Mathis Bouffard recipient of the 2025 Hubert-Reeves grant

IREx is proud to announce that Mathis Bouffard, M.Sc. student in astrophysics at the Université de Montréal and member of IREx, is the recipient of the 2025 Hubert-Reeves grant. Mathis first joined us as a summer intern in 2023 and quickly demonstrated strong scientific curiosity and remarkable maturity for a young researcher. After completing his B.Sc. degree in physics at McGill University, he chose to pursue graduate studies under the supervision of Prof. René Doyon within IREx, dedicating his work to some of the most intriguing planetary systems known to date.

His M.Sc. project focuses on the atmospheric composition of the planets in the TRAPPIST-1 system, a collection of rocky worlds orbiting a red dwarf located 40 light-years away. Mathis analyses data obtained with the SPIRou, NIRPS, and IRD instruments in order to detect the possible presence of greenhouse gases in their atmospheres. This work, both meticulous and technically demanding, lies at the heart of international efforts to better understand the habitability of exoplanets. Already during his B.Sc. studies, Mathis distinguished himself within Prof. Björn Benneke’s group by contributing to the detection of several chemical species in the atmosphere of the hot Jupiter WASP-189 b, a notable achievement for a researcher at this stage of his career.

Beyond his research involvement, Mathis also devotes time to science communication. Trained in the “Eclipse Ambassadors” program in 2023, he led an astronomy workshop at his local library and collaborates with InitiaSciences to make science more accessible to the public. His desire to share the enthusiasm that drives him aligns perfectly with the values at the core of IREx’s mission.

It is the combination of his scientific potential, his already impressive achievements, and his commitment to science outreach that makes Mathis a natural choice for this distinction. The entire IREx team congratulates him warmly and looks forward to following the next steps of his academic journey.

We would also like to congratulate the other recipient of the 2025 Hubert-Reeves grant, Jonathan Roussy, a M.Sc. student at the Université de Montréal. Jonathan completed a summer internship at IREx in 2023 under the supervision of Patrick Dufour, with whom he continues to work.

About the Hubert-Reeves grant

The Hubert-Reeves grant is awarded each year by the Department of Physics in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at the Université de Montréal. Created in tribute to astrophysicist and renowned science communicator Hubert Reeves, the grant recognises excellence in a M.Sc. student in astrophysics who stands out through both academic engagement and potential for research contributions. This year’s selection committee was composed of Professors Nicole St-Louis, Daniel Nadeau, and Patrick Dufour, along with Olivier Hernandez, Director of the Montréal Planetarium.