Daniel Laforest

Daniel Laforest is a Professor in the Modern Languages and Cultural Studies Department at the University of Alberta's Faculty of Arts. He holds a PhD from l'Université du Québec à Montréal and has held visiting positions at Universités de Limoges/Poitiers (France), Stanford University (USA), and artist residencies at Banff Centre. His research bridges literary studies with medical humanities, digital humanities, and urban studies. Current SSHRC-funded work (2025-2028) explores psychedelic therapies, literature, and neurodiversity challenges.

Education: B.A. and M.A. (Université Laval), PhD (UQAM). Notable fellowships include a Fulbright at UC Santa Cruz (2006-2008). Professional roles include editorial board member of BMJ Medical Humanities and co-founder of Imaginations: Journal of Cross-Cultural Image Studies. Awards include the 2011 Jean-Éthier Blais Award for L’archipel de Caïn.

Research focuses on medical visualization technologies, urban/suburban narratives, and intersections between literature/health. Recent publications include Connections: Bringing Neuroscience and Art Together (2022) and L’âge de Plastique (2016). Active in knowledge mobilization, his 2017 TEDx talk explored bodily narratives and identity through health lens.

Teaching includes courses on digital health, critical theory, and Quebec literature. Currently leads the U of A's Digital Humanities Program, integrating computational methods with social sciences.