We are pleased to introduce the 2025 recipient of our fellowship for postdoctoral trainees. Mélissa Thomas is currently pursuing her postdoctoral research with Professor Jean-Yves Masson's team. This fellowship is made possible thanks to the Cancer Fund of the Université Laval Foundation.
Mélissa Thomas discovered her passion for DNA repair and oncology research throughout her academic journey. After completing a special Master’s program in oncogenesis—a partnership between Sorbonne University and the Institut Pasteur in Paris—she began a doctorate in cancer research at the Institut Gustave Roussy, which she completed at the Institut Cochin following a laboratory move. Under the supervision of Drs. Josée Guirouilh-Barbat and Bernard Lopez, and with financial support from La Ligue Contre Le Cancer, she defined the molecular and cellular effects of RAD51 protein overexpression, frequently found in various cancers and associated with poor prognosis. Her work led to a patent, a publication, and two reviews.
Driven by the excellence of research at Université Laval, Mélissa relocated to Québec to continue her postdoctoral studies with Professor Jean-Yves Masson, Canada Research Chair in DNA Repair and Cancer Therapeutics. She is working on Fanconi anemia, a congenital disease in which patients develop cancers that cannot be treated with conventional therapies. These patients are especially sensitive to formaldehyde, a genotoxic compound found naturally in the environment and produced by cells. She has identified a new protein involved in formaldehyde sensitivity in the context of Fanconi anemia, and is currently working to define its molecular activity. In addition, she actively participates in laboratory collaborations and has co-authored five scientific articles since joining the team.
Firmly convinced that science must reach beyond the laboratory to engage the public, Mélissa worked as a science mediator at the Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie in Paris, the largest science museum in Europe, where she led workshops and helped create a new exhibition aimed at combating misinformation. Since 2023, she has co-organized the Quebec chapter of Soapbox Science, a science outreach platform highlighting women and non-binary people in science, whose annual event brings together several hundred participants. She is also committed to mentoring the next generation, serving as a mentor for many students and as the postdoctoral representative on the CRC management committee.