The CRIPA Symposium celebrates its 20th anniversary with a major international event

Saint-Hyacinthe, April 16, 2026 — The Swine and Poultry Infectious Disease Research Center (CRIPA)successfully held its annual Symposium on April 1 and 2, 2026, at the Sandman Hotel in Longueuil, marking a very special edition celebrating the 20th anniversary of the strategic cluster. The event brought together more than 140 participants from the academic, scientific, and professional communities. The event began with a welcome words by Professor Younès Chorfi, Vice-Dean of Graduate Studies and Research at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the Université de Montréal, along with Ms. Abida Ouyed, Director of Programs and Partnerships at the Fonds de recherche du Québec, and Mariela Segura, Professor and Director of CRIPA.

The CRIPA Symposium is a series of conferences designed to foster exchanges among members of the group and create collaborations with specialists from Canada and abroad. This anniversary edition allowed participants to stay abreast of recent developments in the swine and poultry industries, while also discovering projects by up-and-coming students.

Three keynote speakers distinguished themselves at this year's conference with the quality and relevance of their presentations:

• Professor Dirk Werling (Royal Veterinary College, UK) with the lecture “The use of organ platforms for refinement and reduction of in vivo experiments”

• Professor Hiep Vu (University of Nebraska–Lincoln, USA) with “Lipid nanoparticle–encapsulated DNA vaccines for Influenza viruses”

• Professor Margie D. Lee (Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, USA) with “Peeling back the many layers of competitive exclusion”

  
  

From left to right: Charles Dozois (INRS), Margie D. Lee (Virginia Tech), Marie-Lou Gaucher (U. de Montréal), Alain Marchand (IRSST), Jacques Cloutier (FPOQ), Hiep Vu (U. of Nebraska-Lincoln) and Mariela Segura (U. de Montréal)

A rich and collaborative program

In addition to the main conferences, the Symposium highlighted several research projects and strategic collaborations, including:

• The research and development priorities of the Institut de recherche Robert-Sauvé en santé et en Sécurité du travail (IRSST), presented by Dr. Alain Marchand, Scientific Director, Research Branch of the IRSST

• The results of the IRSST–CRIPA portfolio on occupational risks related to cooling strategies in pig and poultry farming, presented by Professor Caroline Duchaine of Université Laval

• The priorities of the Fédération des producteurs d’œufs du Québec (FPOQ),presented by Mr. Jacques Cloutier, Producer and Administrator of the FPOQ

• The results of the FPOQ–CRIPA portfolio on decontamination strategies for enriched cage systems in poultry production, presented by Professor Marie-Lou Gaucher of Université de Montréal

• The priorities of the Éleveurs de porcs du Québec (EPQ), presented by Mr. Raphaël Bertinotti, Director – Health, Quality and Research and Development at EPQ

• Results of the EPQ–CRIPA project on a new porcine beta-defensin, presented by Professor Matheus Costa of the University of Saskatchewan

From left to right: Matheus Costa (U. of Saskatchewan), Luiene Moura Rocha, Raphaël Bertinotti (EPQ), Mariela Segura (U. de Montréal), Laurence Maignel and Lucie Galiot (CDPQ)

The event also included various student and faculty presentations, followed by poster sessions promoting scientific exchange.

As every year, a competition was held to reward the best oral presentations and student posters, highlighting the excellence and commitment of the next generation of researchers.

CRIPA awarded 6 prizes to the following students:

Best presentation Award

• Nicolas Deslauriers, Postdoctoral student, Université Laval

Research Supervisors: Antony Vincent and Martine Boulianne

• Camille Ou,  PhD Student, Université de Montréal

Research Supervisors: France Daigle and Charles Dozois

• Tylor Pereira, MSc Student, INRS-Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie

Research Supervisors: Charles Dozois and France Daigle

Best poster Award

• Christina Bouchard, MSc student, Université Laval

Research supervisor: Paul George

• Julie Bourdon, PhD student, Université Laval

Research supervisor: Marie-Pierre Létourneau-Montminy

• Armelle Tchoumi Nérée, Postdoctoral student, Université de Montréal

Research supervisors: Younès Chorfi and Mircea Alexandru Mateescu

The second day concluded with a general assembly and a student workshop on a current issue: “Unseen vulnerabilities: Data governance, cybersecurity, and emerging risks for veterinary science in the era of AI”, highlighting the challenges related to data and cybersecurity in the context of artificial intelligence, presented by Marie-Françoise Malo (IVADO).

A resounding success

This 20th anniversary edition of CRIPA stood out for the richness of its scientific content, the diversity of its speakers, and the engagement of its community. The event's success testifies to CRIPA's key role in developing collaborations and advancing knowledge in swine and poultry infectious diseases.

Photo with some students of Marie-Lou Gaucher and Mohamed Rhouma

CRIPA thanks the Fonds de recherche du Québec (https://doi.org/10.69777/309365) and Evah Corp. for their financial support as well as the event's scientific committee, Linda Saucier (Université Laval), Saji George (McGill University), Charles Dozois (Institut national de la recherche scientifique), Jacopo Profili (Université du Québec à Rimouski), Mariela Segura (Université de Montréal) and Cécile Crost (Université de Montréal).

To mark its 20th anniversary, CRIPA also organized informal networking events. These included an evening at Kawalees featuring an activity called "Slam ta science," as well as a musical performance by the band Outliers. This band is composed of research members from Université Laval and the Fonds de recherche du Québec, including Professor Caroline Duchaine.

Photo of the participants in the "Slam ta science" competition

About the CRIPA

The CRIPA, Swine and poultry infectious diseases research center, is a Quebec strategic cluster financed by the Fonds de recherche du Québec. Its mission is to improve the control of pathogens that affect the pig and poultry industries, having an economic impact and on the health of populations. Population health includes animal health and welfare, the health of workers and industry stakeholders, and the general public. For more information, visit www.cripa.center. 

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Information

Gabriela Silva-Guerra

Communication Officer

Swine and Poultry Infectious Diseases Research Center (CRIPA)

450 773 8521, ext. 8233 | gabriela.silva-guerra@umontreal.ca