It is with great sadness that The Neuro announces the death of one of its most distinguished neurologists, Dr. Michel Aubé, on Dec. 23, 2020, three weeks before his 76th birthday. In a career that extended four decades, Dr. Aubé diagnosed and treated thousands of patients, won teaching awards and published books and papers on his speciality, migraines, that became staples of the specialized medical literature. A neurologist of the McGill University Health Centre working at The Neuro, Dr. Aubé retired in 2015.
“Dr. Aubé was widely considered among his peers as the foremost authority on the treatment of migraines in Canada. Patients from across the country came to him for his medical expertise, which he dispensed with a dignity and caring attitude that patients greatly appreciated,” says Dr. Guy Rouleau, Director of The Neuro.
Dr. Aubé received many honours in recognition of his work, including four separate career awards: the 2009 Prix Reconnaissance from the Association des neurologues du Québec; The Neuro Lifetime Achievement Award; the Neurology Recognition Award; and the John Edmeads Lifetime Contribution to Headache Neurology in Canada Award from the Canadian Headache Society.
As a teacher, Dr. Aubé was highly regarded by medical residents, many of whom went on to noted careers. McGill University awarded him its Neurology Teaching Award four times.
Dr. Aubé was also active in professional societies, serving as president of the Canadian Headache Society (2002-2004), as a consultant for the Quebec College of Physicians, and sitting on university advisory boards and hospital committees. He was instrumental in creating the Canadian Headache Outpatient Registry and Database.
Dr. Aubé was a graduate of Université de Montréal, where he received his BA (summa cum laude, 1964), his BSc (1965) and his MD (summa cum laude, 1969), earning the medical school’s highest honour, the Gold Medal. He received training in neurology at McGill University and joined the faculty in 1977.
Among the public tributes to Dr. Aubé following news of his death is one from the Association des neurologues du Québec: “His passing represents a great loss for the neurological community.”
Details of a commemorative service to honour the memory of Dr. Aubé have not been announced.
