Michel Meunier

Michel Meunier is a Full Professor in the Department of Engineering Physics at Polytechnique Montréal, where he has been teaching for over 30 years. He holds the Canada Research Chair in Micro- and Nano-Engineering of Materials Using Lasers and serves as Manager of the Plasmonics and Laser Processes Laboratory (LP2L). His academic journey began with a B.Sc.A. and Eng., M.Sc.A. from Polytechnique Montréal, followed by a Ph.D. from MIT.

Professor Meunier's research focuses on developing new laser materials processes for nanotechnology and biomedicine, as well as creating novel nanomaterials and bioplasmonic devices. His work spans across photonics, medical physics, biomedical engineering, optical materials, and laser technology. He has made significant contributions to the fields of nanomaterial-based optical biosensors, femtosecond laser applications in medicine, and plasmonic nanoparticle technologies.

His research has led to numerous innovations in biomedical applications, particularly in ocular gene therapy, cancer diagnostics, and pandemic response technologies. Professor Meunier's approach integrates fundamental laser physics with practical biomedical applications, creating bridges between engineering physics and clinical medicine.

Professor Meunier has received numerous prestigious awards including:

• 2016 - Prix de la ministre de l'enseignement supérieur (Government of Quebec)
• 2012 - Les 10 découvertes de l'année (Québec Science Magazine)
• 2012 - Fellow of the Optical Society (United States)
• 2010 - Fellow of SPIE (International Society for Optics and Photonics)
• 2009 - Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering
• 2008 - Excellence in Teaching Award (Polytechnique Montréal)
• 2006 - Synergy Award for Innovation (NSERC)

Professor Meunier has supervised 22 PhD students and 54 Master's students throughout his career, mentoring the next generation of engineers and researchers. His teaching philosophy emphasizes active learning through peer teaching approaches, which he adopted after working with Professor Éric Mazur at Harvard University. He has developed original course content for over fifteen different courses in engineering physics and biomedical engineering.

His research activities are centered at the Plasmonics and Laser Processes Laboratory (LP2L), which he manages, and he is also affiliated with several other research centers including the Center for Optics, Photonics and Lasers (COPL), the Institute of Biomedical Engineering, the Quebec Group on Advanced Materials (RQMP), the Microfabrication Laboratory (LMF), the Laboratory for the Analysis of the Surface of Materials (LASM), and the Thin Film Physics and Technology Research Group (GCM).