The Pennington Biomedical Research Center recently recognized Dr. Claude Bouchard and his wife, Monique Chagnon, for their generous contribution to improve the experience of postdoctoral researchers. Dr. Bouchard was formerly the Executive Director of the center.
“I became very conscious that postdocs are critical to the success of the scientific research enterprise. They work hard, they master the latest technologies, they are eager to succeed and passionate about science. One could argue that they are the actual driver of research in a laboratory. They are not passive recipients; they challenge their mentors and everyone becomes wiser in the process,” said Dr. Bouchard.
Dr. Bouchard and Chagnon have pledged $1 million to create the endowed Claude Bouchard-Monique Chagnon Fund. This fund will support postdoctoral fellows in basic research, as well as in clinical and public health and population science. Their goal is to enhance the experiences of postdoctoral researchers at Pennington Biomedical. They hope that others who understand the value of postdoctoral fellows will also contribute to the fund over time.
Under Dr. Bouchard’s leadership, Pennington Biomedical created a Division of Education, which supports the training of postdoctoral fellows and networks with relevant units of the National Institutes of Health and the National Association of Postdoctoral Fellows. This has led to Pennington Biomedical being recognized as one of the top 10 postdoctoral programs in the nation.
Dr. John Kirwan, Pennington Biomedical Executive Director, expressed his gratitude for Dr. Bouchard’s contribution. He stated that Dr. Bouchard has significantly shaped the institution, greatly increasing the number of postdoctoral researchers, increasing the impact of basic research, and enlarging the campus. Dr. Bouchard’s own research career is also highly regarded, as he continues to rank among the most cited researchers in the world.
Rebecca Schutte, President/CEO of Pennington Biomedical Research Foundation, noted that Dr. Bouchard’s legacy extends globally through the scientists who trained under him as postdoctoral researchers and are now conducting their own cutting-edge science all over the world.
“We are so grateful to Claude and Monique for this gift that will greatly amplify our ability to recruit the best and brightest postdocs in the world,” she said. “Through their generosity, they are making a historic addition to Pennington Biomedical’s commitment to create a welcoming place for postdocs to train. We hope that many others will consider contributing to the growth of this fund entirely devoted to the success of the next generation of scientists.”
