Dr. Assaad holds a doctorate degree (Ph.D.) in Clinical Psychology from McGill University. He is a licensed clinical psychologist and member of the Ordre des psychologues du Québec (O.P.Q.). Since 1995, Dr. Assaad has been helping individuals and groups by offering psychological services in various clinical settings including the Douglas Hospital and the Royal Victoria Hospital in Montreal, Quebec.

Dr. Assaad is currently the Director of the Corporate Smoking Cessation Program of the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC), in affiliation with the Royal Victoria Hospital and the Montreal Chest Institute. Since 1995, he has published numerous scientific articles in academic journals as well as book chapters, and has presented his work at international scientific conferences.

At the Université de Montréal, Dr. Assaad continues to conduct research into individual differences in motivation systems responding to rewards, threat, and the cognitive control system, and their relationship to disorders such as nicotine and alcohol abuse and related disorders. In association with the Quebec Lung Association and along with John Kayser, RN, BSc., Dr. Assaad offers Motivational Interviewing and Smoking Cessation training to health care professionals.