Guillaume Lettre

Guillaume Lettre is a Full Professor at the Université de Montréal's Faculté de médecine, holding academic positions in both the Département de médecine and Département de biochimie et médecine moléculaire. He is also a Canada Research Chair in Complex Genetic Traits and a member of the Montreal Heart Institute (ICM) Research Center. His research focuses on understanding how genetic variations contribute to cardiovascular and hematological diseases, particularly sickle cell disease and coronary artery disease. He employs genomic approaches like GWAS and CRISPR technologies to identify genetic risk factors and develop predictive biomarkers.

Education:

• Bachelor's in Biology (Biotechnology), Université de Sherbrooke (2000)
• Master's in Biological Sciences, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (2001)
• PhD in Developmental Genetics, University of Zurich (2005)
• Postdoctoral training at Children’s Hospital Boston and Broad Institute (2005–2008)

Research Interests: His lab investigates genetic and genomic mechanisms underlying cardiovascular diseases, hematological disorders, and endothelial cell biology. Key areas include:

• Identification of genetic variants influencing disease susceptibility and severity
• Functional validation of GWAS loci using CRISPR and multi-omics approaches
• Biomarker discovery for personalized medicine
• Role of clonal hematopoiesis in sickle cell disease complications

Awards:

• 2019: Fellow, Royal Society of Canada
• 2018: André-Dupont Prize (Québec Clinical Research Club)
• 2012: ICM Martial G. Bourassa Prize
• 2010: Tier 2 Canada Research Chair

Grants & Collaborations: Leads and co-leads multiple funded projects, including grants from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), Heart and Stroke Foundation, and the Canadian Foundation for Innovation (CFI). Collaborates internationally on initiatives like the International Blood Cell Consortium and the IBD Genomic Medicine Consortium.

Labs/Teams: Directs the 'Lettre Lab' at the ICM, focusing on translational research bridging genetics and clinical applications. Active in training and mentoring the next generation of researchers.