The CENUM’s mandate is to develop Neuromics research, to ensure training of graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, and to recruit new researchers interested in the study of the brain and the nervous system. The two main activities that support this mandate are the organization of an annual retreat and recruitment sessions. During the retreats, as well as at conferences, members of CENUM have the opportunity to meet and discuss the best ways to ensure the development of neuromics at the Université de Montréal and in their respective institutions. These meetings represent unique opportunities to elaborate strategies and coordinate efforts for preparing team grant applications, set up new infrastructures etc. The recruitment sessions allow CENUM members to determine which research fields need to be developed and to recruit the best candidates to enhance the Centre’s fields of expertise.

Annual retreat

Since 2006, the Centre of Excellence in Neuromics of Université de Montréal (CENUM) has organized annual retreats for its members, an event also attended by graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and employees. The objective of the retreat is to bring together CENUM members so they can exchange ideas and methodologies and establish collaborations. The retreat takes place over two to three days and is held outside the city in a country setting that promote meetings and discussions.

Recruitment

One of the CENUM’s objectives is to recruit new researchers working in fields that are complementary to the group’s existing expertise. Three recruitment sessions were held since 2005, which allowed research scientist positions to be offered to Nathalie Arbour, Graziella DiCristo, Karl Fernandez, Alex Parker, Mark Samuels, Louis St-Amant, and Christine Vande Velde. These young researchers are now part of the research teams of the CHUM Research Centre, the CHU Ste-Justine Research Centre, and the Department of Pathology and Cellular Biology of the Université de Montréal.