Michel Alary

Michel Alary is recognized as a world leader in the epidemiology of sexually transmitted and blood-borne diseases, has followed a remarkable academic path in both teaching and research. He has demonstrated exceptional drive and motivation in pursuing the Université Laval mission.

A true mentor

Michel Alary has spent most of his professorial career at Université Laval researching the epidemiology and prevention of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the most vulnerable populations, whether in Canada or in a number of low- and middle-income countries.

Professor Alary has taught many epidemiology courses over the years, at the undergraduate and graduate levels, including advanced courses. He has recruited and supervised numerous graduate students—21 at the master’s level and 16 at the doctoral level in epidemiology and medicine. Thus the better part of a generation owes its foundation in the epidemiology of infectious diseases and HIV to him, they who now play an important role at the global level.

As well as teaching at Université Laval, he has provided field training in HIV prevention and research to numerous health professionals in West Africa and India. In 2017 he received the Vic Neufeld Mentorship Award by the Canadian Association for Global Health.

An outstanding researcher

Michel Alary’s track record in research is impressive. More than 100 of his research and intervention projects have received grant funding, for a total of over $75 million. His work has been strongly supported by the Canadian International Development Agency, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

From 1996 to 2003, he was principal investigator for the Omega Cohort Study on HIV among men who have sex with men in Montréal. This study made important contributions to the field of participatory research and was used by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research as a model for its community-based HIV research program.

Professor Alary developed and implemented innovative and original HIV prevention programs. Between 2004 and 2014 he was in charge of the impact assessment for the Avahan Initiative—one of the largest HIV prevention programs ever implemented and covering six major Indian states.

As the author of over 340 publications and 850 scientific papers, he has contributed to our developing knowledge of infectious disease control and HIV/AIDS. His widely published and frequently cited findings have brought 109 invitations to appear as a guest lecturer. He chaired the 1998 annual Canadian Association for HIV Research conference and the 2011 International Society for Sexually Transmitted Diseases Research Biennial Conference.

Michel Alary has had a strong influence on public health practice and policy and was elected to the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences in 2016. He has served on numerous provincial and national committees in the field of HIV and STIs and with the World Health Organization and UNAIDS in Geneva. He was a member of the provincial committee on sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections for over 20 years.

Professor Alary’s contributions have brought him many honours. The Canadian Association for HIV Research awarded him its Certificate in Recognition of Scientific Excellence in 2004 and made him its Mark Wainberg Lecturer in 2008. He received the 2015 Researcher Emeritus Award from FRQ – Fonds de recherche du Québec’s (Québec Research Fund) Health Section. He was awarded the Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec – Université Laval Diamond Award, Discovery-Tribute, in 2021 and the Diamond Career Award for Research in 2022.