Serge Dumont

Professor Serge Dumont is a prolific author and a pioneer in palliative care research who has transformed the way the medical community approaches and handles end-of-life care. A visionary and a unifying force, he has succeeded in rallying the expertise, talent, and resources needed to implement a more humane approach to care and optimize interprofessional collaboration in health care and the social sciences. He has paid particular attention to psychological distress among informal and family caregivers and the financial hardships they endure. The cornerstone of his work is his conviction that fostering collaboration in the health system is a powerful way to improve services and care and ultimately relieve suffering.

A true leader

Serge Dumont's academic career got off to a promising start—the Canadian Psychological Association awarded him top honours for his PhD dissertation in counselling psychology. It was a harbinger of things to come. Since then, he has authored over 75 scientific publication and nearly 150 papers. His research has won numerous awards, including the prestigious Cicely Saunders Prize from King's College London for an article he published in the Journal of Palliative Medicine in 2010.

Professor Dumont's work on end-of-life care addresses the intersection of three major issues facing public healthcare systems: the humanization of care, best practices for interprofessional collaboration, and organizational performance of services and care. Professor Dumont has spearheaded the creation of numerous bodies and networks dedicated to advancing knowledge and improving practices. For example, he co-founded the Michel-Sarrazin Research Team in Psychosocial Oncology and Palliative Care, which heads up the Québec Network for Palliative and End-of-Life Care Research.

Professor Dumont has mobilized the faculties of health sciences and social sciences to create Canada's largest centre for expertise in interprofessional collaboration, the Collaborative Network on Interprofessional Practices in Health and Social Services, where he served as scientific director from 2009 to 2014. His ability to bring together stakeholders in health and social sciences research was the driving force behind the 2013 creation of VITAM, the Centre for Sustainable Health Research, which is home to over 71 research specialists and nearly 100 graduate students from six Université Laval faculties, making it the largest research institution for community-based care and services in Canada. Under Serge Dumont's guidance as scientific director, the Vielle-Capitale Health and Social Services Centre gained primary health care and social services university institute status, confirming its leading role.

Professor Dumont's vibrant career has been honoured with prestigious awards from the scientific community, including a Career Award from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (2000–2005), induction into the Royal Society of Canada in 2013, and fellowship in the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences.

Thoroughly disciplined and a great humanitarian, Professor Dumont and his impressive career and countless accolades are a compelling example of Université Laval's leadership in the social and health sciences.