Impact Statement: Dr. Rémi Quirion has been selected as the recipient of the CSPC 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his extraordinary and long-term contributions to science, innovation, and public policy in Quebec, Canada and internationally.

As Québec’s first Chief Scientist, Dr. Quirion has been a tireless advocate for interdisciplinary research, international collaboration, and public engagement with science. He has elevated Québec’s standing as a global leader in science and innovation and become one of Canada’s foremost champions of science diplomacy, fostering strong ties with the Francophonie, the Global South, and other partners worldwide.

Through his founding leadership of the International Network for Government Science Advice (INGSA), Dr. Quirion has advanced the theory and practice of evidence-informed policymaking and helped institutionalize the field of global science advice. His efforts to build science advisory capacity in the Global South have been especially impactful, empowering governments and institutions to strengthen their advisory ecosystems and better integrate science into policy.

With more than 700 scientific publications, his research achievements are matched by his visionary leadership in science policy. His prior roles as Scientific Director of the Douglas Mental Health University Institute Research Centre and of the Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction (INMHA), as well as his membership in numerous national and international advisory bodies, reflect his remarkable career as a neuroscientist.

This award celebrates not only Dr. Quirion’s accomplishments but also his enduring legacy: a legacy of leadership, generosity, and profound global impact. His vision has shaped Canadian and international science policy, ensuring that science serves the public good, strengthens diplomacy, and advances shared prosperity.

Bio: Professor Rémi Quirion is the inaugural Chief Scientist of Quebec since July 2011 and has been elected President of the International Network for Governmental Science Advice (INGSA) in 2021. As McGill Full Professor, Psychiatry and outgoing Scientific Director at the Douglas Mental Health University Institute, he served as Vice-Dean, Faculty of Medicine at McGill University, as well as Senior University Advisor (Health Sciences Research) in addition to being the CIHR Executive Director, for Alzheimer’s Diseases, from 2009 to 2011. Prof. Quirion was the inaugural Scientific Director of the Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction (INMHA) until March 2009. Since 2011, he is the Chief Executive Officer of the Fonds de recherche du Québec (Santé – Nature et technologies – Société et culture).

Rémi Quirion has received many awards and recognitions including Officer of the Order of Canada in 2007. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences, a Knight of the Ordre national du Québec and a Knight of the Ordre de la Pléiade. He is a member of the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame, the Académie Nationale de Médecine de France and the International Council of Science.