Elite Care and Medical Expertise

Dr. Zhi Wang is an orthopedic surgeon. In addition to his clinic at Quatuor MD, Dr. Wang practices primarily at CHUM where he is the Co-director of the combined spinal reconstruction fellowship.

Dr. Wang obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Physiotherapy from McGill University in 1999 before going on to complete his medical studies at the Université de Montréal in 2003. In 2008, he completed a residency in Orthopedics, and in 2010, he obtained a Master’s in Biomedical Science. Also in 2010, he completed a fellowship in Spinal Reconstruction at the Vancouver General Hospital, in association with the University of British Columbia.

Dr. Wang is an Associate Professor in the Department of Surgery at the Faculty of Medicine of the Université de Montréal. He is very involved in teaching his specialty to residents and colleagues in Canada and around the world and is a regular speaker at both national and international conferences. Dr. Wang is an active researcher in advanced fields of expertise such as biomechanics, spinal oncology, morphometry, musculoskeletal, and spondylolisthesis, and has published numerous articles in several recognized scientific journals, see here.

Outside of his clinical practice and teaching duties, he acts as a consultant for various organizations and companies including Bioventus, a global leader in innovative orthopedics solutions.

Dr. Rémi Kouz is an interventional cardiologist. In addition to his practice at Quatuor MD, Dr. Kouz practices primarily at the Hôpital du Sacré-Cœur de Montréal (HSCM) where he is currently the Director of the Structural Interventions Program.

Dr. Kouz graduated in Medicine from McGill University in 2009 before completing a residency in Internal Medicine at the Université de Montréal, where he also continued his specialization in the Adult Cardiology program. During his residency, he also obtained a Master’s in Biomedical Science with a research focus. He took additional training in Interventional Cardiology at the Université de Montréal (both at CHUM and the Montréal Heart Institute) and honed his expertise in oronary and structural interventions at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center.

Alongside his clinical practice, Dr. Kouz is an Associate Clinical Professor in the Faculty of Medicine at the Université de Montréal. He is very involved in clinical research at the CIUSSS du Nord-de-l’Ile-de-Montréal of the HSCM, acting as principal investigator of various national and international studies in the field of coronary artery disease, valvular disease, and cardiovascular prevention. He has published numerous articles in recognized scientific journals, see here, and has presented his work on multiple occasions at national and international medical conferences. Often exposed to advanced and acute cardiovascular pathologies through his hospital practice, Dr. Kouz strongly believes in the merits of prevention and the benefits of healthy lifestyle habits. An avid reader of scientific literature and passionate about cardiology, he enjoys assisting his patients and hopes to have an immediate and beneficial impact on their clinical trajectory.

Dr. Nicolas Garel graduated from the Université de Montréal in 2012 with a Bachelor degree in Psychology before completing a Doctorate of Medicine at McGill University in 2017. In 2022, he completed a residency in Psychiatry and a Master’s of Psychiatry at McGill University in addition to research training in the Clinician Scientist program. In 2023, he began a clinical fellowship in Addiction Medicine at Stanford University, US.

Dr. Garel is involved in numerous research projects on the use of psychotropic drugs, including ketamine, in patients with refractory depression and addictive disorders, and he was the first in Quebec to administer psilocybin (an active hallucinogenic substance derived from mushrooms) in a special access program. His perspectives on the use of psychoactive substances to treat mental health problems can be found in media interviews here.

Dr. Garel has published articles in a number of recognized scientific journals, see here, and has presented at both national and international scientific conferences. He is very involved as a volunteer with various organizations, where he shares his expertise in psychiatry, addiction, and the use of psychoactive substances as a treatment option.

Dr. Garel advocates a psychotherapeutic approach of acceptance and commitment from a human and existential perspective. He emphasizes mindfulness and acceptance, with the goal of maximizing human potential to create a rich and meaningful life, while accepting the pain that inevitably accompanies it. He is passionate about music, literature, food, and travel. He loves to backpack and discover new countries and cultures. A proud sibling and father, he is also very close to his family and friends, and makes sure to spend time with them regardless of his professional workload.

Dr. Alexios Hadjis is a cardiologist specialized in electrophysiology. In addition to his practice at Quatuor MD, Dr. Hadjis practices primarily in the Cardiology department at the Hôpital du Sacré-Cœur de Montréal.

Dr. Hadjis obtained a Bachelor of Science in Physiology from McGill University where he also went on to complete his Doctorate of Medicine in 2010, as well as residencies in Internal Medicine and Cardiology in 2016. He completed a fellowship in Electrophysiology at the University of California San Francisco, and a Master’s specialized in complex ventricular arrhythmias at Ospedale San Raffaele, Italy.

Dr. Hadjis is a Clinical Assistant Professor at the Université de Montréal. He devotes much of his time to research and his writing has been published in numerous recognized scientific journals, see here. His academic interests have focused on the electroanatomical characterization of ventricular tachycardia circuits, endo-epicardial ablation of ventricular tachycardia, and the mapping and ablation of ventricular fibrillation.

Dr. Hadjis strongly believes that the practice of medicine must be multi-faceted: providing the best possible care to patients, conducting extensive research, and passing on knowledge and new discoveries to new medical graduates through teaching.

Outside of his practice, Dr. Hadjis enjoys spending time with his family, playing basketball and skiing.

Dr. Viet Lê is a cardiologist specialized in echocardiography. In addition to his practice at Quatuor MD, Dr. Lê’s academic cardiology practice is based primarily at Hôpital du Sacré-Cœur de Montréal. He devotes his time to the cardiac ultrasound laboratory, the invasive aortic valve therapy clinic, the valvular and congenital heart disease clinic, the integrated heart failure program and the cardiac intensive care unit.

He obtained his MD from the Université de Montréal in 2004. He then completed his residency in internal medicine and adult cardiology at Université de Montréal until 2010. Finally, in 2012, he completed a subspecialization in advanced echocardiography at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute.

From the outset of his medical practice, Dr. Lê has been heavily involved in teaching his alma mater. This culminated in January 2023 with his appointment as Director of the Adult Cardiology Program at the Université de Montréal Faculty of Medicine.

He is also a researcher in cardiovascular health at the Centre de recherche de l’Hôpital du Sacré-Cœur, and has published in several scientific journals. He is a regular speaker at medical conferences and has been a member of the organizing committee for the annual Sacré-Coeur Hospital Echocardiography Symposium on several occasions.

Dr. Frédéric Poulin is a cardiologist specialized in echocardiography. In addition to his practice at Quatuor MD, Dr. Poulin practices primarily at the Hôpital du Sacré-Cœur de Montréal.

Dr. Poulin obtained his Doctorate of Medicine from the Université de Montréal in 2004 where he went on to complete residencies in Internal Medicine and Cardiology. He obtained a Master’s in Biomedical Science with a research option in 2012, and then completed fellowships in Clinical Cardiology and Echocardiography at the University of Toronto.

Dr. Poulin specializes in cardiac echocardiography, performing his main duties in the echocardiography laboratory; the Valvular Disease Clinic, Heart Failure Clinic, and Coronary Care Unit at the Montreal Heart Institute; and in general cardiology.

Dr. Poulin is an Assistant Clinical Professor at the Université de Montréal. He supervises and teaches medical students and cardiology residents. In addition to his clinical and teaching duties, he is very involved in research and has published his work in several reputable scientific journals. He is particularly interested in functional imaging in echocardiography, peri-procedural ultrasound evaluation of percutaneous aortic valve replacements, cardio-oncology, and Fabry disease.

Dr. Raja Hatem is a hemodynamic cardiologist. In addition to his practice at Quatuor MD, Dr. Hatem practices primarily at the CIUSSS Nord of the Hôpital du Sacré-Cœur Hospital de Montréal, where he serves as the Director of the CTO-CHIP program.

Dr. Hatem graduated in Medicine from the Université de Montréal in 2009 where he then completed his residency in Internal Medicine and Cardiology. In 2016, he undertook additional training in interventional cardiology, hemodynamics, as well as complex and high-risk procedures at Columbia University in New York City.

Alongside his teaching and clinical research activities, Dr. Hatem focuses on the treatment of coronary artery disease, particularly on the percutaneous approach to deobstruction of chronic total occlusion (CTO) of coronary arteries and Complex and High-risk Coronary Intervention (CHIP) using hemodynamic procedures. He is a regular speaker at national and international conferences in his field of expertise and has contributed chapters to several reference books on coronary angioplasty. He has also published articles in numerous recognized scientific journals, see here.

Frequently sought after by medical industry partners, Dr. Hatem was the first in Canada to successfully use the MAMBA™ microcatheter during a complex coronary procedure in August 2020 and participated in the Canadian launch of the Phillips SyncVision iFR co-registration system in 2018. Dr. Hatem particularly appreciates the tangible impact he can have on the lives of patients through the phenomenal advances made in the last 20 years in interventional cardiology. He has developed an expertise and interest in the design and engineering of equipment used in the interventional suite.

Scientific popularization is a great passion for Dr. Hatem, as well as sailing, history, physical training, and socializing with family and friends. He is also a travel and food enthusiast and is always looking for culinary discoveries.

Dr. Christophe Longpré-Poirier is a psychiatrist at Quatuor MD. He completed a Bachelor’s in Physical Education at McGill University in 2013 while balancing a career as a high-level field hockey athlete — winning both the Memorial Cup and the Canadian University Hockey Cup with his teams. He then began his medical studies at Université de Montréal where he obtained his Doctorate of Medicine in 2018, making the Dean’s List, and pursued various research projects in mental health. In 2023, he completed his residency in Psychiatry concurrently with the PhD program in Biomedical Sciences.

His contributing research on various teams has been recognized through a number of awards of excellence, including the Governor General’s Award. Dr. Longpré-Poirier’s research focuses primarily on the characterization of physical health indicators related to mental health problems, and it has been published in recognized scientific journals as well as presented at international medical conferences.

His background as an athlete, his training in physical education and psychiatry, and his research led him to a practice that looks at mental and physical health holistically. This combination makes sense since work on healthy lifestyle habits, including physical activity, will be developed with researchers at the Montréal Heart Institute’s ÉPIC Centre.

Outside of his medical practice, Dr. Longpré-Poirier continues to play field hockey and is an avid runner, soccer player, and golfer. He is passionate about travel and has a keen interest in the practice of meditation and mindfulness.

Dr. Sébastien Nguyen is a pulmonologist. In addition to his practice at Quatuor MD, Dr. Nguyen practices primarily at the Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montréal (HSCM) where he is the Medical Director of Respiratory Endoscopy.

Dr. Nguyen received his Doctorate of Medicine from McGill University in 2009 before completing a residency in Internal Medicine and another in Respirology at the Université de Montréal. He completed a fellowship in Interventional Pulmonology at the Institut Universitaire de Cardiologie et de Pneumologie de Québec, did additional training in Sleep Medicine at McGill University, and obtained a subspecialty diploma in Interventional Pulmonology from the American Association for Bronchology and Interventional Pulmonology.

He devotes a major part of his practice to respiratory endoscopy and regularly performs advanced diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopic and pleural procedures. He is a member of the interdisciplinary lung cancer team at HSCM and is actively involved in the lung cancer investigation program.

Alongside his clinical practice, Dr. Nguyen has been a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Medicine at the Université de Montréal since 2015. He has published work in several recognized scientific journals, see here, and he regularly participates as a moderator and invited speaker at scientific conferences and events.

Dr. Nguyen is the proud father of three and is an avid skier and cyclist. He enjoys making his best espresso every morning and loves good wine in good company.

Dr. Julien Martel is a general practitioner with a specialty in artificial intelligence. He obtained his Doctorate of Medicine from the Université de Montréal in 2008 and a certification in Family Medicine from The College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC) in 2010. In 2011, he obtained the CCFP Emergency Medicine designation, and in 2012, he completed IMSAL training at the Harvard Center for Medical Simulation.

Dr. Martel has been an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Medicine of the Université de Montréal since 2012 and has been an ER general practitioner at the Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM) for over a decade. He has also participated on the committee of the CHUM School of Artificial Intelligence in Health (SAIH).

In addition to his interests in medical science and emergency medicine, Dr. Martel is passionate about computers and technology. He has taken courses in programming, data science, and artificial intelligence and has published numerous articles in the field. He is a co-founder of DXA and ML+ — both companies specialized in the application of artificial intelligence to healthcare — which he sold in 2018 and 2020, respectively. He has consulted for several large companies in artificial intelligence and data science, and is a regular speaker on the application of artificial intelligence in healthcare.

From 2016 to 2020, Dr. Martel served as Medical Director for Dialogue, a virtual care platform, and in 2022 he founded Datadoc, an online learning platform dedicated to the use of data science in health science.

Dr. Martel is passionate about metabolic health and performance. He is himself an amateur triathlete with ambitions to qualify for the middle distance of the World Triathlon Age-Group Championships. He strongly believes that the cornerstone of healthy longevity is optimizing metabolic health and a holistic approach to early prevention.

Dr. Amina Bougrine is a dermatologist. Her educational path began with a Bachelor of Science followed by a Doctorate in Medicine at McGill University (2009). She then completed her dermatology residency at the Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (2014), followed by a subspecialization in cutaneous oncology at the prestigious Harvard University (2020). She has also completed several complementary international training courses in skin imaging, including dermoscopy, as well as cosmetic dermatology.

Dr. Bougrine has held several academic positions and affiliations, notably at the Cité-de-la-Santé Hospital and the McGill University Health Centre, where she contributed to the teaching of resident physicians and medical students. Committed to improving patient care and contributing to the field of dermatology, she has held a number of professional and administrative management positions, in addition to publishing numerous works in recognized scientific journals.

Alongside her academic duties, she has acquired extensive experience in medical and cosmetic dermatology through her community practice in Montreal.

As a physician and caregiver, she is appreciated by patients and colleagues alike for her human qualities, her ability to listen and her caring approach. Through Aura Dermatologie and her partnership with Quatuor MD, she aims to enable her patients to live fully in their own skin. As a dermatologist, Dr. Amina Bougrine has the expertise to care for your skin.

Dr. Bougrine enjoys spending her free time with her family, exploring the world, and is fluent in four languages.

Zeina Shukairy is a kinesiologist. She obtained her Bachelor of Kinesiology degree in 2006 from the Université de Montréal. In 2012, she completed a master’s degree in kinesiology and wrote her dissertation on cardiorespiratory health. In 2023, she completes a D.E.S.S. in Therapeutic Exercise at the Université de Sherbrooke, specializing in musculoskeletal pathologies and postural assessments, manual therapy and the use of the kinesiotape.

She began her career in physical activity as an instructor and personal trainer. After obtaining her diploma in kinesiology, she began her practice as a kinesiologist in 2006. In 2010, she joined the Medisys clinic (now TELUS Health), where she is in charge of fitness assessments for executive clients, back health and injury risk assessments for pre-employment candidates, supervising stress ECGs for the cardiology, pre-employment and insurance clinic, as well as providing advice and recommendations following body composition assessments on SECA and InBody bioelectrical impedance devices.

Zeina is fascinated by the human body and its infinite capabilities. She aims to help people become aware of this potential in order to find both physical and mental well-being. In addition to physical activity, she is passionate about music and loves to share it through her piano, which has accompanied her since childhood.

Mrs. Valérie Boyer is a pharmacist and scientific director. She obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy from Université de Montréal in 1999, and completed a Master’s degree in Drug Development with a focus on pharmacoeconomics in 2001. In 2021, she completed a certificate in Healthy Living and Nutrition at Cornell University. She is also certified in plant-based nutrition by the T. Collin Campbell Center for Nutritional Studies.

After obtaining her Master’s degree in 2001, Valérie worked in the pharmaceutical industry, holding positions in sales, marketing and medical information. After a few years, she decided to return to pharmacy practice and bought her first pharmacy in 2005. She was pharmacist-owner for over fifteen years. Her role as manager has given her a better understanding of the Quebec healthcare system and experience in human resources management.

She is particularly interested in the use of lifestyle modification as a tool for the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases. She is also interested in deprescribing and accompanying patients on their journey towards optimizing their health.

Valérie is passionate about cooking and plant-based nutrition. She enjoys physical activity, particularly cross-country skiing. She makes sure she takes time to connect with nature and spend time with her loved ones.

Mary Polychronas, Psychologist and a member of the Ordre des Psychologues du Quebec (OPQ) and the American Psychological Association (APA), graduated from McGill University, where she was trained in Educational Psychology and Counselling Psychology. She has experience in counseling and teaching in a variety of settings since 1987. She specializes in Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) and offers individual therapy to children, teenagers and adults.

Her areas of specialization include: Anxiety Disorders and Depression, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), Adjustment Disorder, Anger Management, Attention Deficit with or without Hyperactivity (ADD/ADHD), Behavior Disorders, Behavior Management, Mood Disorders, Oppositional Defiance Disorder (ODD), Relationship issues, Sleep, Self-Esteem, Substance Abuse, Work related issues including Reintegration/Progressive return to work.

She has worked with individuals with special needs, such as: Autism, Down’s Syndrome, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, and Intellectual/Learning disabilities. Having worked with multi-challenged individuals of all ages, she has planned and implemented individual and group instructions regarding behavior/anger management, daily living skills, academic modifications as well as vocational training in Supported Competitive Employment Settings. She provides support to families and consults with organizations as needed.

Mary has lectured at both the College and University level in the Department of Education and Department of Psychology. She has written articles on many different topics and has presented workshops to both professionals and general public.

Dr. Élie Rizkallah is a psychologist and member of the Ordre des psychologues du Québec (OPQ), the Order of Psychologists of Ontario (OPO) and the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA). He obtained his Bachelor’s degree in psychology from Université de Montréal in 2006. He went on to complete a Master’s degree in Biomedical Sciences (Psychiatric Sciences option) in 2012, followed by a Graduate Diploma in Insurance and Expert Medicine in 2013. After completing his PhD in psychology at the Université du Québec à Montréal, in 2019 he will pursue postdoctoral studies in addiction psychiatry until 2022. Élie has also completed several complementary training courses, notably on the main psychometric tests and assessment tools used in mental health.

In recent years, Élie has worked with a diverse clientele, developing expertise in the treatment of anxiety disorders, mood disorders, addictive disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorders and personality disorders.

As a cognitive-behavioral therapist, his practice includes acceptance and commitment approaches, as well as other approaches within an integrative framework that adapts to each client’s needs.

In addition to his clinical practice, he has participated in numerous research projects and published his work in several scientific journals. He is also involved in teaching and is a regular speaker at national and international conferences.

Élie is committed to the popularization of science, and has presented several conferences across Quebec on the effects of psychoactive substances and mental health. He has also been very involved as a volunteer with various organizations helping people with addiction problems and other disorders.

Monique Ryan is a social worker and licensed psychotherapist. After completing graduate studies in philosophy, Ms. Ryan obtained a Bachelor of Laws from the Université de Montréal.  Several years later, in 2015, she earned a Master of Social Work from the University of Toronto. In 2022, she completed the academic component of the 4-year psychoanalysis program at the Toronto Institute for Contemporary Psychoanalysis. Ms. Ryan has taken a number of complementary training courses, including legal and ethical aspects of social work practice, the application of mindfulness in psychotherapy and accelerated experiential psychodynamic psychotherapy.

Ms. Ryan began her career as a lawyer in private practice, first with Woods and Associates, then with Davies, Phillips and Vineberg. She then joined Astral Media as Vice-President, Legal Affairs. Ms. Ryan took advantage of her move to Toronto to return to school and reorient her career towards the practice of psychotherapy.   After completing her studies in social work, she worked in private practice in downtown Toronto.  In this context, she practiced psychotherapy with a clientele made up mainly of adults, who presented a variety of problems such as anxiety, depression, life transitions and difficulties with interpersonal relationships.  On her return to Montreal, Ms. Ryan completed the training required to obtain a psychotherapist’s license.

Ms. Ryan’s approach is flexible and depends on the objectives discussed with clients.  Ms. Ryan has completed extensive training in psychoanalysis, but is also familiar with other schools of psychotherapy, such as the humanistic and cognitive-behavioural approaches.  Ms. Ryan sees psychotherapy as a collaborative process between psychotherapist and client.  In the context of a secure relationship, the psychotherapist and client work together to articulate and understand the client’s reality, paying particular attention to the expectations and beliefs that organize the client’s experience.  In this way, psychotherapy enables important insights to be gained, enriching experience and facilitating change.

Katy Davar, M.Ps., a member of the Ordre des Psychologues du Québec, is a graduate of Université Laval, where she was trained in the integrative psychodynamic approach. She specializes in personality and couple psychology.

She has clinical experience in university, hospital/psychiatric and private practice settings. She provides medium and long term individual psychotherapy.

She works with people who are experiencing difficulties with depression, stress or adaptation, or who are experiencing relationship difficulties at work or in love (conflicts, intimacy, emotion management, impulsivity). She helps people to clarify their needs and express their feelings, so as to gain a better understanding of themselves and regain confidence in their skills and strengths. She offers professional support in difficult personal, family and marital situations, such as bereavement, separation, divorce and illness. She supports people through work-related difficulties, burnout, work relationships, career transition or reorientation, retirement. She offers coaching to the loved ones of people with personality disorders. She practices couple psychotherapy, which, depending on the mandate and objectives, can focus on conflict resolution and the continuation of the relationship, short-term intervention aimed at making decisions about the future of the relationship, or psychotherapy focused on the dissolution of the union.

Sabine Roumie is a kinesiologist.  She completed her bachelor’s degree in kinesiology and physical activity sciences in 2023 at the Université de Montréal. She began her career as a research kinesiologist at CHU Sainte-Justine, working on the family study project on the prevention of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes in young people. Her main task was to assess the physical condition of participants by carrying out several tests, including VO2 max tests.

During her studies, she developed a keen interest in the rehabilitation of symptomatic populations and the return to performance. As a result, she completed several internships and acquired a wealth of experience in both the medical and performance fields, for example at CHUM in cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation and at UdeM in the Kinesiology Clinic and with the Carabins football team.

Fascinated by the impact of physical activity on the human body and quality of life, she strives to make physical activity fun, accessible and simple for everyone!