Sachiko Sato PhD, MSc

Dr. Sachiko Sato received her training in the field of glycobiology at the MRC: National Institute for Medical Research in London, England, as well as at the Institute of Medical Science of the University of Tokyo, Japan. She obtained her Ph.D. from the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Tokyo. During her postdoctoral studies at Stanford University in the United States, she was involved in a project on cystic fibrosis. This project set a precedent by treating this disease with a chemical drug, a first for a disease of genetic origin. This concept was developed as a corrector (a corrective treatment) for cystic fibrosis. After their postdoctoral studies at the Infectiology Research Center (CRI), she became a researcher there, within the Research Center of the CHU de Quebec-Universite Laval. In addition, she is a full professor in the department of microbiology-infectiology and immunology of the Faculty of Medicine of Université Laval. She has also been the director of the bio-imaging platform since 2003.

Dr. Sato's group recently discovered that simple treatment with a monosaccharide taken as a dietary supplement has excellent potential for alleviating the symptoms of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. His laboratory is currently working to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of this treatment and is in the process of preparing a clinical study with the ultimate goal of offering this therapy (one of the main advantages of which is simplicity) to patients suffering from muscular dystrophy.