We are pleased to announce the appointment of Céline Aguer, PhD, as Assistant Dean, Faculty Development, Campus Outaouais, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS), McGill University. Prof. Aguer replaces Marinela Mandra, MD, a dedicated family doctor whose enthusiasm in this role contributed to exposing a growing number of Campus Outaouais health professionals to Faculty Development. We thank her for her leadership and sharing her passion for medical pedagogy with the clinician-teachers at Campus Outaouais.
A native of France, Prof. Aguer obtained a MSc in Exercise Physiology from the Université du Sud Toulon-Var, France, and a PhD in Health Chemistry and Biology from Université Montpellier 1. Continuing her studies in Canada, she completed postdoctoral work in Biochemistry at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Ottawa.
Prof. Aguer is Assistant Professor in the Department of Physiology, FMHS, based at the Campus Outaouais, directing the ‘Principles of Research’ program at the UGME level. She also holds appointments as Adjunct Professor in the School of Human Kinetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, and the Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa. From 2013 to 2021 she was an independent scientist at the Institut du Savoir Montfort, Ottawa and a lecturer in Biochemistry at the University of Ottawa.
Prof. Aguer has an active research program with the overarching goal of better understanding how endocrine disrupting chemicals and physical activity may alter skeletal muscle energy metabolism, insulin sensitivity and endocrine function through the secretion of myokines. Her research is funded through operating grants from both the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. She currently supervises nine research trainees, and in the past has supervised nearly 60 students from undergraduates to PhD candidates.
At McGill, in addition to teaching, she acts as an academic advisor for pre-med students at Campus Outaouais, as well as serving on the Committee for the development of research at McGill – Campus Outaouais, and the MDCM Med-P Qualifying Year Subcommittee. She has also recently accepted to be part of the Basic Science, Critical Thinking and Knowledge Translation Theme Subcommittee
Prof. Aguer is an elected member of the executive committee of the Société québécoise de lipidologie, de nutrition et de métabolisme (SQLNM), and a member of the American Physiology Society and the Réseau de recherche en santé cardiométabolique, diabète et obésité (CMDO), for which she is also part of the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Commitee.
In her new role as Assistant Dean, Prof. Aguer will be a key member of the FMHS Faculty Development Office, ensuring the implementation of faculty development initiatives in French in Outaouais. She will contribute to the development, revision, communication and implementation programs, workshops and tools to address the Campus Outaouais needs in this area.
Please join us in congratulating Prof. Aguer on her appointment, and wishing her every success in her new role.
Lesley Fellows, MDCM, DPhil
Vice-President (Health Affairs)
Dean of the Faculty of Medicine
and Health Sciences
Danyèle Lacombe, MD
Vice-Dean and Director,
Campus Outaouais
Christian Pineau, MDCM
Vice-Dean, Academic Affairs