11 November 2013

Roger Lecomte, a researcher at the CHUS (CRCELB – clinical research centre) and a professor in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at the Université de Sherbrooke, is the recipient of the 2013 Prix Lionel-Boulet.

This is the highest distinction given by the Québec government for industrial research and development.

Lecompte is an authority on preclinical medical imaging. A true pioneer in the field, his interest in PET (positron-emission tomography) imaging led him to build the world’s first scanner based on photodiode detectors for the study of small animals.

In 2002, he co-founded Avancement Moléculaire en Imagerie Inc. (AMI) with two former students. This company introduced the first commercial photodiode-based scanner, known as LabPET^TM. Today, the device is marketed by GE Healthcare and is considered the world’s most technologically advanced and effective scanner.

PET imaging is a non-invasive technique for studying the progression of diseases, such as cancer, and of patient responses to therapy.

As Chief Scientist of the Centre d’imagerie moléculaire de Sherbrooke (molecular imaging centre) and Director of Medical Imaging at the CRCELB, Roger Lecomte will receive the prestigious award with 12 other recipients of Prix du Québec 2013 at the awards ceremony in Québec on November 12.

Sources: Université de Sherbrooke and CRC Étienne-Le Bel
Photo credit: Michel Caron