Anne-Catherine Bédard

Anne-Catherine Bédard was born in Québec City, Canada. She earned her B.Sc. in Biopharmaceutical Sciences from the University of Ottawa and completed her Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry at the Université de Montréal as a Vanier Scholar under Prof. Shawn K. Collins, where she studied strategies to control reactivity in complex molecular synthesis. She then joined the Massachusetts Institute of Technology as an NSERC Postdoctoral Fellow in the laboratory of Prof. Timothy F. Jamison, developing automated and reconfigurable systems for reaction discovery and synthesis optimization.

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She spent eight years conducting fundamental and applied research at Dow, working across organic chemistry, catalyst discovery, polymer chemistry, high-throughput experimentation, and data-driven approaches to chemical and materials innovation.

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In June 2026, she joined the Université de Sherbrooke as Associate Professor. Her research program focuses on sustainable polymer design, including circular and bio-sourced materials, polymer upcycling, and data-enabled approaches to accelerating materials discovery.

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Beyond her research career, she is the founder of Labcoat & Leggings, an independent initiative dedicated to art and empowerment at the intersection of science, identity, and creativity. She is also actively engaged in promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in STEM through mentorship and scientific community engagement. ​

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Outside of the lab, she finds joy in spending time with her family and her two daughters, being outdoors, and staying active. She loves creating, hosting friends, discovering new places, and traveling, and values the simple moments of connection, curiosity, and exploration that shape both her life and her work.