In June 2000, he received the C.D. Nelson award from the Canadian Society of Plant Physiology. This award is given in recognition of outstanding contribution by a young scientist to Plant Physiology in Canada. Dr. Varin was a member of the administrative board of FQRNT from 2001 to 2005, and of the FQRNT Finance Committee from 2004 to 2005. Dr. Varin has strong ties with the biotechnology industry and acted as consultant for the Fonds de Solidarité du Québec to provide scientific evaluations prior to investment. As previous CEO of Florisys Inc., he acquired expertise in the management of R&D programs and in IP protection. The main objective of his research program is to characterize the biological function of sulfotransferases in plant growth, development and adaptation to stress.