See all members

Manon Defaye

Ph.D. (doctor),  Regular member
Expertise
Neuroscience
Principal Interest
Optogenetics & sensory systems
Secondary Interest
Other
Primary Affiliation

Université Laval

Secondary Affiliation
Centre de recherche du Centre hospitalier universitaire de Québec-Université Laval (CHU de Québec - U. Laval)

Biography

Dr. Manon Defaye is an Assistant Professor at Université Laval and a researcher within the Neurosciences Axis of the CRCHU de Québec – Université Laval. Her laboratory uses translational and multidisciplinary approaches to uncover the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the resolution of visceral pain and to identify the role of the gut microbiota in this process.
In 2015, she completed a Master’s degree in Immunology and Infectious Diseases at the Université Paul Sabatier in Toulouse (France). She then obtained, in 2018, a PhD in Neurogastroenterology from the Université Clermont Auvergne (France), Under the supervision of Drs. Frédéric Delbac and Frédéric Carvalho. Her doctoral work focused on the role of Blastocystis, the most prevalent protist in humans, in the development of irritable bowel syndrome. She then pursued a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Calgary (Canada), under the supervision of Dr. Christophe Altier, where her research contributed to a better understanding the mechanisms underlying the transition from acute to chronic pain.

Why did you choose to study pain management?
I wasn't intended to work on pain. When I was younger, I wanted to become a veterinarian, with the very simple but very strong idea of preventing animals from suffering. Over time, I realized that to prevent pain, it's not enough to simply observe it: you first have to understand it. It was this revelation that led me to fundamental research, and then to the study of pain mechanisms. Today, my goal remains the same as it was at the outset, but applied to a much broader context: to understand how pain arises, persists, or, conversely, resolves, in order to better prevent suffering and improve patients' quality of life.