For the fourth consecutive year, the INRS Foundation is proud to recognize eight graduates who submitted the best doctoral dissertations and best master’s theses or essays, which stand out by their quality, rigour, and contribution, in each of the four INRS research and training centres.
This recognition was presented on May 13, 2023, at the 2022-2023 INRS Graduation ceremony, and were accompanied by awards for our newest graduates thanks to the generous support of the members and partners of the INRS community.
Thank you so much, because together we awarded $12,000 to eight winners, four $1,000 scholarships at the master’s level and four $2,000 scholarships at the doctoral level, in recognition of their outstanding work.
Award for the best master’s thesis or essay
Ana Catalina Medina Jaramillo
M.Sc. Virology and immunology, 2023
Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie
Supervisor: Albert Descoteaux
Ana Catalina Medina received an “excellent” mention for her thesis on the use of L. tarentolae extracellular vesicles, an additive that can improve the immune response induced by vaccination. She has made a significant and innovative contribution to the fields of vaccine research. Her sound methodology and experimental approach demonstrated a remarkable analytical and synthetic ability. In addition, her work has been presented at several conferences, even winning an award for one of them. His thesis is currently being submitted to a scientific journal.
Marie-Pierre Champagne
M.Sc. Earth sciences, 2022
Centre Eau Terre Environnement
Supervisor: René Lefebvre
Marie-Pierre Champagne completed a bidiploma programme between the University of Rennes 1 in France and INRS, although the pandemic did not allow her to travel to France for her second year. Nevertheless, his work on the study of groundwater flow in Brittany is of uncommon magnitude as it provides new fundamental and practical knowledge. The excellent quality of his research was unanimously recognised by the members of the evaluation committee and will be the subject of a scientific publication in autumn 2023.
Lilian Skokan
M.Sc. Energy and materials sciences, 2022
Centre Énergie Matériaux Télécommunications
Supervisor: Andreas Peter Ruediger
Lilian Skokan’s thesis highlights the multidisciplinary aspect between materials science and forensic science and is the result of a unique collaboration, as it has applications in the field of public safety worldwide. Her work on the reconstruction of obliterated serial numbers in polymers is the result of optimising optical methods to analyse alphanumeric characters printed in firearms by mechanical force and altered due to criminal activity. Her thesis was graded “Excellent.”
Lily-Cannelle Mathieu
M.Sc. Knowledge transfer and mobilization, 2022
Centre Urbanisation Culture Société
Supervisor: Nathalie Casemajor
Lily-Cannelle Mathieu is interested in the relationship of users with their own data on digital platforms and the algorithms of cultural content distribution platforms. The products resulting from her work are numerous and stand out for their scientific and social relevance. His innovative methodology of co-construction, notably with the Ministère de la Culture et des Communications du Québec, and his conceptual reflection on the circulation and transfer of academic knowledge in practice contribute significantly to the advancement of knowledge in the cultural field.
Best doctoral dissertation awards
Priyanka Jamadagni
Ph.D. Biology, 2022
Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie
Supervisor: Kessen Patten
Her dissertation focused on understanding the neurodevelopmental aspects of CHARGE syndrome, one of the autism spectrum disorders caused by mutations in the CHD7 gene. Her research combined analysis of genetic mutations in zebrafish with behavioural and neural network developmental analyses. Quantitative and qualitative analysis of ribonucleic acids and drug screening to identify a new mechanism to study the symptoms of nervous system diseases were also considered. Priyanka has presented her work at national and international conferences and already has a number of publications to her credit, both as a lead author and as a collaborator.
Marie-Ève Jean
Ph.D. Water sciences, 2023
Centre Eau Terre Environnement
Supervisor: Sophie Duchesne
Curious and dynamic by nature, Marie-Ève Jean has successfully completed a thesis consisting of four high-level scientific papers, while raising two children, participating in various committees, teaching two courses at Laval University and supervising undergraduate interns. Long before the end of her PhD, Marie-Ève had already made her mark in the field of overflow control and stormwater management. Her research results are already influencing works on stormwater and wastewater overflow management in urban areas in Quebec.
Shruti Rajendra Kshirsagar
Ph.D. Telecommunications, 2022
Centre Énergie Matériaux Télécommunications
Supervisor: Tiago H. Falk
Based on her doctoral research, Shruti has already published five journal articles and two conference papers, as well as two reports for an industrial challenge entitled “Detection and classification of acoustic scenes and events.” The tools she developed for her highly rated PhD dissertation address the limitations of using automatic emotion recognition devices. She has contributed to various projects in the field of mental stress detection that address cutting-edge challenges in emotion recognition, including automatic health and emotion analysis in audio-visuals and prediction of engagement in real-life conditions.
Anne-Marie Veillette
Ph.D. Urban studies, 2022
Centre Urbanisation Culture Société
Supervisor: Julie-Anne Boudreau
Anne-Marie Veillette’s research is a remarkable transdisciplinary contribution to feminist and decolonial debates. Her dissertation, entitled “The City of Women: Understanding Urban Transformation from the Perspective of Women in the Favelas of Rio de Janeiro,” is an ethnographic study of 60 women from favelas. The jury found the result captivating for its rigour, depth of thought and engaging writing style. Her view of urban transformation from the perspective of women and their bodies is of major importance to the field of urban studies.
Congratulations to our winners!
Thank you, dear donors, for your generosity in recognising their efforts and success.
Special thanks to the Service des études supérieures et de la réussite étudiante’s team and the members of the selection committee.