Yves Desjardins was the 2016 Ambassador of the Year. He is the academic director of Université Laval’s Institute of Nutrition and Functional Foods (INAF).
Dr. Desjardins’s background is in plant physiology, and the lab he directed applied the tools of functional genomics and proteomics to the study of photosynthesis control in leaves and the enzymes involved in leaf metabolism of sugar. He became interested in the health effects of fruits and vegetables after a term as director of Université Laval’s Horticulture Research Centre. As INAF’s academic director, he organized the first International Symposium on the Health Effects of Fruits and Vegetables. He has published over 40 journal articles.
Dr. Desjardins is very involved in the International Society for Horticultural Science. As head of the scientific program he put together the International Horticulture Congress in 2002 attended by 3,000 people from 50 countries, as well as FAV HEALTH 2005, GREENSYS, and ISS 2016. He also coordinates the 50 symposiums put on by the Society each year. Recent work has included the 8th International Strawberry Symposium attended by close to 700 people from 30 countries and the 8th International Conference on Polyphenols and Health in October 2017.
Find out more about the 8th International Strawberry Symposium on the Québec City Business Destination blog.
