Francis Rodier

Dr. Francis Rodier is a Full Professor at the Université de Montréal's Faculty of Medicine, Department of Radiology, Radiotherapy, and Nuclear Medicine. Active since 2009, he leads research on cancer therapy-induced senescence, DNA damage responses, and their implications in ovarian and prostate cancers. His work bridges cellular aging mechanisms with clinical oncology.

Education: PhD in Molecular Biology (Université de Montréal, 2005), postdoctoral training at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Buck Institute for Age Research.

Research Focus: Investigates senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP), therapy resistance, and the interplay between DNA damage responses and cancer progression. Key projects include optimizing ovarian cancer treatments via senolytic therapies and understanding senescence in immune evasion.

Grants & Collaborations: Principal investigator on multiple grants from Terry Fox Research Institute, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, and Fonds de recherche du Québec. Collaborates with institutions like CHUM Research Centre (CRCHUM) and Institut du Cancer de Montréal.

Awards: 2019 CRCHUM Discovery of the Year Award. Over 100 publications, including seminal work on senescence biomarkers and combination therapies.

Teaching: Leads graduate courses in molecular biology (BIM7022A-C) and supervises PhD/MSc students focusing on cancer cell fate and senescence mechanisms.

Labs & Teams: Member of CRCHUM and Institut du Cancer de Montréal. Active in the Terry Fox New Frontiers Program targeting senolytics in chemotherapy resistance.