthermore, a better understanding of sperm physiology and fertilizing ability can improve the success rate of assisted reproductive techniques and sperm cryopreservation, thereby reducing deleterious effects. Moreover, this knowledge can lead to the identification of factors or mechanisms that could serve as targets for non-hormonal male contraception.