.png)
Doctoral student Julien Michaud-Valcourt is the first recipient of the Peter Campbell Scholarship, a new scholarship created by the INRS Foundation and the Centre Eau Terre Environnement to recognize excellence in metal ecotoxicology and pay tribute to a professor whose scientific and human contributions have had a lasting impact on the field.
Awarded for the first time this year, the Peter Campbell Scholarship aims to support graduate students whose work contributes to a better understanding of the environmental impacts of metals and the protection of ecosystems.
Julien Michaud-Valcourt, Ph.D. student in water sciences, under the supervision of Professor Patrice Couture
- What brought you to INRS? What stands out from your experience?
As an outdoor enthusiast, I quickly realized that I wanted to pursue a career related to environmental protection. My bachelor's degree in chemistry sparked my interest in research, and it was also there that I realized I wanted to focus on understanding the effects of contaminants on living organisms.
While searching for a master's program on this topic, I discovered the INRS Centre Eau Terre Environnement, ecotoxicology, and particularly the work of Professor Claude Fortin. What I remember from my master's program is that INRS offers a very stimulating environment where I was able to rub shoulders with experts in the field, including Claude, who inspired me to pursue a PhD. - Can you describe the challenge and impact of your doctoral research project?
My project focuses on assessing the toxicity of platinum and palladium to freshwater organisms. These metals are useful in several industrial sectors, ranging from the development of new technologies to the reduction of harmful vehicle emissions and the design of cancer treatments. They are also considered critical to Canada's technological and economic development. However, their extraction and anthropogenic uses are sources of emissions of these elements into the environment, and there are still gaps to be filled regarding the ecological risks posed by these metals. For example, there are no water quality criteria for the protection of aquatic life for these metals in Canada, which is the world's fourth largest producer of platinum and palladium. This project therefore aims to expand knowledge on the toxicity of these metals to aquatic organisms. - What does winning this scholarship mean to you?
Winning this scholarship has special meaning for me because it was created in honor of a professor who has contributed greatly to ecotoxicology, both through the diversity of his research topics and the number of experts he has trained. Peter Campbell was also a mentor to my master's supervisor, Claude Fortin, who played an important role in my decision to pursue a PhD. For me, this scholarship represents academic recognition and a legacy that I hope to live up to. - How do you see things progressing from here?
As for the rest of my PhD, I am hopeful that I will publish my first two articles and complete my final laboratory experiments over the next year. This will be a milestone for me because, in my view, it marks the beginning of the end of my degree. After that, I imagine continuing in academia as a postdoctoral fellow or research associate, or taking a position with a nonprofit organization or the government.
Beyond financial support, this scholarship represents a powerful symbolic recognition for the recipient, in line with the scientific and educational legacy left by Professor Peter Campbell. It also highlights the importance of the next generation of researchers and the essential role they play in advancing knowledge and informed decision-making on environmental issues.
We warmly congratulate Julien on receiving this scholarship and wish him every success in his future endeavors.