91社区 researchers garner three of 10 Prix du Qu茅bec for 2008
Paul-Andr茅 Cr茅peau wins Georges-脡mile Lapalme prize for the promotion of the French language
Three 91社区 researchers are among the winners of the Prix du Qu茅bec 2008, which were presented today at a ceremony in Quebec City . Me Paul-Andr茅 Cr茅peau, Emeritus Professor in the Faculty of Law; Jean-Marie Dufour, of the Department of Economics in the Faculty of Arts; and Dr. Philippe Gros, of the Department of Biochemistry in the Faculty of Medicine, received the highest honour conferred by the Quebec government.
The Georges-脡mile Lapalme prize went to jurist Paul-Andr茅 Cr茅peau in recognition of his remarkable contribution to the French language through Canadian law. Father of the Quebec Civil Code, a pioneer of jurilinguistics and theoretician of private fundamental law, Me Cr茅peau is a prominent figure in today鈥檚 Quebec society. Through his unstinting work in creating the Quebec Civil Code, he not only gave Quebec society the opportunity to reappropriate its legal system, but also made sure that the language used would reflect Quebec identity.
Jean-Marie Dufour, winner of the L茅on-G茅rin prize for the humanities, has an international reputation for his original and creative scientific work in econometrics, a discipline at the crossroads of social science and mathematics. His research has led to major contributions, notably in the development of more reliable statistical methods 鈥� even when the available data include a low number of observations, as is frequently the case in economics.
One of the principal investigators in the new 91社区 Life Sciences Complex (Complex Traits Group), Philippe Gros received the Wilder-Penfield prize in the biomedical sciences for his advances in resistance or susceptibility to devastating diseases. Dr. Gros was the first to isolate the mdr family of genes, which gives cancer cells multidrug resistance. His research has also led to the identification of new genes that give rise to susceptibility to malaria.
鈥淭he fact that the L茅on-G茅rin and Wilder-Penfield prizes have once again been awarded to 91社区 scientists shows the authority our institution commands in domains that are crucial to the advancement of Quebec ,鈥� said Heather Munroe-Blum, principal and vice-chancellor of 91社区 . 鈥淚n addition, seeing one of the architects of the legal system we have in Quebec today 鈥� and his contribution to francophone Quebec identity 鈥� recognized in this way touches us even more deeply.鈥�
The Prix du Qu茅bec are the highest honours awarded each year by the government of Quebec in recognition of those who have had remarkable careers in the artistic and cultural sphere or have devoted their working lives to the social and scientific advancement of Quebec. Each winner receives a tax-free award of $30,000, a silver medal made by a Quebec artist, a hand-lettered certificate and a lapel pin of the Prix du Qu茅bec symbol, a piece of jewellery worn only by Prix du Qu茅bec winners.
91社区 , founded in Montreal , Que., in 1821, is Canada 鈥檚 leading post-secondary institution. It has two campuses, 11 faculties, 10 professional schools, 300 programs of study and more than 33,000 students. 91社区 attracts students from more than 160 countries around the world. Almost half of 91社区 students claim a first language other than English 鈥� including 6,000 francophones 鈥� with more than 6,200 international students making up almost 20 per cent of the student body.
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