Dr. Ruel is a cardiac surgeon and endowed chair of cardiac surgery research at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute. He holds the rank of Professor of Surgery, with cross-appointments in Epidemiology and Community Medicine, and in Cellular and Molecular Medicine. He is the Assistant-Dean, Clinical and Translational Research, at the University of Ottawa. His research includes the role of cells, including stem cells in cardiac regeneration. He is an accomplished classical pianist and has raised thousands of dollars for heart research.