The exceptional gift from the Fondation pour la recherche en chirurgie thoracique de Montréal and other donors will establish a new research chair to improve the quality of organs and health outcomes for patients.

MONTRÉAL, June 15, 2026 /CNW/ - Thanks to a major $10-million gift, Université de Montréal's Faculty of Medicine is creating the BMO – L. Jacques Ménard Chair in Thoracic Surgery, Organ Perfusion for Transplantation and Regenerative Medicine. 

This new chair, the largest endowed chair in the university's history, will help accelerate the development of innovative approaches aimed at improving the quality of organs available for transplant and the health outcomes of patients. 

Funded by the Fondation pour la recherche en chirurgie thoracique de Montréal, with the support of BMO Financial Group, the Ménard family and major donors, the new chair consolidates UdeM's reputation as a vibrant hub of internationally recognized expertise in the field. 

"Every time we create a research chair, we open up space for discovery," said UdeM rector Daniel Jutras. "We give our best talent the time and resources they need to push the boundaries of knowledge and innovate.  

"When research touches the field of health, it takes on another dimension. We think of the lives that will be saved. We think of families who will get back a father, a mother, a child. We create tangible hope where illness once prevailed. The potential of this new chair is enormous." 

Added Dr. Patrick Cossette, dean of the Faculty of Medicine: "This chair shows what can be achieved when philanthropy, research and care move in the same direction. It will give our teams the means to accelerate innovation, train the next generation and, ultimately, improve patients' lives." 

A fourth chair in 20 years 

The creation of this new chair marks an important step in the history of a partnership that, for more than 20 years now, has connected the Faculty of Medicine with the Fondation pour la recherche en chirurgie thoracique de Montréal. 

Originated by Drs. Pasquale Ferraro and André Duranceau, the Fondation has seen the creation of three other research chairs at UdeM: the Alfonso Minicozzi and Family Chair in Thoracic Surgery and Lung Transplantation; the Marcel and Rolande Gosselin Chair in Oncological Thoracic Surgery; and the Famille Régis Morissette–Fransyl Chair in Thoracic Surgery and Esophageal Diseases. 

The new chair "is the culmination of many years of mobilization and conviction," said Ferraro. "We have always believed that philanthropy can play a decisive role in advancing research, innovation and care in thoracic surgery. Today, that vision is reaching an exceptional scale." 

Honouring the memory of Ménard 

The chair is named in honour of the late L. Jacques Ménard, a prominent Montreal business leader and well-known philanthropist who was cared for by teams at the Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM). 

After his death in 2020, his family and his widow, Marie-José Ménard, wanted to make a meaningful gesture to honour his memory and carry forward his legacy. That major philantropic project is now a reality with the creation of the BMO – L. Jacques Ménard Chair. 

"This $10 million endowment marks a pivotal milestone for the BMO – L.-Jacques-Ménard Chair. It reflects an exceptional collaboration between the Foundation, the Ménard family, and our partners, and will help accelerate major advances in transplantation and regenerative medicine, benefiting patients today and tomorrow. True to Jacques Ménard's vision—to dream and to act—BMO is proud to contribute to the advancement of science and medicine here in Montreal ", said Grégoire Baillargeon, Président of BMO, Québec.

"Through the creation of this chair, the exceptional donors and BMO recognize Louis Jacques's philanthropic contribution," said Marie-José Ménard. "Inspiring medical, financial and human creativity through generosity was central to his way of thinking. Turning hope into concrete achievements was the reason behind his commitments." 

A pivotal moment 

The new chair comes at a pivotal moment for organ transplantation. Recent advances in organ perfusion now make it possible to preserve, assess, repair and optimize organs outside the body before transplantation. These approaches open the door to more effective use of available organs and to faster, more lasting recovery for patients. 

While the chair builds on the expertise developed at UdeM in thoracic surgery, organ perfusion and lung transplantation, its scope extends well beyond this field alone. The knowledge and technologies that emerge from it could benefit the entire transplantation sector, including the heart, liver, kidneys and other organs. 

The chair will support, among other things, the development of new organ perfusion and reconditioning technologies, regenerative medicine strategies and precision medicine approaches based on biobanks, biomarkers and artificial intelligence. 

Ultimately, it will foster the development of a true centre of excellence at the CHUM in transplantation and regenerative medicine, bringing together researchers, clinicians, patient partners and health-sector stakeholders around a common goal: improving access to transplantation and improving patients' lives. 

Training the next generation, too 

Beyond its scientific and clinical benefits, the chair will be an important lever for attracting top talent, supporting ambitious research projects and training the next generation of clinician-scientists. 

It will also enable teams from UdeM, the CHUM and its research centre, the CRCHUM, to strengthen their position among the leaders in transplantation research in Canada and internationally. 

SOURCE Université de Montréal