SCM-CSM2025 UMontreal Conference

Dr. Adnane Sellam is professor in the Department of Microbiology-Infectiology and Immunology, and a researcher at the Montreal Heart Institute. He joined the University of Montreal after a career at Université Laval in Quebec City as an associate professor and researcher at the CHU de Québec. He completed two postdoctoral internships at the University of Montreal and at McGill University/National Research Council Canada. Dr Sellam is an expert in the field of genomics and systems biology applied to the study of the virulence of human pathogenic fungi. His research activities are funded by several provincial (FRQS, CQDM, Merck-Frost) and federal (CIHR, NSERC, CFI) granting organizations. The aim of his research program is to understand in depth the different aspects of the biology of opportunistic fungi, notably Candida albicans and the “super-resistant” yeast C. auris, in order to propose new therapeutic targets.

Website: https://microbiologie.umontreal.ca/recherche/professeurs-chercheurs/adnane-sellam/

My favorite scientific question is “how is parasitism a sustainable biological relationship?” I addressed this question through the study of various microbes, the human Epstein Barr virus (doctoral thesis at the École Normale Supérieure de Lyon and post doctorate at the Institut Gustave Roussy), protozoa parasites of bivalve molluscs (post doctorate at Ifremer), bacteria of the Vibrio genus pathogenic in oysters, shrimp or corals (Ifremer, Institut Pasteur in Paris, Harvard Medical School in Boston; Roscoff Biological Station) and more recently viruses which infect Vibrios, the bacteriophages.

Holder of the Canada Research Chair of Excellence “Eco-Evo-Patho of microbes in nature”, Full Professor at the University of Montreal since September 2023 and IVADO member, I aspire to create a team of enthusiasts, followers of “non-model” organizations, a diverse, equitable, inclusive and committed team to eco-responsible approaches.

Website: https://lerouxlab.org/team/

After earning a Master of Science and Technology from the University of La Rochelle (France), I completed a PhD in microbiology at the University of Montpellier (2007-2010). My doctoral research focused on the role of the OmpU porin in Vibrio tasmaniensis and its interaction with its host, the oyster Crassostrea gigas. I investigated the interaction between Vibrio and the oyster immune system, demonstrating that Vibrio tasmaniensis is a facultative intracellular pathogen capable of invading immune cells. My thesis was nominated for the Best Thesis Trophy by the French Institute for Research and Exploitation of the Sea (Ifremer) in 2011. Following this, I undertook a postdoctoral fellowship at the Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS) Center at Umeå University (Sweden) (2011-2016), where I studied the role of bacterial membrane vesicles in Vibrio cholerae resistance to antimicrobial peptides. In 2016, I joined the Department of Microbiology, Infectious Diseases, and Immunology at the Université de Montréal. My research program focuses on deciphering the mechanisms of antimicrobial peptide resistance and vesiculation in Vibrio species. Additionally, we aim to understand how subinhibitory concentrations of antimicrobial peptides modulate the virulence and survival of pathogenic Vibrio.

Website : https://microbiologie.umontreal.ca/recherche/professeurs-chercheurs/marylise-duperthuy/

Camille Ou is a PhD student at the group of Dr. France Daigle

Dr Tebbji is a senior research associate at the group of Dr. Adnane Sellam