Two McGill researchers win 2024 Prix du Québec honours

Professors recognized for work on war-affected children and families, development of ‘intelligent’ fabrics

Two McGill researchers won Prix du Québec, the highest honours awarded by the Quebec government in the fields of culture and science. 

Myriam Denov, Professor in McGill’s School of Social Work won the Prix du Québec’s Marie-Andrée-Bertrand Prize for social innovation.

Noémie-Manuelle Dorval Courchesne, Professor in Chemical Engineering, won the Hubert-Reeves Prize, awarded to a promising young researcher.

A leading advocate for children’s rights 

Myriam Denov won the Prix du Québec’s Marie-Andrée-Bertrand Prize for social innovation

Denov conducted groundbreaking research on war-affected children and families for more than two decades and on three continents. Her research explored the unique realities and complex challenges of child soldiers, girls in armed conflict and children born of wartime rape, as well as that of post-conflict reconciliation and war-induced migration and resettlement.  

Denov’s work has helped shape policy and practice at Global Affairs Canada, National Defence, and Citizenship and Immigration Canada, and she has provided key recommendations to improve Quebec’s policies and intervention procedures concerning refugee children and families. 

“To be honoured in this way is deeply significant and I am incredibly grateful,” said Denov. “It is especially meaningful that the award comes from the province of Quebec, which has consistently and generously sponsored my work and provided a supportive context that has enabled me to grow and develop as a researcher.”  

Denov holds the Tier 1 Canada Research Chair (CRC) in Children, Families and Armed Conflict and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. 

Research at the intersection of Engineering and Biology 

Noémie-Manuelle Dorval Courchesne won the Prix du Québec’s Hubert-Reeves Prize, awarded to a promising young researcher

Noémie-Manuelle Dorval Courchesne, is being honoured for her cutting-edge work on nature-inspired materials. Her research focuses on three distinct areas: bioelectricity, bioplastics and “intelligent” fabrics. 

Proteins are well known as the essential building blocks of all life, but Dorval Courchesne is taking this adage one step further by using proteins to develop materials that can not only conduct electricity, but also repair themselves. Her team is working on developing fibres based on functional biopolymers, essentially converting harmless bacteria cells into microscopic protein factories. 

The resulting fabrics could communicate with smart devices to offer useful information on the wearer’s health status, while also spontaneously repairing tears or other damage incurred during an athletic performance. She has previously collaborated with Lululemon in the development of smart tights, for example.

“Receiving the HubertReeves Prize is fantastic recognition of my work and my efforts to build a creative, multidisciplinary and inclusive research group,” said Dorval Courchesne. “It’s an honour to be recognized by an award that bears the name of a scientist who was passionate about research, environmental protection and science popularization.” 

Other finalists and alumni winners   

“On behalf of McGill University, I extend my warmest congratulations to Prix du Québec laureates, Professors Myriam Denov and Noémie-Manuelle Dorval Courchesne,” said Dominique Bérubé, Vice-President, Research and Innovation. “From giving a voice to those who are unheard to pioneering new materials with transformative potential, their achievements exemplify the positive impact of research conducted at McGill on Quebec, Canada and the world.”

In addition to the two award winners, Marie-Hélène Pennestri and Massimiliano Orri were also finalists for the Prix Hubert-Reeves. And among the 13 other Prix du Québec award winners are several McGill alumni: Sylvie Belleville (PhD’88 – Prix Armand-Frappier), Anne-Marie Mes-Masson (PhD’84 – Prix Wilder-Penfield), Frantz Saintellemy (MBA’20 – Prix Innovation).  

Winners will be recognized at the Prix du Québec awards ceremony on Oct. 29, 2024.