Congratulations to Camille Bédard, winner of the Michèle-Auger 2025 Award

Camille Bédard, a doctoral student at Université Laval, is the winner of the Michèle-Auger 2025 Award. This distinction is awarded annually to a woman pursuing graduate studies in protein science within PROTEO, the Quebec research network on protein function, engineering and applications. Accompanied by a $5,000 scholarship, this award recognizes a researcher who excels in protein science research while demonstrating exceptional commitment to the community.

Camille Bédard is working on her thesis on antimicrobial resistance, a global public health issue. Using innovative approaches such as artificial intelligence and high-throughput studies of protein mutants, she is contributing to the management of essential drugs. Her academic record is outstanding, having achieved a perfect average at Master’s and PhD level, as well as a near-perfect average at undergraduate level. Awarded the prestigious Vanier Scholarship, Camille has also won 28 competitive scholarships and awards, including CRNSG scholarships, FRQ scholarships, and Université Laval scholarships for leadership and commitment.

Christian Landry, her thesis supervisor, points out: “Camille is the most remarkable student I have known in my career, from a scientific, academic, professional, social involvement and STEM promotion point of view. I can think of no better candidate for this award, which recognizes excellence and commitment.”

Above and beyond her academic achievements, Camille stands out for her exceptional commitment. She sits on several committees and has organized initiatives such as the Coupe des sciences at Université Laval, a flagship event designed to encourage high school and CEGEP students to take an interest in science. Passionate about accessibility to science, Camille volunteered for the Coupe des Sciences in 2019 and, as vice-president of challenges in 2022, designed and tested fun science challenges. In 2023, she was elected president of the event, where she helped create a more diverse program representative of today’s science. She led the event with brio, welcoming over 400 students and 30 volunteers. Her exceptional leadership during this edition once again demonstrated her role as a leader, her ability to motivate and inspire a team.

Internationally, Camille actively contributes to the communications and outreach committee of the Genetics Society of America (GSA), the largest scientific society in her field. Alongside her research, she supervises a number of Cégep, bachelor’s and master’s interns. According to her, “an integral part of leadership is mentoring”, a conviction she enthusiastically applies on a daily basis.

Like Michèle Auger, Camille Bédard’s commitment goes far beyond scientific research. She has assumed management responsibilities on a number of committees, including the organization of the IBIS Student Day and the Biology Colloquium, events that enable students to present the results of their research to their colleagues. She is and has also been active in various Université Laval initiatives, such as the Association des étudiants et étudiantes en biologie (AÉÉBUL) and the Association des chercheurs-étudiants en biochimie et microbiologie (ACEBMUL).

About Michèle Auger

Born in Grand-Mère, QC, Michèle Auger merited a B. Sc. in Biophysics from UQTR. She obtained a Ph. D. in Chemistry from the University of Ottawa and undertook postdoctoral reseach at the MIT, specializing in solid-state NMR applied to proteins. She pursued an outstanding scientific career in molecular biophysics at Université Laval before losing her battle to cancer at too young an age, on October 2018. She has been a model for generations of scientists, especially for women. Her engagement in the scientific community and in promoting science was notable and inspiring.

About PROTEO

Founded in 1999, PROTEO is the Quebec research network on protein function, engineering and applications. Supported by the FRQNT, it brings together over 350 researchers from 72 research teams at 13 institutions across Quebec.