Karine Auclair

Karine Auclair
Born
Jonquière, Québec, Canada
EducationBSc, Chemistry, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi
PhD, University of Alberta
Scientific career
InstitutionsMcGill University
ThesisBiosynthetic studies on the polyketide lovastatin: enzyme-catalyzed diels-alder reactions (1999)
Doctoral advisorJohn C. Vederas

Karine Auclair is a Canadian chemist. She holds a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Antimicrobials and Green Enzymes at McGill University.

Early life and education

Auclair was born and raised in Jonquière, Québec[1][2] in a low-income family.[3] While she originally intended to pursue her Bachelor of Science abroad, her student visa was lost in the mail.[4] Auclair thus completed her Bachelor of Science in chemistry at Université du Québec à Chicoutimi and received the Governor General's Academic Medal for graduating with the highest grade point average.[5] Following her undergraduate degree, Auclair enrolled at the University of Alberta for her PhD in organic chemistry.[2] As both Auclair and her mother took a cholesterol-lowering agent for high blood pressure, her research focused on understanding how fungi naturally synthesized lovastatin. This resulted in her discovering the first enzyme to catalyze a Diels-Alder reaction.[3] Following her PhD, Auclair completed a post-doctoral fellowship in pharmaceutical chemistry at the University of California, San Francisco from 1999 to 2001.[2]

Career

Auclair joined the Department of Chemistry at McGill University in 2002 as an assistant professor.[1]

Auclair was promoted to the rank of Full Professor in 2016.[6] Three years later, she was named a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Antimicrobials and Green Enzymes.[7][8] In 2023, Auclair received the Clara Benson Award in recognition of her "distinguished contribution to chemistry while working in Canada."[1] She was also appointed to the Board of Directors of the French biochemistry company Carbios.[9]

Selected publications

References

  1. ^ a b c "2023 Clara Benson Award". Chemical Institute of Canada. 2023. Archived from the original on September 28, 2023. Retrieved May 19, 2025.
  2. ^ a b c "Prof. Karine Auclair". Auclair Lab. Archived from the original on September 17, 2024. Retrieved May 19, 2025.
  3. ^ a b "Journey Through Academia with Dr. Karine Auclair". COUHR. July 10, 2021. Archived from the original on December 11, 2024. Retrieved May 19, 2025.
  4. ^ Corless, Victoria (May 2017). "Women's world". Chemical Institute of Canada. Archived from the original on March 23, 2025. Retrieved May 19, 2025.
  5. ^ "Karine Auclair". Governor General of Canada. Retrieved May 19, 2025.
  6. ^ "Ten professors promoted, one recruited". McGill Reporter. April 22, 2016. Archived from the original on July 2, 2016. Retrieved May 19, 2025.
  7. ^ "Congratulations to Prof. Auclair, Sleiman, McKeague and Friscic for being awarded prestigious chairs". McGill University. July 13, 2020. Retrieved May 19, 2025.
  8. ^ "Canada Research Chair in Antimicrobials and Green Enzymes". Government of Canada. Retrieved May 19, 2025.
  9. ^ "Carbios appoints four new Board members". Carbios. February 7, 2023. Retrieved May 19, 2025.