From the moment she could hold a screwdriver, Dr. Julie Ouellette was captivated by how things work. Born and raised in Ottawa, she spent days at her father's side, marvelling at the tools he used to fix things around the house. She always knew she wanted to do the same, to turn challenging problems into solutions. Years later, her curiosity and drive led her to the NRC as a recipient of the NRC Luise and Gerhard Herzberg Postdoctoral Fellowship.
A commitment to compassion
Dr. Ouellette's early curiosity quickly grew into a passion for the sciences. And her natural compassion inspired her to consider becoming a veterinarian. But while studying physiology during her undergraduate degree at the University of Ottawa, she discovered her true calling—research.
"Nothing motivated me more than solving a question by looking at the work of the people who came before me," she says. "After discovering I wanted to do research, there was no turning back."
Her compassionate nature still guides her work today. For Dr. Ouellette, research is another way of helping people, just from a different perspective.
Exploring the brain's hidden connections
During her graduate work at the University of Ottawa, she devoted herself to the study of neurodevelopmental disorders. Specifically, her research focused on how blood vessels in the brain contribute to autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
"Most often, ASD is studied from a neuronal point of view," she explains. "But we have to take into consideration that during development, neuronal and vascular systems depend on one another."
Dr. Ouellette focused her research on changing conventional approaches to studying ASDs by examining brain vasculature during neural development. Her research on a genetic mutation known as the 16p11.2 deletion revealed that disruptions in the cells forming blood vessel walls were linked to ASD features. These cells struggled to function properly because of a breakdown in their energy signalling. However, Dr. Ouellette found that activating a specific pathway could restore some of the affected traits.
Advancing rare disease research at the NRC
As a Herzberg Postdoctoral Fellow, Dr. Ouellette continues to build on her discoveries at the NRC's Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre (HHT), focusing on rare diseases.
"My goal is to precisely correct mutations associated with rare diseases in order to directly address the underlying genetic defects," she says.
Using advanced tools such as CRISPR-based gene editors, Dr. Ouellette works to correct disease-causing mutations and build innovative platforms that deepen our understanding of genetic disorders such as Dravet syndrome – a severe, rare genetic epilepsy starting in infancy.
She hopes her work at the NRC will help bring more visibility to rare diseases.
"Increased research means increased interest, and this will hopefully result in fulfilling some of the unmet medical needs."
Honouring a scientific legacy
The NRC Luise and Gerhard Herzberg Postdoctoral Fellowship was established in 2022 to honour the legacy of Luise and Gerhard Herzberg. Dr. Ouellette is the third recipient of the fellowship. It is awarded annually to a PhD graduate who identifies as a woman and has demonstrated research excellence. The fellowship provides recipients with an opportunity to collaborate with one of the NRC's research centres to advance her work.
Interested in applying?
Learn more about the NRC Luise and Gerhard Herzberg Postdoctoral Fellowship.