Simon Drouin

Senior Scientist and Team Leader, Genomics and Molecular Technologies, National Research Council of Canada

Dr. Drouin’s work focuses on translating genomics and molecular technologies into clinical and industrial impact, spanning fundamental discovery through point-of-need diagnostics. Over 25 years in genomics and bioinformatics, he has built and led multidisciplinary teams (up to 23 people) developing CRISPR/Cas functional screening, isothermal nucleic acid detection, aptamer, and bioinformatics platforms for therapeutic targeting, biomanufacturing, and diagnostics. As Team Leader at NRC Medical Devices (2024–present), he drives biomarker discovery and rapid assay development with clinical, academic, and industrial partners. He co-founded the CHUSJ–NRC Collaborative Unit for Translational Research (25+ projects, $8M+ in competitive funding), serves as theme leader in NRC’s Cell and Gene Therapy Challenge Program, Diagnostics Champion in the BioMCM program, and is an elected member of NRC’s President’s Research Excellence Advisory Committee.