Meet the Principal Investigators
A Principal Investigator (PI) is the physician who leads the conduct of a clinical trial at a study site. The PIs who lead trials at the CRU are physicians working at or affiliated with The Neuro and the MUHC.
Dr. ANGELA GENGE
Dr. Genge has been the director of the ALS Centre of Excellence in Research and Patient Care at The Neuro since 1998. Consisting of 10 multidisciplinary professionals, the ALS clinic at the Neuro provides the finest clinical care for ALS patients and their families.
She was also director of the Clinical Research Unit (CRU) from 2004 to 2023. She is currently the executive director of the Centre for Innovative Medicine at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC).
Dr. MASSIMO PANDOLFO
Dr. Pandolfo is a clinician-scientist and the medical director of the Clinical Research Unit at The Neuro. An international collaboration led by Dr. Pandolfo was the first to identify the Friedreich’s ataxia (FRDA) gene in 1996.
He has been the coordinator of the European Friedreich’s Ataxia Consortium for Translational Studies (EFACTS) and is currently on the Board of Directors of the Ataxia Charlevoix-Saguenay Foundation. Before coming to The Neuro, he was Chief of Neurology at Erasme Hospital and Director of the Laboratory of Experimental Neurology at the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB).
Dr. Kevin Petrecca
Currently an attending neurosurgical oncologist at the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital within the McGill University Health Centre, in addition to being the chief of the Department of Neurosurgery.
Dr. Jeanne Teitelbaum
Her research focuses on severe neurological injury such as ischemic strokes, sub-arachnoid hemorrhage and brain hemorrhage. Dr. Teitelbaum also investigates assessment, treatments and prognosis of vasospasm in subarachnoid hemorrhage in both human and animal models, as well as prevention of intracerebral hemorrhage expansion.
Dr. SIMON DUCHARME
Co-chair of the American Neuropsychiatric Association committee on research and also an associate member of the McGill Centre for Studies in Aging.
Dr. Ducharme is also in charge of several clinical trials in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia at the MNI.
Dr. OLIVER BLANCHARD
Oliver Blanchard is a neurologist and Adjunct Professor in McGill’s Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery.
He has a sub-specialty interest in myopathies and muscular dystrophies and is a member of The Neuro’s neuromuscular program.
Dr. Ron Postuma
A clinical researcher and movement disorders neurologist treating patients with Parkinson’s disease and related disorders. His research interest focuses upon Parkinson’s disease, particularly on detecting early stages of disease, examining the impact of non-motor symptoms on disease subtype and prognosis, and testing new treatments for non-motor manifestations such as sleep disorders.
Dr. Anne-Louise Lafontaine
A recognized national speaker in Parkinson’s disease and movement disorders. She has a strong interest in education and ethics and served as the Program Director of the neurology residency training program at McGill.
Dr. PAUL GIACOMINI
A clinical neurologist with expertise in multiple sclerosis, as well as advanced neuroimaging techniques.
Dr. Giacomini’s current focus is on patient care and evaluating novel therapeutics in
Dr. ADIL HARROUD
Dr. Adil Harroud is a neurologist specializing in multiple sclerosis (MS) and neuroimmunology. His research centers on understanding the mechanisms that underlie MS susceptibility and progression, with a focus on genetics. He has contributed to the identification of the first genetic modifiers of disease severity in MS. His research combines genomics, bioinformatics and epidemiology in large international cohorts and biobanks.
Dr. Guy Rouleau
Among Dr. Rouleau’s landmark achievements are his contribution to the identification of dozens of disease‐causing genes and his discovery of new mutational mechanisms. His discovery of the genes causing neurological and psychiatric diseases, including autism, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, hereditary neuropathies, epilepsy and schizophrenia has led a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms that lead to these disease symptoms.
Dr. Ramie Massie
His area of research is mainly clinical. In addition to participating in clinical drug trials in the fields of ALS and peripheral neuropathies, he supervises fellow and resident research projects in neuromuscular disorders.