Nicole Benhamou

Nicole Benhamou has devoted her career to research and teaching and is undisputedly a pioneer in the study of plant resistance. Her hard work and engagement have left her stamp on the University and scientific community. She leaves an indelible legacy with the Faculty of Agriculture and Food Sciences, and Université Laval.

A leading researcher

Nicole Benhamou productivity in the plant protection sector has been nothing short of remarkable. Her pioneering work on plant defence mechanisms has made her a world authority on the subject.

In her 30-plus years at Université Laval, Professor Benhamou has contributed to our understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in the interactions between plants and pathogens. The obvious spin-off applications of her research have garnered international attention in the field of plant–pathogen interactions.

Throughout her career, she has helped structure projects that galvanize a community, notably founding the first group of plant health researchers. She was also instrumental in establishing the Québec Plant Protection Research Network.

Recognized among the most influential researchers at the international level, Nicole Benhamou has been called on to be part of numerous peer committees with such organizations as FRQNT (Québec’s nature and technology research fund), NSERC (Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada), various Canada Research Chairs, and others. She has received numerous invitations to national and international conferences.

Professor Benhamou has also received many research grants in the course of her career. Among them are ongoing funding from NSERC through its Discovery Grants program and from FQRNT through its Research Team Support Program. On top of that came capital grants, including $1 million from the Canada Foundation for Innovation to acquire high-resolution electron microscopes.

Her prolific research output has earned her a place among the world’s 2% most-cited researchers in her field. Her more-than 250 scientific articles in the best international journals have been cited over 20,000 times. She has published with the world’s preeminent researchers, who come to call on her unique plant resistance expertise.

Nicole Benhamou published La résistance chez les plantes : principes de la stratégie défensive et applications agronomiques (Resistance in Plants: Principles of Defensive Strategy and Agronomic Applications) in 2009. This book was immediately adopted by every French-language university in the world with a plant science program and remains the international French-language reference in the subject.

An inspiring mentor

Professor Benhamou has captivated and inspired generations of students. Her first graduate course in the cellular and molecular biology of defence reactions in plants has been a powerful influence on future researchers. A number of Plant Science Department professors were greatly influenced by the course as students, which attests to its significance to the plant biology curriculum.

She has also developed a new course in scientific writing for various faculties to better support graduate students in their studies. The course has had a lasting influence, providing several generations of students with the necessary skills to communicate research results clearly and convincingly.

Nicole Benhamou is a leading ambassador, attesting to the quality of research and teaching at Université Laval and has also held a number of important administrative positions, including vice dean of research and director of the Horticulture Research Centre.

Professor Benhamou is an outstanding teacher and researcher whose work has done much to put Université Laval on the map.