Pejman Abolhosseini
“I'm delighted to have won this award, as it boosts my confidence and motivates me to pursue my career aspirations.”
Pejman Abolhosseini
Master in water science, 2023
Centre Eau Terre Environnement
Supervisor: Richard Martel
Pejman, who arrived in a new country at the height of the pandemic, has distinguished himself in his international career. Immersed in a French-speaking world, he took French language courses in addition to his university studies. He managed to write his dissertation in French, his third language after Persian and English.
His master's project focused on the development of a remediation method for diesel contamination in permafrost. Along the way, Pejman also wrote a journal article and four conference papers.
What brought you to INRS and what do you remember about your experience?
When I arrived in Québec City, I had heard INRS referred to as a famous university and number 1 in research intensity. Having a strong inclination for environmental studies, INRS represented an ideal opportunity for me. I had the privilege of working with a highly professional team. What's more, I particularly appreciated the research environment, which was both collaborative and stimulating, greatly contributing to my professional and personal development.
Can you describe the challenge and impact of the research presented in your master's thesis?
We worked on developing a method for decontaminating diesel-contaminated permafrost. This project is very important because it is directly linked to human health and safety. There were a number of challenges concerning the limitations of remediation in Arctic regions, which make it impossible to use typical methodologies. So, in this study we tried to develop an applicable and effective methodology for this type of contaminant in the permafrost context.
What does winning this award mean to you?
I'm very happy to have won this award, as it boosts my confidence and motivates me to pursue my career aspirations.
What's next for you, now that you've graduated?
Actually, I've already started working at INRS with the same research team. I'd like to see us succeed in scaling up the development of our laboratories in the field.