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Michel Chrétien

Commander
2018

Endocrinologist Michel Chrétien has left his mark on the field of medicine through his science, humanism, tenacity and pioneering spirit. Professor Emeritus of Research at the Clinical Research Institute of Montréal (IRCM), he is the author of more than 600 scientific articles and an outstanding mentor to more than 70 young researchers, many of whom are pursuing stellar university careers.

In 1967, Michel Chrétien achieved his first great scientific breakthrough, proposing his prohormone theory that literally opened a new chapter in biology. This innovative concept described a basic cellular process that influences both embryonic development and cellular senescence in aging. His work led to the discovery of the human β-endorphin and proprotein convertases, a field that applies to various metabolisms (diabetes, obesity and cholesterol), the brain (Alzheimer’s disease, the psyche and pain mechanisms), cancer, atherosclerosis and infectious diseases (malaria, Ebola and bacteria). Michel Chrétien, who heads the Laboratory of Functional Endoproteolysis at the IRCM, has seen his field lead to spectacular clinical applications, including new cholesterol-reducing drugs.  

Upon his arrival at the IRCM in 1967, he opened the first protein chemistry laboratory in Quebec. As director of the IRCM from 1984 to 1994, he introduced elements that expanded its flagship role in research. Among his many achievements, he built new laboratory spaces, created new research units and expedited the representation of women in laboratory management positions.  

Michel Chrétien stands out as a pillar of Montréal medical research on the international scene. A great defender of scientific freedom and a tireless promoter of research, he is involved in national and international agencies. He actively promotes university research and exerts an undeniable influence on the strategic and budgetary directions taken in medicine, the sciences, technology and innovation in Quebec and in Canada. 

Michel Chrétien received the accolades of several scientific and civil agencies, including six honorary doctorates from several universities, including Paris Descartes University. He was the first French-Canadian physician to be elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of London. He was honoured with the Prix Wilder-Penfield from the Quebec government, the Killam Prize from the Canada Council for the Arts and the Arthur Wynne Prize from the Canadian Society for Biomolecular Sciences. In 1986, he was inducted as Honorary Professor into the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College. 

Michel Chrétien was named an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1986, an Officer of the Ordre national du Québec in 2004, a Chevalier of the Ordre national de la Légion d’honneur de la République française in 2004, and later an Officier of this same Order in 2012. In 2018, he received his first entry in Le Petit Larousse illustré. 

Michel Chrétien holds a PhD in Medicine from the Université de Montréal and an MSc from McGill University, and pursued university studies at Harvard, Berkeley and Cambridge (England).

The picture and biographical information appearing on this page were current at the time this person was admitted to the Ordre de Montréal.