Jean-François Houle

Dr. Jean-François Houle, Vice-President, Engineering

Dr. Jean-François Houle joined the National Research Council (NRC) as Director of Research and Development for the Medical Devices Research Centre in June 2014. In March 2017, he was named to the position of General Manager. In March 2020, he became Vice-President of the Pandemic Response Challenge program, bringing together the best Canadian and international researchers to fast-track R&D aimed at specific COVID-19 gaps and challenges identified by Canada's health experts

Dr. Houle became the Vice-President of the Engineering division in April 2022. As the Executive Lead for Climate Action at NRC, Dr. Houle is responsible for delivering a co-ordinated NRC strategy to develop innovation solutions to challenges arising from the global climate crisis. As Executive Co-Sponsor for the Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy, Dr. Houle ensures that the NRC supports the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy by identifying sustainability goals and targets and implementing actions aligned with NRC’s mandate.

Prior to joining the NRC, Dr. Houle spent 14 years leading business, corporate and product development activities in private-held and publicly-traded biotechnology firms at various stages of development, from university spin-offs to more established companies. These activities led to collaborative research, licensing and merger agreements as well as successful product launches and financing events. Dr. Houle has a deep interest and passion for translating leading-edge research into impactful technologies that can catalyze the growth of Canadian companies and improve the lives of Canadians and people around the world.

Dr. Houle holds a Ph.D. in Experimental Medicine from McGill University.