- Short Bio -
Thibault undertook his undergraduate studies at the University of Geneva (1993-1997), focusing on biology with the intention of specializing in Ecology & Environmental Sciences. However, towards the end of his studies, he changed course and completed his diploma (equivalent to a BSc) in the Department of Molecular Biology. For his graduate studies spanning from 1997 to 2001, Thibault joined the laboratory of Professor Erich Nigg to study the centrosome and its cell cycle regulation. With the rest of the lab he relocated in 1999 to the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry in Martinsried, Germany (near Munich) to complete his PhD. Thibault then set his sights on Southern California for his postdoc, joining Caltech to initiate a proteomic project under the guidance of Professor Ray Deshaies (2001-2006), exploring the intricacies of the ubiquitin proteasome system.
Thibault's journey continued as he was recruited to the University of British Columbia on a tenure track position in the Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology in 2007. Despite never having visited Canada before, he quickly fell in love with Vancouver to make it his permanent home. Thibault was then successively promoted to Associate and then Full Professor (2013 and 2018). Additionally, he became a member of the Michael Smith Laboratories, where his lab is situated. His research program initially focused on characterizing quality control pathways targeting cytosolic misfolded proteins for proteosomal degradation. More recently, his lab conducted several proteomics studies to gain insights into protein aggregation and protein condensate formation within the cell. Notably, his team has contributed to understanding age-associated changes in protein homeostasis in mouse brain tissues. Thibault received the 2011 CIHR New Investigator Award, a 2012 Michael Smith Foundation of Health Research Career Award, and the 2020 UBC Killam Teaching Award. Since 2023, he has also taken on the role of Graduate Advisor for the Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Graduate Program.