MEMBERS
MEMBERS
At the beginning...
PhD students
MARIE LEFRANC
PhD student (Supervisor: Maikel Rosabal; co-supervisor: Marc Amyot, UdeM)
The effects of metal mixtures have rarely been addressed by regulatory agencies, and for that reason, my PhD studies will determine the interaction and effects of the combination of three rare earth elements (Gd, La, Y) at realistic espouse conditions. Using two innovative approaches developed in our laboratory (e.g., subcellular metal partitioning approach; hyphenated techniques), my research will use two aquatic organisms (Chironomus riparius, Hyalella azteca) that are extensively used as biomonitors for toxicological studies.
LUANA HAINZENREDER BAUER
PhD student (Supervisor: Maikel Rosabal; co-supervisor: Marc Amyot, UdeM)
Fish species inhabiting the Indian River Lagoon system (Florida) have been subjected to a chronic exposure of various trace metals related to urban, industrial and agricultural sources. As the effects of metals on fish species have not been fully studied in this area, we aim to determine the subcellular partitioning of various metals (Hg, As, Se, Pb, Cd, La, Ce) in liver cells of various fish species. In addition, approaches related to environmental metallomics, specifically hyphenated techniques, will be applied to reveal information about the molecular mechanisms by which biomolecules are harmfully targeted by these contaminants, which may result in physiological impairments for these fish species.
ALICE CARLE
PhD student (Supervisor: Maikel Rosabal; co-supervisor: Marc Amyot, UdeM)
The growing demand of platinum group metals (e.g. Pt, Pd) in high technologies resulted in an increasing contamination of these metals in aquatic environments. To address this environmental concern, information regarding the impact of Pt or Pd on aquatic organisms are necessary. My PhD project has the objective to determine the interaction and effect of the Pt/Pd exposure (single, mixture) in benthic organisms (Chironomus riparius, Hyalella azteca). We are also investigating the mechanism of action of these two contaminants at subcellular and molecular levels using subcellular partitioning and omic (e.g., metallomics, proteomics) approaches.
CANDIDO CALVAHO RODRIGUES
PhD student (Supervisor: Maikel Rosabal; co-supervisors: Claude Fortin, Isabelle Lavoie, INRS)
My PhD project aims to generate knowledge needed to develop QICARs (Quantitative Ion Character-Activity Relationships) modelling based on toxicological information of a strategic selection of metals using the microcrustacean Daphnia magna as a model organism under sublethal conditions of single or mixture exposures. We aim to understand the metal-handling strategies in exposed D. magna as well as to characterize the metal-targeted biomolecules and the modulation of the whole protein expression involved in the response of D. magna to these contaminants. Also, we plan to integrate all these results to perform QICAR for D. magna and Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (parallel study).
ANTONIN LANDA
PhD student (Supervisor: Maikel Rosabal; co-supervisor: Marc Amyot, UdeM)
The use of organisms as biomonitoring, compared to water and sediment, provides a comprehensive, spatially and temporally integrated spectrum of information related to metal contamination. In my research project, we are assessing the use of several fish species including perchaude (Perca flavescens), doré jaune (Sander vitreus) et grand brochet (Esox lucius) as biomonitors to reflect the surrounding metal contamination found in the Rouyn-Noranda area. We also plan to measure the responses of these fish species to these contaminants at different biological scales (from the molecular, through the cellular, to the organismal) just before there are any impacts at community level.
MARTA GABRIELE
PhD student (Supervisors: Guillaume Grosbois; Miguel Montoro Girona; UQAT; co-supervisor: Maikel Rosabal)
The degradation of the Osisko Lake (Abitibi, Qc) by multiple anthropogenic activities, mainly mining activities has led to a significant deterioration of its environmental quality. To restore this ecosystem, several innovative solutions are therefore planned to be applied in incoming years. The main goal of my PhD project is to assess the current state of environmental degradation of Osisko Lake in terms of metal exposure levels and bioaccumulation of these contaminants in aquatic organisms through food webs. We also plan to evaluate the effect of ecological restoration treatments on this environmental degradation and on the ecological functions of the lake such as species abundance and diversity.
HUGO ROY-SINCENNES
PhD student (Supervisor: Frédéric Pitre, UdeM; co-supervisor: Maikel Rosabal)
The extraction and processing of lithium, which is used in large part for electric car batteries, poses several risks to the environment as these activities can result in the accumulation of hazardous toxic products and lithium itself in nearby ecosystems. With the growing rate of consumption and production of lithium for green energy, its future impact on plant life is of great concern. My PhD project consists of a multi-level analysis of the effects of lithium on plants, from the ecosystem to the cell looking at its mode of action and considering interspecies plant differences.
SOFIA PACIELLO
PhD student (Supervisor: Marc Amyot, UdeM; co-supervisor: Maikel Rosabal)
Freshwater organisms including fish and marine mammals can accumulate even higher levels of Hg and MeHg en Se in their tissues, but little is still known about the way they can interact and the impacts at different levels (biochemical, physiological,e etc.). To fill these knowledge gaps, my PhD research aims to assess mercury (Hg) and selenium (Se) interactions in Northern Pike (Esox Lucius), Grey and Ringed Seal (Halichoerus grypus, Pusa hispida), and Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus) considering their toxicity and human bioaccessibility. We are also examining the association and relationship of Hg and PFAAS in brain cells.
AGNÈS LE GAL
PhD student (Supervisor: Claude Fortin, INRS ETE; co-supervisor: Maikel Rosabal)
My PhD project aims to assess the potential of some invertebrates as biomonitors for metal contamination in aquatic ecosystems close to the Horne Smelter (Rouyn-Noranda). We will be working with biofilms and H. azteca from these environments to explore the relationships between total concentrations of various metals in these organisms and the environmental metal level in their surrounding environments (e.g., in water and sediments). Such results will also identify controlling factors that may modulate metal bioaccumulation in biomonitors using the Biotic Ligand Model (BLM).
EVE PERRON-LABONTÉ
PhD student (Supervisors: Philippe Juneau, David Dewez, UQAM; co-supervisor: Maikel Rosabal, UQAM)
Phytoremediation, a promising environmental decontamination technique, relies on plants’ ability to absorb and transform pollutants, like metals. However, its effectiveness is modulated by a multitude of factors, among which environmental conditions play a crucial role. Thus, seasonal variation, like temperature, light intensity, and soil pH, can influence plant growth and their capacity to extract contaminants. In this context, my MSc study aims to evaluate the impact of these factors on the ability of five native Quebec plant species to decontaminate soils polluted with ETMs.
LUCIE GUÉRIN
PhD student (Supervisor: Voilaine Poison, UQAM; co-supervisor: Maikel Rosabal)
My research focuses on the environmental fate of three widely used fungicides in Quebec: boscalid, azoxystrobin, and chlorothalonil. I investigate their degradation pathways and identify the transformation products formed through biotic and abiotic processes using advanced analytical and isotopic methods. I also evaluate the ecotoxicological effects of these compounds and their transformation products on aquatic and terrestrial organisms living in water, soils, and sediments.
CORENTIN NICOLLET
PhD student (Supervisor: Cassandre Lazar, UQAM; co-supervisor: Maikel Rosabal)
The aim of my PhD is to identify the microbial communities present in abandoned flooded mines, as well as in the surrounding surface aquatic systems, in the province of Quebec (Canada). Studying these two types of ecosystems will allow us to assess the potential existence of a hydrogeological connection between them. We are also interested in the metabolic profiles of the microbial communities inhabiting these mining environments in order to better understand the ecological roles of these microorganisms.
MSc students
GABRIELLE BOUDREAULT
MSc student (Supervisor: Maikel Rosabal, UQAM; co-supervisor: Alison Derry, UQAM)
Mining activity in Yellowknife has contributed to arsenic, antimony and cadmium contamination in nearby water ecosystems. The amphipod Hyalella azteca, which is normally sensitive to environmental variations, are one of the most common aquatic animals in the region and its abundance has greatly increased in recent years, particularly in the most contaminated lakes. My study has the goal to characterize the toxic-evolutionary responses developed by these organisms to cope with the high level of metal contamination. We plan to perform a series of physiological, biochemical and toxicological measurements in wild populations of amphipods collected this area to address this point.
ARNAUD MAROIS
MSc student (Supervisor: Maikel Rosabal; co-supervisors: Magali Houde, ECCC; David Widory, UQAM)
The ringed seal (Pusa hispida), a common species in the Canadian Arctic, is likely to contain high levels of mercury (Hg), due in part to its trophic position. Selenium (Se), present in the animal’s diet, is a potential antagonist of Hg, through the formation of nanoparticles already detected in several mammals, but this relationship remains unexplored in P. hispida. My MSc project aims to assess the level of Hg contamination in the Canadian Arctic by exploring spatial and temporal differences in the seal liver. We also aim to explore the relationship between Hg and Se in these samples, in particular by studying the selenoproteins targeted by Hg.
ALEXIS DEHAUDT
MSc student (Supervisor: Maikel Rosabal; co-supervisor: Claude Fortin, INRS)
Metal mixtures are rarely addressed by regulatory agencies, and knowledge regarding the way these contaminants can interact remain an important challenge for ecotoxicologist and environmental risk assessors. Working with two benthic organisms (Chironomus riparius, Hyalella azteca), we aim to understand the interaction and the resulting effects of the mixture exposure of various rare earth elements (La, Y, Nd) as well as of platinum group metals (e.g. Pt, Pd). Such a finding will provide key insights into the potential toxicity of these contaminants under environmentally real scenarios.
MIREILLE BOYER
MSc student (Supervisor: Maikel Rosabal; co-supervisors: Violaine Ponsin, Cassandre Lazar, UQAM)
Several abandoned mining sites, where microorganisms with bioremediation relevance can be found, are located in Quebec. However, little information is available regarding the potential toxicity and driving effects of trace metals in such high-contaminated locations. The objective of my MSs studies is to characterize the environmental behavior of various trace metals, including rare earth elements and platinum group elements, in waters from these abandoned mines. Also, we will provide information regarding the drivers of the environmental risk estimated in these waterbodies using laboratory exposure of D. magna to realistic combinations of the metals found in nature.
LOUIS-PHILIPPE BEDFORD
MSc student (Supervisor: Maikel Rosabal; co-supervisor: Marc Amyot, UdeM)
The Yellowknife region, shaped by several decades of mining activities, has experienced substantial contamination of aquatic ecosystems by arsenic and other trace elements. Building on previous research that demonstrated metabolic effects in northern pike, my project aims to characterize trace element accumulation and associated effects in the amphipod Hyalella azteca by assessing a range of biochemical, toxicological, and metabolic biomarkers across populations experiencing different levels of environmental exposure.
MÉLISANDE CHICOINE
MSc student (Supervisor: Pierre-Olivier Montiglio; co-supervisor: Maikel Rosabal, UQAM)
Mining and car traffic generate a large amount of trace metal particles, contributing to air pollution. However, little is known about the impact those pollutants have on animals as well as the environmental tools available to track such metals. In this regard, spider webs have been shown to be useful in monitoring the amount of trace metal airborne particles. My MSc project aims to assess the use of spiders (Western Black widows and their webs) to assess metal pollution in the South-West of the United States. Secondly, we aim to evaluate the impact of trace metals on these spiders’ behavior in relationship to their position in the pollution gradients. Understanding the effect of trace metals on organisms’ behavior could help better predict their long-term impact on ecological communities.
MAYLIE HOULE
MSc student (Supervisor: Richard Saint-Louis, UQAR; co-supervisor: Maikel Rosabal, UQAM)
The beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas) from the St. Lawrence Estuary, an endangered species, is exposed to a wide variety of organic and inorganic contaminants. Recent studies showed an increase in calf mortality and pregnant female mortality over time, but little is known about the occurrence of trace metals in such animals. The goal of my research is to characterize the temporal contamination of various trace metals, including emerging ones, and to identify associated interactions among these contaminants in the livers of beluga whale newborns from the St. Lawrence Estuary.
AUDREY HOUDE-FORGET
MSc student (Supervisor: Nolwenn Noisel,UdeM ; co-supervisor: Maikel Rosabal, UQAM)
Rio Tinto’s Arvida complex (Quebec, Canada) has been producing aluminum for the past century, yet no study has examined contamination in the kitchen gardens surrounding such sites. The residents themselves raised the question of the potential risk to their health, which is the foundation of my M. Sc. project. I lead this participatory research to fill that gap at an unprecedented scale: over 1000 samples of soil, vegetables, tap water and ambient air, collected in thirty residential gardens, analyzed by ICP-MS.
ELISABETH MOUGE
MSc student (Supervisor: Yusmaris Cariaco, UQAM; co-supervisor: Maikel Rosabal)
The human placenta is a highly specialized and metabolically active tissue, in which trophoblast cells perform functions essential to fetal development. However, the mechanisms by which certain environmental contaminants alter these functions remain poorly understood. My research project therefore relies primarily on the use of human BeWo trophoblast cells exposed to sub-cytotoxic concentrations of cadmium, methylmercury, and lead, in order to evaluate — using a multi-omics approach (transcriptomics and metabolomics) — the consequences of these exposures on steroidogenesis and placental metabolism.
• Élise L’hoste (PhD student, co-supervisor, 2021-2026)
• Olivier Robin (Summer student, USRA-NSERC, 2026)
• Loic Benoit (Summer student, USRA-NSERC, 2026)
• Nathan Bernier Usereau (Undergraduate student, 2026)
• Ibrahima Khalil Diallo (Undergraduate student, 2026)
• Emilie Duplantie-Lévesque (Undergraduate student, 2026)
• Marie-Pierre Bellemare (Undergraduate student, 2026)
• Lou Ozenne (MSc student, 2026)
• Thibaut Jouy (MSc student, 2026)
• Angelique Galiano (MSc student, 2026)
• Kim Couture (MSc student, 2026)
• Britany Boivin (MSc student, 2026)
• Vincent Blouin (MSc student, 2025)
• Nicolas Ortiz (MSc student, 2025)
• Justine Labelle (MSc student, 2025)
• Rania Boukhari (MSc student, 2025)
• Gabriel Bluteau (MSc student, 2025)
• Louis-Philippe Bedford (Summer student, USRA-NSERC, 2025)
• Mireille Boyer (Summer student, USRA-NSERC, 2025)
• Abdelaziz Bounit (summer student, 2025)
• Alice Villeneuve (summer student, 2025)
• Thomas Masquet (MSc student, 2025)
• Ludivine Preizal (MSc student, 2024)
• Noémie Wrzesinski (MSc student, 2024)
• Alexis Dehaudt (MSc student, 2024)
• Antonin Landa (MSc student, 2024)
• Rafik Djerboua (MSc student, 2024)
• Louis-Philippe Bedford (Summer student, USRA-NSERC, 2023-2024)
• Léane Desrochers (Undergraduate student, 2024)
• Catherine Bérubé (Undergraduate student, 2024)
• Émilie Telmosse (MSc, supervisor, 2024)
• Virginie Ricard-Henderson (MSc, supervisor, 2024)
• Yasmine Djenih (Undergraduate student, 2022)
• Hiba Qchiqach (Undergraduate student, 2022)
• Kimberly Desjardin (PhD, co-supervisor, 2023)
• Jérémy Dupont (MSc, supervisor, 2023)
• Arnaud Marois (Summer student, USRA-NSERC, 2023)
• Arianne Létourneau (Summer student, USRA-NSERC, 2023)
• Henri Bouchard-Marcotte (Undergraduate student, 2023)
• Louis-Philippe Meunier (Undergraduate student, 2023)
• Nicolas Bastien-Porlier (Undergraduate student, 2023)
• Fabrice Dion-Ferrara (Training student, 2023)
• Yasmine Rosette Diadhiou (Training student, 2023)
• Gabrielle Boudreault (Training student, 2023)
• Thierry Martinez (Undergraduate student, 2022)
• Eve Perron-Labonté (Undergraduate student, 2022)
• Hugo Roy-Sincennes (Summer student, USRA-NSERC, 2022)
• Arnaud Marois (Summer student, USRA-NSERC, 2022)
• Mélisa Girardeau (Summer student, USRA-NSERC, 2022)
• Kim Couture (Summer student, USRA-NSERC, 2022)
• Audrey Catetau (Postdoctoral research, 2021-2022)
• Nathy Kinzonzi (Undergraduate student, 2022)
• Sarjana Binte Rafiq Era (Undergraduate student, 2022)
• Marie-Soleil Boulay (Undergraduate student, 2022)
• Ikram Abouellail (Undergraduate student, 2022)
• Vincent Blouin (Undergraduate student, 2022)
• Sandrine Provençal (Undergraduate student, 2022)
• Elizabeth Albert (Undergraduate student, 2022)
• Judith Lord (Undergraduate student, 2022)
• Julien Labrie (MSc, supervisor, 2018-2022)
• Mélanie Primeau (Summer student, USRA-NSERC, 2021)
• Camille St-Arneault (Summer student, USRA-NSERC, 2021)
• Charlotte Lasserre (Undergraduate student, 2021)
• Mariane Fortin-Archambault (Summer student, USRA-NSERC, 2021)
• Jean-Benoît Fortin (Undergraduate student, 2021)
• Anastasiya Isayeva (Undergraduate student, 2021)
• Karen Lagueux (Undergraduate student, 2021)
• Tania Charrete (PhD student, co-supervisor, 2016-2021)
• Justine Hadrava (interrupted, MSc, supervisor, 2017-2021)
• Aymeric Rolland (MSc, supervisor, 2017-2021)
• Sandrine Breton (Undergraduate student, 2020)
• Véronique Corriveau (Summer student, USRA-NSERC, 2020)
• Virginie Ricard-Henderson (Summer student, USRA-NSERC, 2020)
• Gismonde Gnanhoue (Undergraduate student, 2020)
• Khaled Belghith (Undergraduate student, 2020)
• Alexandre Bernier-Graveline (MSc, co-supervisor, 2017-2020)
• Daphnée Gariépy (MSc, co-supervisor, 2017-2020)
• Antoine Simond (Research assistant, 2019)
• Jérémy Dupont (Summer student, USRA-NSERC, 2019)
• Myriam Fontaine (Summer student, USRA-NSERC, 2019)
• Hugo Ouellet (Summer student, USRA-NSERC, 2019)
• Carolanne Penny (Summer student, USRA-NSERC, 2019)
• Éléonore Delouvrier (Training student, 2018)
• Manon Sorais (Research assistant, 2018)
• Alena Alonso (Training student, 2018)
• Émilie Martel-Brosseau (Summer student, 2018)
• Isabelle Roy (Summer student, 2018)
• Julien Labrie (Research assistant, 2017)
• Isabel Lanthier (Summer student, 2017)
• Julien Labrie (Summer student, 2017)