Our Team

Marc Amyot, Ph.D.

professor

I obtained my bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the Université de Montréal. My thesis was on the prediction of metal bioaccumulation in St. Lawrence River invertebrates and was done under the supervision of Bernadette Pinel-Alloul (Université de Montréal) and Peter Campbell (INRS). I then undertook doctoral studies at York University, under the supervision of Donald […]Read More

Veronika Storck, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral fellow

Methylmercury increase in rivers can be provoked by landscape alterations such as wildfires, deforestation or hydroelectric dams. My research centers on a genomic understanding of the role of mercury-methylating microbial communities in such impacted environments. At present I am particularly interested in the phylogenetic and metabolic diversity of methylators in the context of elucidating the […]Read More

Dominic Ponton, Ph.D.

Research officer

I am a research associate and project manager in Dr. Amyot’s lab. I did my MSc and PhD at INRS-ETE with Landis Hare about nickel and selenium in the mining regions of Rouyn-Noranda and Sudbury. I am interested in the speciation of trace elements in aquatic environments and how this speciation influence their bioaccumulation and […]Read More

Dominic Bélanger

Laboratory Technician

Originally from Matane region in Gaspésie, I obtained a Bachelor’s degree in chemistry from UQAR (1999). After a few years of laboratory work in private companies, I joined the Laboratory team in 2003. My passion for science and analytical chemistry drives my determination in my work. Generous of the experience I have acquired during my […]Read More

Maria Chrifi Alaoui

Lab technician - LC-MS-MS

Graduated in physical chemistry, I’ve been working in Professor Marc Amyot’s group since 2018 on the analysis of rare earth, trace metal analysis and arsenic speciation on all type of matrices. I also work on data processing, on the development of analytical methods and I ensure the conformity and quality control of the results obtained.Read More

Kimberley Desjardins

Ph.D. - Supervision: M. Amyot & M. Rosabal (UQAM)

From a perspective of assessing the environmental risk of metals, it is essential to take into account their speciation and bioavailability at the ecosystem level as well as their paritioning at the cellular level. My research tends to better understand the behavior of metals, especially mercury and selenium at the biogeochemical and cellular level. First, […]Read More

Maxime Leclerc

Ph.D. - Supervision: M. Amyot & D. Planas (UQAM)

Natural biofilms are ubiquitous in aquatic environments and play key roles in the cycling of several elements, including metals. My studies focus on these biofilms, or periphyton, and their implications in the distribution, transformation and transmission of metals with a particular interest in mercury. My research mainly occurs in aquatic systems affected by hydroelectric constructions, […]Read More

Marie-Christine Lafrenière

Ph.D. - Supervision: M. Amyot & J.F. Lapierre (UdeM)

My scientific interests navigate between limnology and ecotoxicology. Preserving the quality of fresh water and all that it shelters motivates my research journey. More specifically, my efforts are focused on understanding the fate of rare earth elements, these essential metals for the development of technologies, in the fluvial landscape of Quebec. The first rare earth […]Read More

Holly Marginson

M.Sc. - Supervision: M. Amyot & P. Biron (Concordia)

I have an undergraduate degree in geology, with some background in biology as well. I began my Masters in 2020 where I have since been studying rare earth elements and trace metals in river water from the Canadian subarctic (Nunavik, QC), and their presence in certain biota species. As REE mines begin to open across […]Read More

Tania Groleau

Master student

My research project focuses on the effect of the construction of a hydroelectric dam on permafrost soil in Inukjuak as a collaboration with many partners. Hydroelectric dams have been shown to alter and increase the amount of methylmercury in river which could be of concern for nearby population that rely on this source of water. […]Read More

Fan Qin, MSc

Ph.D. - Supervision: A. Bertolo (UQTR) & M. Amyot

Aquatic ecosystems are considered as the first compartments that receive multiples pollutants from human activities. My research background is mainly in aquatic ecology. I am currently working on trace metals cycling in small freshwater ecosystems. I am interested in looking at the effects of zooplankton vertical migration on mercury cycling in boreal lakes. More specifically, […]Read More

Julien Labrie

M.Sc. - Supervision: M. Rosabal (UQAM) & M. Amyot

Mostly all the ecotoxicological studies performed in the Yellowknife area (Northwest Territories, Canada) regarding the effects of the intensive gold mining legacy are limited to fish. To bridge the knowledge gaps on metal toxicity in invertebrates from this area, my MSc research will be focused on the subcellular distribution of As, Cd, Sb, Ag, and […]Read More