Full professor
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Faculty of Science and Engineering

Professor Jean Ruel specializes in manufacturing processes, particularly those involving the combination of non-biological materials with living cells. He is a tenured professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Université Laval, and his areas of expertise include design and engineering, manufacturing processes, finite element simulation, instrumentation, and control.

One of his contributions to research in the field of Regenerative Medicine involves the design of manufacturing methods that bridge mechanical engineering and tissue engineering. Collaborating with Professor André Bégin-Drolet, he developed a 3D printing technique for creating molds made of vitrified sugar. He applies this technology to prepare biological tissues by molding living cells into complex and varied biocompatible molds.

Primarily affiliated with the Centre for Experimental Organogenesis Research (Centre de recherche en organogénèse expérimentale de l’Université Laval / LOEX) at Hôpital de l’Enfant-Jésus, his work, conducted in collaboration with professors Lucie Germain and Julie Fradette, focuses mainly on manufacturing heart valves and vascularized biological tissues. Professor Ruel is also an associate researcher at the Interdisciplinary Research Centre for Rehabilitation and Social Integration (Centre interdisciplinaire de recherche en réadaptation et en intégration sociale / CIRRIS), where he collaborates with Professor Ernesto Morales on several projects aimed at improving accessibility for people with reduced mobility in both private and public spaces.

He is a member of the Provincial Research Network on Adaptation-Rehabilitation (Réseau provincial de recherche en adaptation-réadaptation / REPAR), the Quebec Network for Research on Aging (Réseau québécois de recherche sur le vieillissement / RQRV), and the Canadian Network for Cell Therapy Research (Regroupement canadien de recherche sur la thérapie cellulaire / ThéCell)