Sébastien Lemieux

Université de Montréal

Assistant Professor

Specialist in: Bioinformatics, DNA and RNA chips, proteomics, leukemia, genomics, databases, data mining, chromosome structure and organization

The subject of Sébastien Lemieux’s doctoral research in computer science was methods of three-dimensional computer RNA modelling. He developed a new graph-theory-based representation of the molecular structures of RNA that allows a more complete analysis of known structures, and a much more effective modelling method. He also participated in the development of automated tools to identify and classify molecular interactions within the structure of RNA. Later, as part of his postdoctoral internship at Elitra (today Merck & Co.), Sébastien explored more conventional aspects of bioinformatics, such as sequence analysis, analysis of DNA microarray data, and computer integration of experimental data. While there, he developed a system that predicts genes in the fungal pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus. Using this system, scientists at Elitra were the first to identify a large number of essential genes in this important pathogen. At IRIC, Sébastien’s research focuses on development of computational methods for analyzing datasets generated by broadband projects. Recently, these projects have included microarray analysis, next-generation sequencing with a focus on sequence RNA, proteomics, and high-throughput screening. His vast expertise in bioinformatics makes him an ideal fit for various collaborations with his IRIC colleagues.