This year, Dr. Roy Hajjar, along with five other Université de Montréal graduates, received the Governor General’s Academic Medal, a prestigious award recognizing the excellence of his training.
Currently on a fellowship in colorectal surgery at the Mayo Clinic in the United States, Dr. Hajjar will return to practice at the CHUM in 2025, where he completed his residency.
In recent years, Dr. Hajjar has also made a name for himself through research into colorectal cancer conducted with Dr. Carole Richard and immunologist Manuela Santos, two researchers from the CHUM Research Centre.
In a study published in Gut, the trio of scientists have shown for the first time in mice that modifying intestinal flora before surgery could reduce postoperative complications in colorectal cancer patients.
Their research identified two bacterial strains that directly affect whether or not anastomotic leakage, more commonly known as intestinal leakage, occurs.
A Doctor of Biomedical Sciences, with a specialization in experimental medicine, Dr. Hajjar was also awarded the Bourse de rayonnement scientifique and the Bourse de mérite aux cycles supérieurs from the Université de Montréal’s Faculty of Medicine in 2024.
For nearly 150 years, the Governor General’s Academic Medal has been awarded to Canadian secondary school, college and university graduates with the highest grade point average. Four types of medals are awarded annually: bronze to secondary school students; collegiate bronze to post-secondary, diploma level students; silver to undergraduate students and gold to graduate students.
Source: Université de Montréal
Dr. Roy Hajjar wins the Governor General’s Academic Medal
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Recognition and funding – CRCHUM
