Aubertin-Leheudre Mylène
Contact information
aubertin-leheudre.mylene@uqam.ca
Biography
Dr. Mylène Aubertin-Leheudre is a Full Professor in the Department of Physical Activity Sciences at Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) and a senior researcher at the Centre de recherche de l’Institut universitaire de gériatrie de Montréal (CRIUGM). She also holds affiliate positions at McGill University and the Université de Montréal. She completed her PhD in Gerontology (Exercise Physiology) at Université de Sherbrooke, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Helsinki.
Dr. Aubertin-Leheudre is the Canada Research Chair (Tier 1) in Physical Activity and Aging Trajectories and has received continuous salary support from the Fonds de recherche du Québec – Santé (FRQS) since 2012. Her research has been consistently funded by national and international agencies, including CIHR, FRQS, Diabetes Canada, and MITACS.
A leader in knowledge translation, she actively develops and evaluates innovative interventions integrating physical activity into the continuum of care for older adults, particularly those at risk of functional decline. Her work spans clinical, community, and technological settings and emphasizes intersectoral and international collaboration. Dr. Aubertin-Leheudre has trained dozens of graduate and postdoctoral students, both locally and abroad, and contributes significantly to public health and aging policy through numerous expert panels and scientific advisory roles.
Research interests
Dr. Aubertin-Leheudre’s research focuses on the role of physical activity in the preservation of muscle function and functional autonomy in aging populations. She explores the physiological, metabolic, and biopsychosocial mechanisms underlying frailty, sarcopenia, and dynapenia, with special attention to sex and gender differences, chronic conditions (e.g., diabetes, obesity), and multimorbidity. She is also a pioneer in implementing technologies and personalized exercise prescriptions in healthcare and community settings, and in designing interventions for diverse populations, including hospitalized seniors, rural residents, and individuals with rare neuromuscular diseases.
Her translational work emphasizes the co-creation of care pathways, dyadic approaches (involving patients and caregivers), and partnerships with healthcare systems to enhance aging trajectories through mobility, autonomy, and quality of life.
Dr. Aubertin-Leheudre also holds the Canada Research Chair in Physical Activity to Improve Seniors’ Life/Care Trajectory. The mission of this chair is to elucidate the physiological processes involved in muscle loss (age vs. sedentary lifestyle) and implement non-pharmacological solutions, such as exercise prescriptions in healthcare settings.
Additionally, she leads the Physical Activity and Aging Research Unit (RaVIE), established in 2023. This innovative unit supports research in physical activity by optimizing resources through shared spaces and equipment dedicated to the assessment and promotion of physical health.
Keywords : aging, physical activity, sarcopenia, frailty, muscle function, gerontechnology, rehabilitation, mobility, personalized interventions, knowledge translation