Étienne Gagnon

Étienne Gagnon is an Associate Professor at the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Montreal, and Principal Investigator at the Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC). He earned his BSc in Immunology from the University of Montreal before completing a PhD in Cell Biology under Dr. Michel Desjardins. His postdoctoral work at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute with Dr. Kai Wucherpfennig established foundational discoveries in T cell receptor activation.

• Academic Appointments:
  • Associate Professor (2025-present)
  • Principal Investigator, IRIC (2011-present)
  • Scientific Director, Flow Cytometry Core
• Education:
  • BSc in Immunology, University of Montreal
  • PhD in Cell Biology, University of Montreal

His research focuses on molecular immunology and cancer immunobiology, particularly:

• T cell receptor signaling mechanisms
• Impact of tumor microenvironments on immune activation
• Zinc homeostasis in T cell development
• Redesign of CAR-T receptors for improved immunotherapy
• Live-cell imaging of receptor dynamics
• Transcriptomic analysis of immune-tumor interactions

Recent publications highlight:

• 2025: CAR-T optimization through modular receptor design
• 2024: Hypoxia adaptation in cancer cells
• 2022: HSV-1 propagation mechanisms
• 2021: Nanoparticle-based cross-presentation

Scientific recognition:

• Sherring-Plough Medal of Excellence (2008)
• FRQS Junior Faculty Awards
• AAI Travel Award

He advises a team of five doctoral candidates and collaborates with bioinformatics groups to develop in-silico RNA therapies. His work is funded by NSERC, CIHR, and CRS grants.