Sonia LupienView profile
Professor
Sonia Lupien is a Full Professor at the Université de Montréal, holding positions in both the Faculty of Medicine (Department of Psychiatry and Addictology) and the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (Department of Psychology). She is Director of the Centre d'études sur le stress humain (CESH) and Canada Research Chair in Human Stress. Her work focuses on the neurobiological effects of stress hormones, particularly cortisol, across the lifespan, with a strong emphasis on translating research into practical stress-management programs like Dé-stresse et progresse© and mobile apps (e.g., iSmart, Réadapp). Education: PhD in Neuroscience (Université de Montréal, 1993), postdoctoral training at UC San Diego and Rockefeller University. Research interests include stress impacts on cognition, mental health disparities, and sex/gender differences in stress reactivity. Her work highlights how chronic stress in childhood and adulthood affects brain structures like the hippocampus and informs interventions for schools and workplaces. Notable achievements include demonstrating links between stress hormones and memory decline in older adults, and socio-economic disparities in stress responses in children. Publications and projects span stress biomarkers, workplace stress, and stigma reduction for mental health caregivers. Awards include the 2018 Prix Acfas Jacques-Rousseau and recognition as one of Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 (2002). Grants and collaborations include IRSC-funded projects on stress in adolescents, opioid craving, and hospital workers’ well-being. She leads teams addressing stress in diverse populations, emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches and knowledge transfer. Labs/Teams: CESH, Canada Research Chair program, and collaborations with institutions like the Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Montréal.







