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Scientific research

Innovating to Serve Better — Science at the Heart of Our Mission
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Research at Mira

At Mira, research drives everything. It informs our decisions, fuels innovation, and amplifies the impact of our work on the ground.

Through research, we enhance the well-being of our dogs, refine their training, and maximize the positive outcomes for the people they assist.

Here, science serves the human-animal bond… and everyone who benefits from it.

A living laboratory, dedicated to human and animal well-being

For over 40 years, Mira has been training and providing assistance dogs free of charge to individuals living with a disability or a neurodevelopmental condition such as autism.

This expertise is built on a unique tradition of applied research, supported by a behavioral, medical, and psychosocial database drawn from thousands of canine and human journeys.

Mira is, in essence, a living laboratory, where practice informs research and research enhances practice.

Why conduct research?

  • Because a successful match between an assistance dog and the person it supports is no accident.

  • It relies on rigorous knowledge, precise observation, and evidence-based data.

  • Better understanding how to select, raise, train, and integrate our assistance dogs ensures their well-being as well as that of the humans they assist.

  • Research also allows us to refine our methods, anticipate challenges, and innovate to meet the needs of tomorrow.

Who benefits from our research?

For children, families, and adults who live daily with a Mira dog. For the educational, judicial, clinical, and community settings that support them.

For researchers, professionals, and policymakers who rely on evidence to guide their decisions.

Our research aims to improve practices on the ground, inform public policies, and help evolve the legislative frameworks surrounding assistance dogs, both here and abroad.

Committed, interdisciplinary research grounded in real-world practice

Our projects are organized around four main areas:

  • Impact of assistance dogs on health and quality of life;

  • Selection, health, and well-being of the dogs;

  • Training, behavior, and technology;

  • Social acceptance and integration of assistance dogs.

Each study we participate in relies on close collaboration between professionals, researchers, and the people being supported. We work with leading Canadian and international universities (Université de Montréal, McGill, UQAM, University of Rennes, and Université Gustave Eiffel) as well as experts in ethology, psychology, neuroscience, artificial intelligence, veterinary medicine, animal health, and more.

We also collaborate with field-based organizations, such as the Handi’Chiens Association in France, who share our vision of rigorous, applied research that delivers tangible benefits for society.

Investing in research means advancing Mira… and society.

Supporting research at Mira gives our team the means to realize its ambitions: to innovate, break new ground, and produce knowledge that truly matters.

Our projects are co-designed with real-world settings (schools, judicial systems, and clinical environments) to address current and practical needs.

With your support, we develop tools based on artificial intelligence to improve human-dog matching, as well as tailored interventions to reduce stress during courtroom testimony. Every contribution helps advance science… while creating a tangible and lasting impact on the lives of many people.

A network of experts dedicated to research

To advance knowledge about assistance dogs, Mira relies on a network of renowned researchers and specialists in Canada and internationally.

These experts come from diverse disciplines—ethology, psychology, neuroscience, human and veterinary medicine, social sciences, among others—and contribute to guiding, evaluating, and enriching research projects aligned with Mira’s mission.

This network fosters the development of scientific collaborations around the study of assistance dogs and their impact on individuals, organizations, and society.

Scientific Direction

  • Nathe François, PhD
    Director of Research – Mira Foundation

Scientific Network

  • Virginie Abat-Roy, PhD
    University of Moncton

  • Judith Beaulieu, PhD
    University of Quebec in Outaouais (UQO)

  • Valérie Caron, PhD
    University of Saskatchewan

  • Noël Champagne, Psychologist
    Mira Foundation

  • Marion Desmarchelier, DMV
    University of Montreal

  • Abdoulaye Diallo Banire, PhD
    University of Quebec in Montreal

  • Nicolas Dollion, PhD
    University of Reims (France)

  • Stéphanie Fecteau, PhD
    University of Quebec in Outaouais

  • Steve Geoffrion, PhD
    University of Montreal

  • Marine Grandgeorge, PhD
    University of Rennes (France)

  • Eline Hazotte, PhD Candidate
    Gustave Eiffel University

  • Sonia Lupien, PhD
    University of Montreal

  • Bertrand Lussier, DMV, PhD
    University of Montreal

  • Joe Nemargut, PhD
    University of Montreal

  • Romany Pinto, DMV
    University of Saskatchewan

  • Pierrich Plusquellec, PhD
    University of Montreal

  • Judes Poirier, MD, PhD
    McGill University

  • Rachel Primiani, PhD Candidate
    University of Montreal

  • Valérie Renaudin, PhD
    Gustave Eiffel University

  • Catherine Rossi, PhD
    Laval University

  • Valérie Simard, PhD
    University of Sherbrooke

  • Éric Troncy, DMV, PhD
    University of Montreal

  • Marcel Trudel, PhD
    Retired Professor, University of Sherbrooke

  • Elsa Vasseur, PhD
    McGill University

  • Walter Wittich, PhD
    University of Montreal

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