Dr. Gilles Julien’s mission is to enable children from vulnerable backgrounds to grow and develop their potential. He is a visionary leader who has created a preventive approach, community social pediatrics, which ensures that all children’s rights under the Convention on the Rights of the Child are respected. Over the years, he has mobilized people in low-income Montreal neighbourhoods by establishing two social pediatrics centres, Assistance d’enfants en difficulté, in Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, and the Centre de services préventifs à l’enfance, in Côte-des-Neiges.
His innovative approach has now spread across the country, thanks to a community social pediatrics movement supported by the Fondation du Dr Julien. A true pioneer, Dr. Julien rallies health professionals to his cause through his clinical teaching at the Université de Montréal and McGill University. His expertise and significant contribution to society have been frequently recognized, both nationally and internationally. He is a recipient of the Lieutenant Governor’s Medal for Exceptional Merit, and has been named to the Ordre national du Québec and the Order of Canada.