with
Marc-André Sirard, Université Laval
The life of all mammals, including humans,
begins with the largest and most extraordinary cell of the
body – the egg. Few people know that Canada is a world
leader in mammalian egg research, much of it conducted on
domestic pigs and cows. For breeders and farmers having
good technology and genetically-sound animals at an affordable
price boosts their business. But increasingly the animal
research models are also yielding major insights that transcend
species boundaries. The range of applications from embryo
research now spans everything from human fertilization to
stem cell research to disease prevention.
Dr. Marc-André Sirard, who holds the
Canadian Research Chair (NSERC) in reproduction at Université
Laval, is one of Canada’s leading experts on mammalian
reproduction. During his PhD research, he developed the
first clinical method in the world to produce test-tubes
calves. His long-standing collaboration with Semex Canada,
generated technology and commercial benefits for both the
company and the dairy industry, and earned the partnership
a national innovation award. Since 1988, he has published
over 200 scientific papers, presented more than 500 communications
and over 45 invited lectures in international meetings.
He currently leads EmbryoGENE, an industry supported NSERC
Strategic Research Network that is exploring the impact
of assisted reproduction technologies and the environment
on eggs and embryos.
Organized by: The Partnership Group for Science and Engineering
(PAGSE)
Sponsored by:
--the Speaker of the Senate
--the Speaker of the House of Commons
--Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC)
Date: Thursday March 25, 2010 from 7:30 am - 9:00 am
Place: Room 200, West Block, Parliament Hill
Cost: No charge to Members of the House of Commons, Senators
and Media. All others $20
Registration: Please register by contacting Donna Boag,
PAGSE Manager: 613-991-6369, pagse@rsc.ca
Registration Deadline: Monday March 22, 2010
