The Faculty of Health Sciences at McMaster University and St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton recently signed a memorandum of understanding with the world-renowned Pasteur Institute in Paris. To cement the partnership, the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences hosted a visit from Drs. Pierre-Marie Lledo, Chantal Henry, and Aroldo D’Argel from the Pasteur Institute in Paris, France, and Xavier Grosmaitre and Hugo Lequertier from the French Embassy and Consulate in Canada. This very successful visit included a meeting with all interested parties, including the City of Hamilton.

Drs. Flavio Kapczinski and Nick Kates received the Provost’s Strategic Alignment Fund, a prestigious and highly competitive award to support the establishment of the Franco-Canadian collaboration. Dr. Florence Roullet was then recruited as Project Manager and Franco-Canadian Liaison Officer. 

The next short- and mid-term stages of the project include a series of strategic planning meetings in France and Canada, as well as joint Pasteur/McMaster research projects on immune factors and neuroprogression. This collaboration will also be highlighted at the next Neuroscience Symposium, which will be held in January 2020 at St. Joseph’s Healthcare West 5^thCampus, and will feature guest speakers from France.