Affiliated with the Department of Electrical Engineering and the Institut de génie biomédical at Polytechnique since 1991, Professor Sawan is an internationally recognized expert in biomedical engineering. His research work has helped make it possible to more easily diagnose and treat numerous pathologies as well as providing effective rehabilitation tools that meet market needs.

Professor Sawan has made an exceptional contribution to this cutting-edge discipline, among others by developing innovative methods for designing integrated circuits and building biomedical microsystems for numerous diagnostic and treatment applications for neuromuscular dysfunctions. In the field of healthcare, Professor Sawan's work is often used for applications in specialties as wide-ranging as urology, neurology, respiratory health, vision health, epilepsy and limb movement. He is also one of the first researchers to have modelled the effect of the energy released during the electromagnetic link, as well as its effects on tissues and hearing aids. As well, he built the first pressure sensor aimed at establishing respiratory illness diagnoses.

The originality of Professor Sawan's work and the approaches he uses have gained him wide recognition internationally for his innovative research accomplishments in the field of implantable bionics. The medical applications for these revolutionary microsystems have also earned him numerous awards and prizes. Since 2001, Professor Sawan has held a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Intelligent Medical Devices. As well, he was recently named a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering, the highest distinction given to engineering researchers in Canada. He also received the title of Fellow of the Engineering Institute of Canada, the most prestigious distinction awarded to a Canadian engineer. The same title was also given to him by the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers). This is the most prestigious distinction to be conferred internationally on electrical and biomedical engineers. Professor Sawan has been awarded a medal of merit by the President of Lebanon for his exceptional accomplishments, and the J. Armand Bombardier award by the ACFAS in recognition of the research work he carried out which led to technological innovation in the realm of urinary implants. More recently, Professor Sawan was named an Officer of the Ordre national du Québec, the highest distinction granted by the Québec government, in recognition of his contributions to the training of highly qualified workers and his numerous scientific breakthroughs.

Professor Sawan has demonstrated his leadership in directing one of the largest inter-institutional research centres in the field of microsystems, the Regroupement stratégique en microsystèmes du Québec (Microelectronics Strategic Alliance of Québec – ReSMiQ), which brings together 55 researchers from 10 universities across Québec. He is also the founder of several scientific committees and international conferences, including the Eastern Canada chapter of the IEEE–Solid State Circuits Society and the IEEE NEW Circuits and Systems (NEWCAS) international conference. He co-founded the International Functional Electrical Stimulation Society (IFESS) and the IEEE conference on biomedical systems and circuits (BioCAS). He also founded the Polystim neurotechnologies laboratory at Polytechnique. He contributes to numerous international scientific journals as an editor, co-editor, associate editor and member of a range of editorial committees. Professor Sawan has authored or co-authored over 600 scientific papers published in journals and juried conference proceedings. In addition to the courses he has created and taught at the undergraduate and graduate levels, he has supervised and co-supervised the doctoral work of more than 40 students. As well, 85 students have earned their master's degrees under his supervision. Professor Sawan has also helped train 29 postdoctoral researchers and research assistants, in addition to supervising more than 200 undergraduate students in their graduating projects.

Also honoured by the ACFAS was Éric Wagnac, a Polytechnique Montréal doctoral candidate in a cotutelle (jointly awarded) doctoral program with Université d'Aix-Marseille. He received the 2012 Prix de thèse en cotutelle (cotutelle dissertation award) for Québec for his dissertation, titled Expérimentation et modélisation détaillée de la colonne vertébrale pour étudier le rôle de facteurs anatomiques et biomécaniques sur les traumatismes rachidiens (Detailed experimentation and modelling of the spinal column to study the role of anatomical and biomechanical factors on spinal traumas). The Prix de thèse en cotutelle reward the best dissertations produced within a France-Québec cotutelle arrangement. The awards, worth $1,500 each, are given each year to one Québec student and one French student.

Our heartiest congratulations!

See also:
To read about Professor Sawan's expertise
ACFAS website (tribute to Professor Sawan)