A new strategy in neuroscience and mental health is emerging at the Université de Montréal. The result of the reflection of a working group of the project La vie repensée du Laboratoire d’innovation, SENSUM will bring together the faculties, departments, affiliated centers and research groups of the UdeM in relation to these disciplines. The launch of this initiative took place on December 6, the day of the commemoration of the Polytechnique Montréal massacre, to highlight the importance of research on the brain and mental health.
Led by Professor Patricia Conrod, the project received $130,000 in funding from the Research-Development-Exploitation Office and the Vice Chancellorship for Research, Discovery, Creation and Innovation to help make the University a leader in the fields of neuroscience and mental health in Canada and abroad. “Over the decades, both on campuses and in affiliated organizations and institutions, research centers and groups have developed, bringing together researchers, expertise, facilities and cutting-edge methodological and technical resources around focused themes. , says the director of SENSUM , a professor in UdeM’s Department of Psychiatry and Addiction.These research environments have led to tremendous growth in the understanding of mental illness, mental health, and brain function.SENSUM will therefore serve as a strategic lever for the University of Montreal on both the Canadian and international scene”.
By promoting the competitiveness of UdeM in teaching and research, SENSUM will try to promote interdisciplinarity and excellence in the disciplines concerned, as well as stimulate collaborations and research aimed at the well-being, health and improvement of people’s quality of life. The emphasis will be on three aspects, namely supporting excellence in research and teaching, strengthening the brand image of neuroscience and mental health, and promoting research and teaching in the UdeM in these disciplines. Among other things, inter-faculty initiatives, dissemination of work to the public and collaborative exchanges with renowned centers will be launched to foster the sharing of knowledge and resources. The deputy director of SENSUM, professor of the department of pharmacology and physiology Louis-Éric Trudeau, mentions the importance of this approach: “Since the beginning of my training in psychology and then in neuroscience, I have always been surprised by the fact that, in la Most educational institutions, mental health research and other areas of neuroscience have been conducted in silos.With SENSUM, UdeM will distinguish itself in this respect by offering an inclusive showcase that integrates these two related fields and a framework to help develop research of tomorrow”.
A unique concept, the group plans to organize different activities, both reserved for members and the public. The first activity in the Health in Mind series is planned for early 2023. One of the objectives of this strategy is to encourage the creation of interdisciplinary research teams and facilitate interaction with the public and private sectors.
On the occasion of the launch, a cycle of interdisciplinary conferences was inaugurated on topics and issues of interest to society. The first conference, entitled “Dopamine, temperament and addiction: from neurotransmission to socioeconomic performance”, brought together experts Anne-Noël Samaha, Sylvana Côté, Didier Jutras-Aswad and Louis-Éric Trudeau.
For more information: http://www.sensum.umontreal.ca.
