Dr. Damien D Amours

Biography

Damien D'Amours is a principal researcher at the IRIC (Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer) at the University of Montreal. He began his Ph.D. at the University of Cambridge in 1997, focusing on Nijmegen breakage syndrome (NBS), a condition affecting DNA repair and genomic surveillance mechanisms. His research identified a defect in the Mre11 complex as a probable major cause of NBS in humans. He later completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he received the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation postdoctoral fellowship (2003-2005). His work revealed an unexpected cellular mechanism critical for efficient chromosome separation during cell division. Upon returning to Quebec in 2005, he joined the IRIC and the Department of Cell Biology and Pathology, where he established his laboratory under the Canada Research Chair in Cell Cycle Regulation and Genomic Integrity. His current research characterizes molecular mechanisms that maintain genomic integrity in living cells, focusing on gene and chromosome structure dynamics to promote effective genome segregation during cell division. He aims to understand how pharmacological inhibitors might prevent cancer development in humans.

Research Interests

Experience

Awards