Press release   

Montreal, July 2, 2003 - The IRSST's board of directors has just appointed members of the Research Ethics Committee. As defined in the new Ethics Policy for Research Involving People, this committee will have to decide on the ethical validity of research projects carried out by the IRSST's scientists.

A representative committee
"The committee's composition reflects the IRSST's concern to always maintain the human dignity of workers who collaborate on its activities as well as the scientific quality of its research," stated the IRSST's president and CEO, Diane Gaudet. The members were also chosen for their ability to support the institute's scientific and technical personnel when the latter have concerns about the ethics of research involving people.

Two IRSST researchers, two external collaborators, one person trained in ethics, one legal specialist and one representative of the community were appointed for a renewable 3-year term.

• André Plamondon, with a PhD in occupational biomechanics, and IRSST researcher since 2001;
• Jean-Claude Martin, with a PhD in anthropology, director of quality and special projects at the IRSST since 1997, and in charge of developing the policy for research involving people;
• Robert Tardif, with a master's degree in pharmacology and a PhD in community health, with a specialization in environmental toxicology and associate professor in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health at the Université de Montréal;
• Manon Truchon, with a PhD in psychology, research professor in the Department of Industrial Relations, and associate professor in the Psychology Department at the Université Laval;
• Johanne Patenaude, PhD in philosophy, specialist in professional ethics and research ethics, and research professor in the Faculty of Medicine at the Université de Sherbrooke;
• Jean Lanctot, lawyer, with a bacherlor's degree in political science and in law, and a specialist in professional and disciplinary law;
• France Labrèche, PhD in epidemiology and biostatistics, a master's degree in hygiene, and a bachelor's degree in nursing, and research officer in the Montréal-Centre public health branch. Ms. Labrèche will represent the community.

"By having an ethics policy for research involving people and by establishing this committee, the IRSST has formally recognized that its projects meet high standards. In this way, all our projects requiring people's participation must obtain an ethics certificate to be funded," stated Diane Gaudet, while at the same time thanking the members of the committee for having accepted this mandate.

For information
Jean-Claude Martin
IRSST
(514) 288-1551