Louis-Philippe Boulet

Louis-Philippe Boulet is a towering figure in Québec and world pneumology and has left his mark on future generations. His successful and productive research career has been a credit to Université Laval and to the Faculty of Medicine.

Scientific visionary

Professor Boulet’s research has broken new ground. He was among those visionary first researchers to look at airway remodelling and work out techniques and approaches for the study of new molecules in the treatment of asthma.

The structures he’s established in his career will remain. He paved the way for the Québec Respiratory Health Education Network. He is also behind the Québec Asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Network. He cofounded the heart-lung-metabolism knowledge transfer platform at the Québec Heart And Lung Institute Research Centre.

His reputation and contributions transcend borders. Louis-Philippe Boulet’s leadership is undisputable as a member of such international committees as the Global Initiative for Asthma. He has represented Université Laval in such bodies as the World Health Organization, the International Olympic Committee, the European Respiratory Society, the American Thoracic Society, and Health Canada.

Professor Boulet has been involved in organizing 43 symposiums and conferences, and has delivered nearly 350 presentations. He is the author or co-author of more than 700 abstracts presented at conferences, nearly 500 articles in peer-reviewed journals, and more than 350 editorials, letters-to-the-editor, and other publications requested by scientific journals. He has over 30,000 listed citations from his published works.

He has edited and authored 14 books in his career and written 44 book chapters. He is also the author of many practical asthma management guides, reports, online resources, and other references. The number is still rising, as he has continued writing since he retired.

His research has been supported by the likes of FRQ – Fonds de recherche du Québec’s (Québec Research Fund) Health Section, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Québec Lung Association, the Allergy, Genes and Environment Network, and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

Role model for the next generation

His numerous collaborations with researchers near and far have established an enormous network, opening the doors for the next generation. He is recognized as an extraordinary mentor—providing coaching and support to young pneumology researchers and residents, for whom he remains a reference in the field.

He has supervised 26 master’s students, 5 doctoral candidates, and 2 postdoctoral fellows. He has hosted nearly 60 undergraduates as interns on his research team. He has also served on the jury for more than 50 master’s theses and doctoral dissertations.

He has maintained an impressive workload and is considered a giant in Canadian clinical research. Expertscape ranks him as the world’s fourth leading asthma expert and Canada’s second.

Louis-Philippe Boulet has received numerous awards over the years. He received the Norman L. Jones Award from the Canadian Respiratory Journal in 2009 for his article on the influence of current or former smoking on asthma management and control. In 2012 he received the Career Award from Université Laval’s Faculty of Medicine in recognition of his passion for teaching and research. He was named Ambassador of the Year by the Québec City Ambassador’s Club in 2017.

Louis-Philippe Boulet’s legacy is enormous both for his peers and for the scientific community.