The Faces of IRCUS: Meet Alexandre Maréchal

In 2026, the Université de Sherbrooke Cancer Research Institute (IRCUS) is celebrating its 5th anniversary by highlighting the richness and commitment of its community. Throughout The Faces of IRCUS series, you will meet the people who are helping to transform hope into tangible progress for people affected by cancer.

Today, meet Alexandre Maréchal, Professor and Researcher at IRCUS and a member of its Executive Committee.

Driven by curiosity, Professor Alexandre Maréchal completed his Ph.D. at the Université de Montréal, where he studied the mechanisms that protect DNA in plants. He then pursued postdoctoral training at Harvard Medical School, specializing in the study of cancer cell genome stability. These mechanisms are now at the heart of the research conducted by his laboratory at IRCUS.

What led you to your current role at IRCUS, and what does your work involve today?

My interest in the response of cancer cells to chemotherapy led me to become involved with the IRCUS Executive Committee to build strong bridges between the fundamental research conducted at the Faculty of Science and the clinical research carried out at IRCUS.

What role have you played since IRCUS was founded?

As a member of the IRCUS Executive Committee since its creation, I foster collaborations and promote research. My laboratory also supports the Cyclo-Walk Sherbrooke Classic, our annual fundraising event organized in partnership with the Canadian Cancer Research Society.

What motivated you to get involved with IRCUS?

I felt it was important for an institute like IRCUS to bring together all the driving forces in cancer research in Estrie, interested in better understanding cancer and improving its management, a disease that affects almost everyone, directly or indirectly.

What event or person at IRCUS has made a significant impact on you?

I greatly appreciate the Brainstorming Dinners organized by IRCUS. These activities bring researchers together around shared themes. In our day-to-day work, we rarely have the opportunity to hear our colleagues talk about their research, and these evenings are always enjoyable, surprising, and productive.

Can you tell us a touching or memorable anecdote from your time at IRCUS?

The testimonials shared by patient partners during our annual symposiums are always highlights. I will soon participate in the very first IRCUS Benefit Cocktail, organized to mark its 5th anniversary, and I will have the opportunity to meet and exchange with people affected by cancer about our research. These are touching moments reminding us that we work first and foremost for them and their loved ones.

How do you see IRCUS evolving over the next five years?

Over the coming years, IRCUS is expected to grow and strengthen its prominent position within the national and international research ecosystem by building strong ties with other leading centres and institutes. Incidentally, I was part of an IRCUS delegation that travelled to Montpellier to establish collaborations with its Cancer Research Institute.

What has IRCUS let you express, experience or build?

By supporting our research from its earliest stages, IRCUS allows us to explore promising new ideas much more quickly and to secure the funding needed to bring these projects to fruition. Through initiatives like these, IRCUS fosters innovation, which is absolutely essential to an effective fight against cancer.

Which achievement related to your work at IRCUS would make you the proudest?

If our research on pediatric cancers can help improve treatments by identifying new therapeutic targets and bringing them to patients, that would be a tremendous accomplishment.

The 5th anniversary of IRCUS is not only a time to look back on the path we have taken but also the beginning of a new chapter in which researchers, the community, and partners come together to transform the future of cancer. Together, let’s keep building a world where every discovery brings us closer to a cure and every act of support helps save lives.

To stay up to date with this inspiring year of celebrations, follow IRCUS on:
LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube.