| Job Title: | Vice President |
| Employer: | Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada |
| Grad Year: | 1989 |
| Degree(s): | PhD Biology |
| Major(s): | Agronomy |
| Expertise: | Science |
| Industry: | Research |
What makes you a good mentor?
This is a privilege and an opportunity to contribute to the career of talented individuals and to help shape the future of our country. I am a certified professional coach and an active mentor for public servants and new immigrants to Canada. I consider this as a way to give back to the community that supported throughout my own career.
About Pierre Charest
Pierre joined NSERC in August 2011 and currently serves as Vice-President, Research Grants and Scholarships Directorate. He previously held the position of Associate Vice-President of Corporate Planning and Policy at NSERC.
Prior to his time at NSERC, Pierre worked at Health Canada, where he was Director General of the Science Policy Directorate. Pierre also held the positions of Associate Vice-President of the Science Branch of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Director General of Health Canada’s Biologics and Genetic Therapies Directorate and Office of Biotechnology and Science.
Pierre started his career in the public service in 1989 as a research scientist at the Canadian Forest Service of Natural Resources Canada, where he occupied a number of positions with increasing responsibility. He also had appointments as adjunct professor at the University of Victoria and as honorary research associate at the University of New Brunswick.
Before joining NSERC, Pierre served as chair and member of several peer review committees for NSERC, the Canadian Institute of Health Research, the Canada Foundation for Innovation and Genome Canada. He has had a productive research career as author or co-author of 77 scientific publications and presenter of 80 scientific communications and over 25 invited lectures.