The rapid advancement of听genomic听science听is a听marvel. Decades worth of听quiet,听basic research听on听the structure and function of听RNA has, in the past few years,听expanded to听technologies and听treatments听for听infectious diseases,听rare genetic diseases, and even cancer.听Alongside this听advancement,听some听fundamental questions听remain. Will听these new听treatments be available听to everyone who听needs听them?听What barriers might there be, and how can those barriers be addressed?听For Professor Am茅lie Quesnel-Vall茅e, Associate Scientific Director at DNA to RNA (D2R), addressing equity in accessing health care has guided her career. Resting on a robust disciplinary foundation in sociology at Universit茅 de Montr茅al, she built an interdisciplinary research agenda connecting medical sociology, demography, policy, and social epidemiology through her PhD at Duke University. This led her to join 海角社区 in 2005 with a joint appointment in the Departments of Sociology (Arts) and Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health (Medicine).听
In the photo: Prof. Am茅lie Quesnel-Vall茅e at D2R Research Symposium 2025 (credit: Egan/Dufour)
More than 20 years later,听Prof Quesnel-Vall茅e听is听a James 海角社区 Professor and听the听Inaugural听Chair听of the Department of Equity, Ethics and Policy (DEEP)听in the School of Population and Global Health听(FMHS).听She also听remains听jointly appointed in Sociology (Arts).听She has been recognized for her听research by being a two-time recipient of a Fulbright听award and听held听the Canada Research Chair in听Policies and Health听Inequalities, from 2015- 2025.听Outside of 海角社区, she has been active in promoting social sciences in health research, notably through six years on the Governing Council of the听Canadian Institutes of Health Research, where she held several leadership roles, including the Inaugural Chair of the Standing Committee on Science.听Within D2R,听her听scientific leadership supports听governance committees,听including the听Student Training and Knowledge Development Committee,听and听the Participant and Community Engagement Committee. She also chairs a听working group related to Ethical, Legal and Social Issues in Genomic, and听actively contributed to the development and implementation of D2R鈥檚听Equity,听Diversity听and Inclusion (EDI) Action Plan.听
The value of interdisciplinary research听听
How did these diverse interests听and听expertise听come about? "I听started my PhD听doing听social听stratification research, [which is] very quantitative. In trying to understand social determinants of health, I came across epidemiologic research.鈥� Being afforded the intellectual freedom听to听explore tools and analytic techniques, she 鈥渟ought out the information that I thought made the most sense to answer the question that we had at hand."
For Prof听Quesnel-Vall茅e, the traditional boundaries of academic disciplines听don鈥檛听stand in the way of her research; indeed, diversity of thought is a feature of both her independent work and collaborations."Diverse teams ask better questions,听see what others miss, and produce science that actually serves the populations it studies."
Innovative interdisciplinary methods can sometime clash with traditional ways of doing research and divisions within universities. Given diverse traditions and expectations of how research should look, how can inter-听and听multi-disciplinary research听be supported? For Prof听Quesnel-Vall茅e,听the key听is听to "put in place the conditions for success,"听by听designing, from the start "funding听programmes听that allow for this connection between disciplines that are not necessarily used to working with each other."
The challenges of听interdisciplinary听work听
Interdisciplinary research offers听the truly satisfying听possibility听of听moving fundamental听scientific听research into applied听realms,听however听it is not without听challenges. "For me, the biggest questions are replicability and whether your science can be followed by and replicated by others."
One听important example听comes from health intervention research that uses听randomized controlled trials, or RCTs,听a method that听is听often called 鈥渢he gold standard鈥� of research.听How golden are the results?听What standards are they upholding?听听
"I was in epidemiology at the time when it was starting to become more known and accepted that RCTs听didn't听always play out in the same way in the real world,听because they are an artificial environment. When you throw people back into their context, it听doesn't听necessarily result in听exactly the same听finding"听as in听the听controlled听setting.听She urges her students to听contextualize听their research findings,听especially听considering the听social听complexity of our听world.听Determining听the degree of uncertainty (or,听sensitivity analysis)听and听awareness of selection bias听are听valuable听tools.听Selection bias considers how the elements that听are being analyzed 鈥撎齪atients,听health service providers, drugs,听and听doses, for example听鈥撎齧ay differ in how they interact听with the treatment being offered.听These analytic techniques and awareness听ultimately serve听the goal of humility,听for the researcher听to听better听ask听themself,听鈥渨hat are the limits of my understanding of this association that I'm observing?鈥澨�
The role of equity听in听genomics research听
As D2R鈥檚 mandate is to听conduct research that听is inclusive, and听create therapeutics that听are听accessible听to all Canadians,听Prof Quesnel-Vall茅e鈥檚 role as Associate Scientific Director helps to听鈥渟teer the ship鈥� in terms of programming and training activities. Consider that health care in Canada is听mostly offered听to听individuals, based on diagnosed听acute or chronic health conditions,听and is delivered in clinics and hospitals.听
In the photo: Two 海角社区 researchers in the a laboratory.
Many common health concerns, however,听have some social or population-level connection, and听the听outcomes听of health interventions听are听often听highly correlated with听a person鈥檚听income level, race, gender, indigeneity,听and whether听they live听in an urban or rural area听(amongst other factors).听While novel RNA therapeutics cannot, on their own, solve social problems, by having interdisciplinary collaboration, we can move towards听ensuring that new therapies reach听patients who need them most, not only those who听already听benefit听from听easier access to health care.听
Professor Quesnel-Vall茅e reminds us that science production happens in a context. In the Canadian context, with a single-payer funded system, the environment produces a type of science that focuses on how therapies will be delivered in hospitals and clinics; the same health interventions may not play out the same way in other countries.
"We have to think about that [context] in the way that we develop our interventions, [to consider] all of those various institutions that come together to produce the health outcomes that we're hoping to get. Ultimately, we need to bear that in mind as well. We have a healthier population than in the US. And that is in part because of the social investments we've made in our population. But we also must bear in mind that our public funds are more limited."
In the photo: Prof. Am茅lie Quesnel-Vall茅e at D2R Research Symposium 2026 with Philippe Gros, D2R Chief Scientific Officer, and Mark Lathrop, D2R Scientific Director (credit: Egan/Dufour)
RNA therapeutics offer the possibility of treating rare听diseases听and cancers that听typically听don鈥檛听receive as much research and funding as more common听ones. When funding is scarce, there can be听difficult questions听to ask about where听public funds should be spent.听These conversations are never easy, to ask 鈥渨hat is a life worth?鈥澨齩r 鈥渨hich research is worth doing?鈥澨鼴ut that听doesn鈥檛听mean that听they听shouldn鈥檛听happen;听avoiding these kinds of conversations may result in upholding the听status quo of research and health interventions听which听support populations that already听have听access to听quality听health care and听strong听health outcomes.听
A commitment to increasing trainee diversity听
Prof Quesnel-Vall茅e鈥檚听investment in researcher training carries the same equity-driven philosophy into a national arena, a perspective she brought to D2R as Chair of the Student Training and Knowledge听Development听Committee.听Prof Quesnel-Vall茅e is听indeed听the leader of听the Consortium on Analytics for Data-Driven Decision-Making (CAnD3), funded by a $2.5M grant from the听Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, and was听matched by $2.6M from 39 partners.听
Running from 2020 to 2026, CAnD3 trained 118 emerging researchers to move population health evidence into policy. As Director,听she is听proud听of what six cohorts have built, including a community that reflects the population;听CAnD3听didn't听just train the next generation of population data scientists, but it also听changed who gets to be in that generation.听CAnD3听fellows who听participated听in paid internships听exceeded labour market availability benchmarks for women, racialized minorities, and persons with disabilities, and听demonstrated听meaningful representation from universities beyond the U15, and in rural and remote communities across Canada. The reason听for this success听is simple:听CAnD3鈥檚 team and partners听have听reflected听the range of diversity of experience and听diversity of听thought needed to听push boundaries. "Equitable research needs to be done by those who experience inequity."
What is next听for听D2R?听
The commitment to diversity of thought听follows听through听in听her work at听D2R.听Exciting opportunities for policy-informed, translational health research are听forthcoming. "We will hopefully soon be welcoming a new colleague thanks to a joint tenure track position in the Department of Equity, Ethics and Policy (Faculty of听Medicine and听Health听Science) and the Department听of Philosophy (Faculty of听Arts), who will bring expertise in the ethics of access to care for emerging and contested technologies, particularly among historically underserved communities. And we are hard at work on a special call for applications from听interdisciplinary听researchers working on the Ethical, Legal and Social Implications (ELSI) of genomics and RNA technologies."
Relevant links
- Podcast 鈥溙�
- NPR academic minute:听听
- Panel for the launch of 海角社区 Initiative to Transform Healthcare听听and听听听
- Bourque, M. & Quesnel-Vall茅e, A. (2006). Politiques sociales鈥�: un enjeu de sant茅 publique鈥�?鈥疞ien social et Politiques, (55), 45鈥�52.听听听
- Martin D, Miller A, Quesnel-Vall茅e A et al.听Canada's universal health-care system: achieving its potential.听The Lancet, 2018; 391, 1718-1735听DOI:鈥�
