Montréal, February 11, 2003 -Dr Jean L. Rouleau, cardiologist, professor and internationally renowned researcher, will succeed Dr Patrick Vinay at the helm of the U of M Faculty of Medicine on June 1. His appointment is the culmination of a rigorous selection process that was undertaken to fill the position vacated by Dr Vinay, who had expressed his desire to retire as Dean of Medicine at the end of his second four-year term.

Dr Rouleau is currently a professor at University of Toronto and head of the cardiology division at the Toronto General, Toronto Western, Princess Margaret and Mount Sinaï hospitals; and also serves as cardiovascular program director for the University Health Network.

Université de Montréal Rector Robert Lacroix, stressed the importance of this appointment: "We are especially proud to welcome Dr Rouleau to this position. Administering such a large faculty required a very high calibre individual. Dr Rouleau's return to Montréal is excellent news for the University and its Faculty of Medicine, as well as for our network of affiliates. We will undoubtedly benefit from his comprehensive knowledge of the teaching, research and care communities." Praising the work done by the outgoing Dean, the Rector added: "We wish to thank Dr. Vinay for the years he spent as Dean of the Faculty of Medicine. He served his two terms with remarkable humanism and enthusiasm, which even the years could not diminish."

Dr Rouleau previously worked in several institutions in Quebec, including Sacré-Cœur Hospital, the Montreal Heart Institute, the Sherbrooke University Hospital Centre (CHUS), as well as Montreal General Hospital. He also taught at Université de Montréal, Université de Sherbrooke and McGill University. His research work has earned him a number of prizes, among them a Bourse de mérite exceptionnel awarded by the Fonds de la recherche en santé du Québec, a Canadian Centennial Medal, and a Research Achievement Award from the Canadian Cardiovascular Society.

The Université de Montréal Faculty of Medicine accepts more first-year students than any other medical faculty in Canada. In addition, it offers a number of professional training programs in various fields of clinical sciences, basic sciences, health sciences and public health. It also provides residency training in some fifty accredited programs. In its graduate programs, it provides cutting-edge scientific training to more than one thousand students. The Faculty employs more than 300 full-time professors and over 1500 clinical professors and professional teaching assistants in a hospital network comprising thirteen affiliated hospitals and institutes.

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For further information:
Sophie Langlois
Press Officer
Université de Montréal
(514) 343-7704