Dr. Jean-Pierre Julien obtained his Ph.D. in Biochemistry from McGill University in 1982. He then carried out his postdoctoral work at the National Institute for Medical Research in London (UK) in the laboratory of Gene Structure and Function under the Direction of Dr. Frank Grosveld. In Fall 1985, he established his laboratory at l'Institut du Cancer de Montréal (Hôpital Notre-Dame) and became Assistant Professor at Université de Montréal. His first years as independent researcher were devoted to elucidate the structure and sequence of neurofilaments genes. He was also the first to report the production of transgenic mice with neuron-specific expression of a human gene ((NF-L gene). In 1989, he moved to Centre for Research in Neuroscience of McGill University and became Director of Transgenic Core Facility of Canadian Centre of Excellence in Neuroscience. From 1986 to 1995, he was awarded Sholarships from government of Quebec (FRSQ). He obtained twice a CIHR Senior Scholarship (formerly MRC) and he was awarded a Senior Canada Research Chair with his move to Laval University in 2003.

Dr. Julien is recognized as one of the most influential scientists in the field of neurofilament biology and the neurobiology of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).  His efforts led to the first compelling demonstration that in transgenic mice, disorganization of intermediate filaments (IFs) might play a causative role in motor neuron disease. Additional evidence for this view emerged from his discovery of variant neurofilament NF-H and peripherin alleles in a small number of ALS patients. Over the past decade, he has generated several lines of knockout mice that provided unique information regarding the functions of neuronal IF genes. Dr. Julien has also made important contributions to our understanding of ALS pathogenesis caused by mutations in superoxide dismutase (SOD1). Using mouse chimeras, he was among the researchers who documented that the toxicity of mutant SOD1 is not strictly autonomous to motor neurons. Dr. Julien also reported that minocycline, was efficient in slowing down disease in ALS mice, studies that led to the establishment of minocycline trials with ALS patients. Recently, Dr. Julien and his colleagues discovered that mutant SOD1 can be secreted through interaction with chromogranins and that extracellular SOD1 mutant can trigger inflammation and motor neuron death. He also reported the therapeutics effects of immunization with mutant SOD1 in mice models of ALS. These findings open new therapeutic avenues for future treatment of ALS. Finally, Dr. Julien is also investigating the role of microglia in mediating brain damage and disease with the use of unique transgenic mice in which proliferating microglia can be ablated by administration of ganciclovir.

Through his career, Dr. Julien has supervised over 32 graduate students and postdoctoral trainees. Many of them are now established as independent scientists. He has published over 140 peer-reviewed papers and several book chapters. Many of his papers have been published in top ranked journals including Cell, Neuron, Science, Nature, Nature Cell Biol, Nature Neuroscience, Nature Reviews, PNAS, J Cell Biol, Ann Neurol, J Neuroscience and FASEB J. In 2000, he was awarded with the prestigious Sheila Essey Award for research on ALS from the American Academy of Neurology. He is also a member of the Robert Packard Center for ALS Research at Johns Hopkins. He served as the Chair of several successful international conferences including a Gordon Research Conference on IFs (1998) and Symposia of Fondation André-Delambre on ALS in Montreal (2005), Quebec (2006) and Montreal (2007). Dr. Julien has served on several grant review panels for CIHR, NIH, American Health Association Foundation (AHAF) and several Japanese organizations. He is currently on the Gairdner medical review panel and on the scientific advisory Boards of ALS Society of Canada and of National Brain Research Centre of India in Manesar.