Lucie GermainPh.D.

Dr. Lucie Germain, Ph.D., is a full professor at the Department of Surgery and Vice Dean of Research and Graduate Studies at Laval University. Within the CHU de Québec-Laval University Research Center, she was Director of the Regenerative Medicine Division until 2014. Her work, dedicated to postnatal stem cells and human tissue reconstruction, led to three clinical trials involving engineered tissues produced in vitro applied to the treatment of venous ulcers, severely burned patients and limbal stem cell deficiency of the cornea. Dr. Germain has published more than 155 peer-reviewed articles, 67 book chapters and reviews and given more than 135 invited seminars and conferences. Her sustainable contribution as health research was recognized by the Foundation scheme of Canadian Institutes of Health Research, which allowed her a financial support for seven years in 2015. The Canada research chair program also recognized Dr. Germain as a leader in the field of stem cells and regenerative medicine by granting her a junior Tier-2 chair in 2001 and a senior Tier 1 chair in 2015. In 2013, she was nominated Member of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences and was appointed Vice-Dean of Research and Graduate Studies at the Faculty of Medicine of Laval University in 2014.

Improving patients care through the application of her research is at the heart of her motivations. She holds the Research Chair on tissue-engineered organs and translational medicine from the Foundation of Laval University. Her research is dedicated to the reconstruction of human tissues, mainly skin, cornea, blood vessels and heart valves for experimental and clinical applications. The tissue-engineered models developed by Dr. Germain are designed for physiological, pathophysiological or pharmacotoxicological studies. Her research aims to better define molecular signaling pathways involved in stem cell regulation and differentiation. Her work also focuses on improving functionality of reconstructed tissues, for example by adding melanocytes to skin substitutes to improve their pigmentation and UV protection. An important part of her research aims to shorten the time required to produce skin substitutes and to develop a serum-free culture medium for cell and tissue culture. Finally, Dr. Germain actively works on strategies aimed at integrating tissue engineering and gene therapy to find new treatments for genetic skin disorders such as epidermolysis bullosa.