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Frédérique Dupuis

Ph.D. (doctor),  Regular member
Expertise
Physiology
Principal Interest
Rehabilitation
Secondary Interest
Spinal imaging
Primary Affiliation

Université Laval

Secondary Affiliation
Centre interdisciplinaire de recherche en réadaptation et intégration sociale (CIRRIS)
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Biography

Frédérique Dupuis, MPT, PhD, is a physiotherapist and graduate of Université Laval, in Quebec City. She is an assistant professor at the School of Rehabilitation Sciences at Université Laval, with a research interest in muscle health as a biomarker of musculoskeletal pain. She completed her master's and doctoral studies at the Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Rehabilitation and Social Integration (Cirris), and her postdoctoral training at the University of California, San Diego. Her research program focuses on the structural and compositional muscle alterations associated with chronic musculoskeletal disorders, and on understanding their impact on function in people living with chronic pain. Her work explores the interaction between whole-body movement biomechanics, muscle biomechanics, and the physiological response of muscle to resistance exercise and prolonged training, with the long-term goal of improving care for people living with chronic musculoskeletal pain through active exercise.

How does your current work contribute to improve treatment or understanding of pain?
My research contributes to a better understanding of chronic musculoskeletal pain by identifying muscle health as a measurable biomarker of these conditions. My studies have shown that musculoskeletal disorders of the spine are associated with distinct structural and compositional changes in the muscles, including fat infiltration, atrophy, fibrosis, and reduced vascularization—all of which compromise muscle function and its ability to adapt to exercise. By characterizing these changes and linking them to functional outcomes, my research helps clarify why some people respond differently to rehabilitation, while providing objective targets for clinicians. My research program now aims to determine how specific exercise interventions can reverse or mitigate these muscular alterations, in order to guide more effective and individualized rehabilitation strategies for people living with chronic musculoskeletal pain.