Biology

Research area: Our research mainly focuses on the reconstruction of genitourinary organs using tissue engineering (urethra and vagina, with the support of the Canadian Institutes for Health Research). Our perspective is the clinical applications of our findings. Nevertheless, our models are so close to native tissue; we have established tight collaborations with experts to develop more basic research projects and to investigate complex pathologies such as microbiologic issues (E.coli urinary tract infection (in partnership with Diana Food/Symrise) and HIV vaginal infection (with Merck support)) or cancers (bladder and prostate, with the support of Ferring innovation and Canadian Urological Association, supports).

Student roles:
The project will make it possible to become familiar with classic cell culture techniques and more elaborate techniques such as tissue engineering, particularly the innovative self-assembly technique developed at LOEX to reconstruct many tissues. It will also allow an analytical approach via molecular biology, flow cytometry, mechanical resistance analysis and various 3D imaging techniques. During this project, the student will learn how to activate normal prostate fibroblasts into Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts and quantify this activation by flow cytometry techniques. He will also learn how to reconstruct a normal or pathologic prostate mucosa by tissue engineering. He will modulate the stiffness or the stroma using normal fibroblasts and/or cancer-associated fibroblasts to reconstruct the stromal compartment of the mucosa. Cancer-associated fibroblasts should increase the stiffness of the stroma, which can be reduced by chemical modulation. These points will be measured using mechanical testing. Finally, the invasive ability of prostate cancer cells will be monitored on these tissue after cancer cell spheroid implantation in the epithelial compartment. This project will be conducted in collaboration with an experienced project manager and a master's student responsible for the project. First, the basics of the project are established. Then, the project will be organized so that all the points are seen, and certain parts can be carried out in parallel.

Skills required:
The student should have basics in cell culture and be interested in biology, bioengineering and tissue engineering. The student should also be rigorous, meticulous, curious, persevering, and want to learn. A wide variety of tissue reconstruction projects related to clinical and fundamental projects are carried out in our team and other LOEX groups, and this is an excellent opportunity for a student to learn about many subjects.

Research area: The overarching goal of the CTELab (https://carleton.ca/ctelab/) is to investigate how cells and tissues become fragile in disease, and to reverse engineer the mechanical properties of cells and tissues for use in regenerative medicine. Within this general theme, we aim to 1) understand how a spectrum of debilitating genetic diseases causes skin tissue weakening, fracture, and failure, 2) investigate the mechanisms of neural cell injury under the high strain rate loading conditions associated with traumatic brain injury, 3) characterize how cellular level forces drive changes in cell shape.

Student roles:
The student will take an active role in designing and performing experiments. This includes maintaining cell lines, developing constructs for fluorescently tagging proteins in cells, optical microscopy measurements, and mechanical measurements on cells and tissues. The student will work independently on their project, but as part of the Cell and Tissue Engineering lab with the support of both the faculty mentor and graduate students in the lab. The student will be required to complete necessary health and safety training in order to work on an independent project. The student will meet frequently with the mentor to discuss experiments and data that the student has analyzed.

Skills required:
The student should have a keen interest in interdisciplinary research that includes techniques from cell biology, and tools to characterize their properties from the physical sciences and engineering. Preference will be given to a student with experience in cell culture, and or optical microscopy, but this is not a requirement. Due to the interdisciplinary nature of the project students from biology, biomedical engineering, engineering, or physics could be suitable candidates. The student should have a keen interest in hands on work and performing experiments which will form a major part of the project.

Research area: Our lab specializes in the study of nutrition, obesity and metabolism. We aim to answer the question of why some people with obesity develop diseases and others do not. To answer these questions, we examine the problem from a physiological and biological perspective. Our projects involve recruiting participants, collecting samples (blood, adipose tissue, muscle) from them for analysis in the lab. Interns have the opportunity to be involved in some or all aspects of the study.

Student roles:
The student will assist in recruitment of participants, study visits, and lab work associated with the experiments.

Skills required:
-Lab experience
-Able to perform literature searches
-Enthusiastic
-Quick learner
-Resourceful
-Comfortable working with people, previous experience with statistical analysis, an asset

Research area: Aging is a complex biological phenomenon associated with the functional decline of a variety of processes from the biochemical and molecular level to tissue, organ, and organismal level. The principal mechanistic process thought to contribute to aging is DNA damage leading to a cascading effect of genetic and epigenetic changes, impaired signaling cascades, and altered cellular fates like apoptosis and senescence that ultimately lead to the aging phenotype.

Student roles:
The student will be guided and will be ultimately expected to analyze transcriptomic data in order to characterize alternative splicing patterns. Due to the time constraints, the raw data will be obtained prior to the student's arrival. The student will then be guided to choose appropriate gene targets for further analysis using quantitative PCR. This will involve isolating and preparing RNA and cDNA, primer design, reaction optimization, and data analysis. As we expect the analysis to lead to a publication the student will be given the opportunity but not obliged to contribute to the writing of the manuscript.

Skills required:
The student will be trained in the use of computers and bioinformatic tools and therefore should be comfortable with computers.
The student will be trained in advanced molecular biology protocols but previous experience in elementary skills such as molarity and dilution calculations, the use of micro-pipettors, balances, pH meters, gel electrophoresis, employing sterile technique etc will greatly speed up the training.

Research area: My lab works on cancer. Among the specific research interests are cancer genetics, genetic variations as prognostic biomarkers, survival studies, patient reported outcomes, relation of BRM gene to tumor features, genomics applications, and patient experiences and their predictors. The majority of our work includes statistical and computational analyses.

Student roles:
The student has an important role in the success of this exciting study.
The student will learn and apply a suite of computational and statistical methods during this study.
Using these methods, the student will examine the BRM expression levels in tumors and categorize the patients into groups; retrieve, format, analyze the gene expression data; and conduct statistical comparisons (e.g. between different patient groups).
All project work will be recorded in a lab notebook to allow reproduction of the work. A project report will also be drafted by the student at the end of the study. While general directions and support on statistical analyses will be provided by the PI, the student is expected to learn and work independently as much as possible.
This work may complement other research done in the lab. Therefore, it is possible that the student’s work may contribute to a manuscript and they can be a co-author in this manuscript.
All of these activities and new skills, knowledge and research expertise to be gained can benefit the future research roles of the student.

Skills required:
The study will include the gene expression data provided by public resources, such as the TCGA project. The data analysis will require computational investigations, such as identification of differentially expressed genes, pathway analyses, and application of statistical methods. A strong computational background in retrieval, management, formatting, and analysis of large-scale biological data is required. Writing codes may also be required. Since many gene expression analysis tools have established R packages that can used in this project, a knowledge of R-environment may be necessary. Training for statistical analysis will be provided.

Research area: My research sits at the intersection of mathematical biology, comparative genomics, and statistical modelling. I develop branching process models to characterize the distribution of sequence similarity between homologous gene pairs, with the goal of detecting and dating ancient whole-genome duplication (WGD) events across eukaryotic lineages. This work has been applied to fish (Salmonidae, Teleosts), and multiple plant families (Malvaceae, Solanaceae, Buxus, Tetracentron), and is supported by an NSERC Discovery Grant (2024–2029) and a Genome BC grant (2025–2028).

Student roles:
The student will conduct literature review on whole-genome duplication and comparative genomics methods, perform computational analyses using the branching process pipeline on new genomic datasets, assist with benchmarking and validation of results, contribute to open-source tool documentation, and co-author a research report and manuscript for journal submission.

Skills required:
Undergraduate degree (or final year) in bioinformatics, computational biology, mathematics, statistics, or computer science
Proficiency in Python and/or R; comfort working in a Linux/command-line environment
Foundational knowledge of molecular biology or genomics (understanding of gene families, sequence alignment, or evolutionary biology is an asset)
Experience with version control (Git/GitHub)
Strong quantitative and analytical skills; familiarity with probability or statistical modelling is an advantage but not required

Research area: Géomaticien de formation, mes expertises spécifiques en géomatique appliquée sont les sciences spatiales (incluant la télédétection acoustique et optique, les drones, et l'analyse spatiale), la cartographie des habitats, et la géomorphométrie (la modélisation et quantification tridimensionnelle du terrain et du paysage). J'applique ces disciplines aux milieux marins, dans des contextes tels que la conservation et la gestion des ressources.

Student roles:
Les personnes étudiantes assisteront à la collecte de données sur le terrain, à leur traitement dans des logiciels spécialisés, à leur analyse et leur interprétation. Ils pourront aussi collaborer à l'écriture de rapports et d'articles scientifiques.

Skills required:
Les compétences des personnes étudiantes guideront les tâches à effectuer au sein du projet. Certaines compétences recherchées incluent, mais ne sont pas limitées à: des compétences en géomatique (cartographie, systèmes d'information géographique, télédétection, analyse spatiale), en écologie du paysage, en écologie spatiale, en biologie (identification des espèces), en géomorphologie, ou en océanographie.

Research area: My research program focuses on the genetic and environmental determinants of cardiovascular disease (CVD), with a particular emphasis on cardiovascular genomics, genetic epidemiology, and gene–environment interactions. By integrating large-scale genome-wide association study (GWAS) data with clinical, lifestyle, and environmental risk factors, as well as other -omic data, our work seeks to identify biological pathways that contribute to cardiometabolic disease. We employ advanced statistical and computational approaches to investigate how genetic susceptibility combines with and interacts with modifiable exposures such as diet, physical activity, smoking, and psychosocial factors to influence cardiovascular health across the life course.

Student roles:
The student will serve as an active member of our multidisciplinary cardiovascular genetics research team. Under the supervision of the project investigator and with support from collaborators including statisticians and data specialists, the student will contribute to all major phases of the project.
Responsibilities will include conducting literature reviews, preparing and managing research datasets, performing data cleaning and quality-control procedures, and assisting with the development and implementation of statistical analyses. The student will help generate genetic risk scores, evaluate gene–environment interactions, and assess associations between genetic variants, environmental exposures, and cardiovascular risk factors using established analytical methods.
The student will participate in weekly supervisory and team meetings, present progress updates, and contribute to discussions regarding study design, interpretation of findings, and troubleshooting analytical challenges. Additional responsibilities may include creating data visualizations, summarizing results, conducting sensitivity analyses, and helping document analytical workflows to ensure reproducibility.
As the project progresses, the student will assist in synthesizing findings into reports, conference presentations, and manuscript drafts suitable for peer-reviewed publication. Through these activities, the student will gain practical experience in genetic epidemiology, biostatistics, scientific communication, and collaborative research.
The role is designed to provide comprehensive training in modern cardiovascular research while enabling the student to make meaningful contributions to a project focused on understanding how genetic and environmental factors jointly influence cardiovascular disease risk and prevention. The student will have the opportunity to present at weekly meetings and at one local scientific meeting.

Skills required:
The ideal student will have a background in one or more of the following disciplines: genetics, epidemiology, biostatistics, bioinformatics, data science, or medical sciences. Experience with statistical analysis software (e.g., R, Stata, SAS, or Python) is highly desirable. Familiarity with genetic epidemiology, genome-wide association studies (GWAS), or large health datasets would be advantageous but is not required. Strong analytical, quantitative, and communication skills, attention to detail, and an interest in cardiovascular research are essential. The student should be comfortable working independently while collaborating effectively within a multidisciplinary research team.

Research area: The Ecological and Environmental Genomics lab lead by prof. Yann Surget-Groba is par of the Institute of Temperate Forest Sciences located in the small village of Ripon in the Outaouais region of Quebec, Canada. We use genomic tools to study the evolutionary and conservation biology of various organisms, in particular to study the effect of different forest management systems on biodiversity, and to develop efficient biodiversity inventory methods based on the analysis of environmental DNA. We also investigate the landscape genomics of forest trees to understand their ability to adapt to a rapidly changing environment.

Student roles:
This project is part of a larger project involving several students and many participants from several institutions (provincial and federal governments, Nature Conservancy Canada ...) and the student will be required to work in close collaboration with the other members of the team. The student will first be involved in fieldwork, for a mark-recapture study aimed at monitoring a Blanding turtle population, then radiotracking of released juveniles and adult females, and finally monitoring turtle nests for predation. Then, work in the lab will involve DNA extractions, PCR and/or qPCR. Other side projects are available in the group upon interest (bioinformatics, database development, electronics/transmitter development, environmental DNA analyses...).

Skills required:
The student will be required to be confortable conducting fieldwork (if no previous experience doing fieldwork, experience in outdoor activities such as hiking, camping, etc is required). Good physical condition is required to conduct fieldwork in difficult condition (access to the research sites can be difficult requiring hiking on uneven ground carrying equipment and canoes). Previous experience in a molecular laboratory (with knowledge of basic methods such as DNA extraction, PCR and gel electrophoresis) is preferable. Previous field experience with freshwater turtles handling and/or radiotracking would be useful.

Research area: Neuroscience has made significant advances in understanding how the brain adapts to changes in sensory inputs. One example of this adaptability and brain plasticity is observed in rodent models of visual deprivation. In these models, anophthalmic animals or dark-reared animals show behavioral improvment in other sensory modalities. The last decades of research have shown the brain mechainsms of these behavioral compensations. Such plastic changes demonstrate the brain’s capacity to rewire itself in response to altered sensory experiences. Howover, the mechanisms that lead to pain hypersensitivity following visual deprivation have been overlooked.

Student roles:
The trainee will be responsible for data analyses of brain recordings already available. Several methods will be taught and the trainee will be free to analyze various data sets with a variety of analysis techniques.

Skills required:
No specific skill is required, but the trainee should demonstrate a strong interest in data analyses of brain recordings.

Research area: Dr. Enders is primarily interested in fish ecology, fish and habitat conservation and restoration, and environmental impact assessments of anthropogenic flow and climate changes on fish populations. The Riverine Fish Ecology Lab of the INRS – Centre Eau Terre Environnement has broad research interests in conservation biology, ecophysiology, fish behaviour and bioenergetics, and aquatic ecology to provide scientific advice for Species at Risk and Fish Habitat Protection. Freshwater fishes are used as research models for experiments conducted in both the laboratory and the field.

Student roles:
In this field study, the role of the student will involve to actively participate in divers research tasks. The student's responsibilities begin with a thorough understanding of the study objectives, research questions, and relevant background information. This familiarity will enable the student to grasp the context and purpose of the field work, align their efforts accordingly, and contribute effectively to the overall research goals.

Prior to embarking on the work, the student will play an important role in preparing the necessary data. This involves organizing and gathering existing data, but potentially also to assemble the tools, instruments, and materials required for data collection and field experiments. By assisting in this preparation process, the student ensures that all the necessary resources are available and in proper working condition, facilitating a smooth and efficient study.

The student will actively engage in the modelling exercise. This includes following established protocols and methodologies, implementing planned procedures, and conducting observations or measurements as required. The student will conduct the modelisation. The student's active involvement allows for the modelisation of reliable and accurate data, forming the foundation for the research findings and conclusions.

In summary, the student's role in this modelling exercise encompasses familiarizing themselves with study objectives and background information, assisting in the preparation of experimental setup, actively participating in data collection and lab experiments, taking accurate notes, and ensuring the quality and integrity of the collected data. By fulfilling these responsibilities, the student contributes to the success of the research endeavor.

Skills required:
To participate in this modeling study effectively, we encourage students with an educational background in the field of biology or environmental sciences or equivalent degree (e.g., ecology, wildlife biology, natural resource management, or other relevant discipline) to apply. We are looking for a creative and self-motivated student who has critical thinking and problem-solving skills. The student should be able to work effectively both independently and collaboratively in a team. Adaptability is another important skill for this study.

Research area: My research focuses on environmental pollution control, emergency response, and sustainable remediation, with particular emphasis on oil spill response, shoreline protection, contaminant fate and transport, waste management, and environmental risk assessment. The research integrates environmental engineering, data analysis, modelling, sustainability assessment, and decision-support tools to support evidence-based decision-making for spill preparedness, response, and remediation. Current work also explores data-driven methods for evaluating environmental technologies, identifying performance trade-offs, and improving response strategies under different operational, ecological, and climate-related conditions, with the goal of advancing resilient and sustainable environmental management.

Student roles:
The intern will play an active role in developing a data-driven assessment of oil spill response technologies. The student will first conduct a focused literature review on oil spill response and remediation methods, including mechanical recovery, sorbents, dispersants, shoreline cleanup, bioremediation, in-situ burning, oily waste treatment, and emerging sustainable technologies. The intern will identify relevant peer-reviewed papers, technical reports, and publicly available response guidelines, and extract key information related to technology type, application conditions, treatment or recovery performance, environmental considerations, operational constraints, waste generation, and sustainability implications.

The student will then help design and populate a structured database to organize the extracted information in a consistent and transparent format. Depending on their background, the intern may conduct data cleaning, classification, visualization, summary statistics, or simple comparative analysis using Excel, Python, R, or other suitable tools. The student may also support the development of figures, technology comparison tables, and a preliminary decision-support matrix to compare response options under different environmental and operational scenarios.

The intern will participate in regular meetings with the supervisor and research team to discuss progress, refine the database structure, interpret findings, and identify knowledge gaps. The student is expected to work both independently and collaboratively, maintain clear documentation of data sources and assumptions, and communicate results effectively. By the end of the internship, the intern will prepare a short technical report, presentation slides, and visual materials summarizing key findings, limitations, and potential future research directions. These outputs may support future publications, proposals, and decision-support tools for sustainable oil spill response and environmental management.

Skills required:
The student should have a background in environmental engineering, civil engineering, environmental science, chemistry, data science, or a related field. Basic knowledge of environmental pollution, water quality, remediation, oil spill response, or sustainability assessment is desirable. Experience with literature review, data organization, Excel, Python, R, statistics, visualization, or simple modelling would be an asset, but advanced programming experience is not required. The student should be motivated, detail-oriented, and able to work independently and collaboratively. Strong communication skills, critical thinking, and interest in interdisciplinary environmental research are important for this project.

Research area: The Ecological and Environmental Genomics lab lead by prof. Yann Surget-Groba is par of the Institute of Temperate Forest Sciences located in the small village of Ripon in the Outaouais region of Quebec, Canada. We use genomic tools to study the evolutionary and conservation biology of forest organisms, in particular to study the effect of different forest management systems on biodiversity, and to develop efficient biodiversity inventory methods based on the analysis of environmental DNA. We also investigate the landscape genomics of forest trees to understand their ability to adapt to a rapidly changing environment.

Student roles:
The student primary role will be to adapt existing qPCR assays to a dPCR approach, and then compare the efficiency and sensitivity of both methods to detect target species' DNA. Fieldwork for eDNA collection is possible but not mandatory. Participation to other projects conducted in the lab is possible upon interest (bioinformatics, database development, electronics/transmitter development, radiotracking...).

Skills required:
The student will be required to have some basic knowledge in evolutionary biology and molecular biology. Previous experience in a molecular laboratory (with knowledge of basic methods such as DNA extraction, PCR and gel electrophoresis) is preferable.

Research area: My research focuses on AI-driven health monitoring through wearable and sensor data, with an emphasis on privacy-preserving machine learning. My current work centers on MAMAI (Maternal Assistance and Monitoring through Artificial Intelligence), a framework for early detection of postpartum depression that applies on-device federated learning to behavioral and physiological patterns from smartwatches. I combine interoperable data-standard architectures (OGC SensorThings API and HL7 FHIR) with culturally aware context modeling and verified clinical resources, bridging the technical challenge of building secure, standards-compliant wearable data pipelines with the human-centered goal of supporting maternal mental health.

Student roles:
The student will contribute to the development of MAMAI's early postpartum depression detection pipeline. On the health-science side, this involves reviewing clinical literature to identify behavioral and physiological markers of declining maternal well-being (e.g., sleep disruption, heart rate variability, activity and circadian patterns) and translating them into measurable features from smartwatch data. On the computer-science side, the student will help design and implement on-device federated learning models, working with wearable time-series data and contributing to a secure, standards-compliant pipeline (HL7 FHIR, OGC SensorThings API). Day to day, the student will engage in feature engineering, model development and evaluation, literature review, and documentation, collaborating closely with the research team and contributing to publications.

Skills required:
We are seeking a student (or two with complementary strengths) bridging health sciences and computer science. From a biology/health background: familiarity with maternal and perinatal health, and the ability to identify clinically meaningful behavioral and physiological markers of postpartum depression (sleep, heart rate variability, activity, circadian rhythm). From computer science: strong Python skills, a machine learning foundation, and an interest in federated learning and on-device training. Experience with wearable sensor data, time-series analysis, and health-data standards (HL7 FHIR, OGC SensorThings) is an asset. The student should be self-directed and motivated to contribute to human-centered AI for maternal mental health.

Research area: My research focuses on insect ecology, with an emphasis on the spatiotemporal dynamics of arthropod communities in decomposing systems and managed ecosystems. I investigate insect succession on carrion to improve forensic applications, while also integrating ecological theory (e.g., metacommunity dynamics) and advanced tools such as LiDAR and machine learning to study biodiversity patterns in forest and agricultural landscapes. My work aims to bridge fundamental ecology with applied issues in conservation, forest management, and forensic science.

Student roles:
The student will be involved in field sampling of carcasses, including collecting insect specimens and recording detailed observations on decomposition and environmental conditions. They will assist in the identification of common and easily recognizable insect taxa, with guidance provided for more advanced identification. The student will also contribute to setting up and maintaining experimental designs. Data recording and organization will be essential components of the role. If desired, the student will have the opportunity to contribute to presenting the results at a regional scientific conference.

Skills required:
The project is suited for students in biology, ecology, entomology, or related fields, with a strong interest in insect ecology and decomposition. Prior experience with insect identification is an asset but not required, as training will be provided. Essential qualities include attention to detail, curiosity, and willingness to learn. The student should be comfortable conducting fieldwork under variable conditions and working both independently and in a team. Basic data analysis and organizational skills are desirable, as the project involves handling ecological data and following structured protocols.

Research area: The overarching objective of our research is to understand the molecular mechanisms regulating red blood cell (RBC) product quality during blood bank storage; and RBC function in systemic diseases. More specifically, the research in our lab aims at defining the influence of exogenous and endogenous factors that impact RBC lifespan by using various cellular and molecular biology approaches as well as in vivo studies.

Student roles:
Student responsibilities/tasks:
- Involved in project design. Student will simultaneously perform thorough literature reviews on the research topic
- Performing in vitro biochemical assays
- Data analysis and interpretation

Skills required:
Students should have completed at least one of the following courses (Minimum 70%):
Human physiology, Biochemistry, Cellular & molecular biology.
Familiarity with basic lab skills is preferred.

Research area: My general research interests are environmental modeling, terrestrial biogeochemical cycling, ecosystem ecology, climatic and environmental change. My specific research interests, via field observation and measurements and ecosystem modeling, are to examine how the hydrological and carbon cycling and greenhouse gas emissions in boreal peatlands and forests changes with climate change and human disturbances, and how these changes in functions affect the ecosystem services provided by boreal peatlands and forest. My extended research interests include other types of wetlands, boreal forests and cultivated soils for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions, ecosystem restoration, and sustainable management of natural resources.

Student roles:
The student will assist my Ph.D. students to conduct the following (but not limited to) field sampling and measurements, laboratory analysis, and data analysis:
(1) Take the air samples from static chambers and soil water samples at our field sites.
(2) Measure the soil temperature, soil moisture and water table depth at the locations where the soil water and air samples are taken.
(3) Process the samples and measure the concentration of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide in the air samples on GHG Gas Chromatography (GC) in the lab.
(4) Measure the carbon isotopic signature for carbon dioxide in the air samples on a carbon isotopic analyzer in the lab.
(5) Process the water samples and measure total organic carbon (TOC) and total nitrogen (TN) for the water samples using a TOC/TN analyzer at the lab.
(6) Analyze the water samples for spectral absorbance on the UV-Vis Spectrophotometer in the lab.
(7) Calculate the GHG fluxes from the data and process other data using MS Excel.

The students will spend 2 days at the field for the field sampling and measurements and the rest of the week at the lab.

You will be involved in the cutting edge research projects on carbon cycling and biogeochemistry of boreal ecosystems, and be exposed to the up-to-date research techniques on biogeochemistry, carbon cycling, and greenhouse gas emissions in boreal ecosystems.

Skills required:
Some knowledge of physical geography, soil science, ecosystem ecology and biology and wetlands, in general, will be an asset. No field work experience is required. However, the applicants must be comfortable working in the field for field sampling and measurement.

Research area: The overarching goal of the CTELab (https://carleton.ca/ctelab/) is to investigate how cells and tissues become fragile in disease, and to reverse engineer the mechanical properties of cells and tissues for use in regenerative medicine. Within this general theme, we aim to 1) understand how a spectrum of debilitating genetic diseases causes skin tissue weakening, fracture, and failure, 2) investigate the mechanisms of neural cell injury under the high strain rate loading conditions associated with traumatic brain injury, 3) characterize how cellular level forces drive changes in cell shape.

Student roles:
The student will take an active role in designing and performing experiments. This includes maintaining cell lines, developing constructs for fluorescently tagging proteins in cells, optical microscopy measurements, and mechanical measurements on cells and tissues. The student will work independently on their project, but as part of the Cell and Tissue Engineering lab with the support of both the faculty mentor and graduate students in the lab. The student will be required to complete necessary health and safety training in order to work on an independent project. The student will meet frequently with the mentor to discuss experiments and data that the student has analyzed.

The student will work on the development of the cell stretching device expanding the format so that it can be used to stretch 3D cultures in mid throughput. This will include using techniques from soft lithography and additive manufacturing. The student will then work towards using the device for drug testing on brain organoids through our collaborators at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute. This work will include cell and organoid culture.

Skills required:
The student should have a keen interest in interdisciplinary research that includes techniques from cell biology, and tools to characterize their properties from the physical sciences and engineering. Preference will be given to a student with experience in cell culture, and or optical microscopy, but this is not a requirement. Due to the interdisciplinary nature of the project students from biology, biomedical engineering, engineering, or physics could be suitable candidates. The student should have a keen interest in hands on work and performing experiments which will form a major part of the project.

Research area: My research focuses on wood-inhabiting fungi — particularly wood-decay and wood-pigmenting species — and the secondary metabolites they produce. I use molecular identification, fungal culture, and secondary metabolite identification to develop bio-based solutions for wood protection and durable coatings. My field program spans temperate forests in British Columbia and tropical sites in Peru. Broader interests include the durability of lignocellulosic materials, engineered wood products, and sustainable material design. I hold a Ph.D. in Wood Science & Engineering from Oregon State University, have industry experience in the wood industry, and am an incoming Assistant Professor in UBC's Wood Science Department.

Student roles:
The intern will be embedded in an active research group at the UBC Wood Protection Lab, working closely with the supervising faculty member and graduate students throughout the entire 12-week program.

The intern will be an active research contributor from day one. By the end of the internship, they will be able to lead field collection expeditions alongside the supervising faculty member and graduate students, making real-time decisions about sampling strategy and site documentation. In the laboratory, they will be trained in and then independently execute fungal isolation, culture maintenance, DNA extraction, PCR amplification, and sequence-based identification under close mentorship.

Beyond the technical work, the intern will be expected to engage critically with the scientific literature on wood-decay fungal diversity and contribute to data interpretation and synthesis. The expectation is that the intern will co-author a short peer-reviewed paper — likely a short communication in a mycology or wood science journal — documenting the fungal species isolated from the sampled sites.

This is an opportunity for a motivated student to gain genuine research experience, including scientific writing and the publication process. The intern will participate in lab meetings, present their progress to the research group, and receive direct mentorship from supervising faculty and graduate students to prepare a manuscript draft before the internship concludes.

Skills required:
The ideal candidate has a background in biology, forestry, environmental science, microbiology, or wood science, and a genuine interest in fungal biology and wood decay. This internship offers a unique opportunity to develop skills at the interface of field ecology and molecular biology, within an active research program.

The candidate should be able to use Microsoft Office, be able to do searches for literature review, and be willing to do field and lab work.

Research area: I am a historical ecologist with focus on human dimensions of climate change. I use ecological and geological techniques to reconstruct the impact of human actions on Boreal and Arctic ecosystems, in particular the wetland to upland continuum.

Student roles:
The student will work in a team of Canadian undergraduate and graduate students led by Professor Pendea. The main tasks will be to help:
- collect soil, water, and vegetation samples in the field. An ability and willingness to work in rough terrain conditions is an asset.
- chemically process soil samples. An ability to work in a lab using various chemical reagents is an asset.
- identify and quantify various bioindicators under the microscope.
Training on all aspects will be provided and, thus, no prior knowledge of this type of work is required.

Skills required:
The student would be a senior undergraduate student (who finalized 2nd year at the time of application) in a Environmental Science, Geography, Biology, Ecology, or Geology programs. Knowledge of GIS and Quantitative methods (R language) is preferred but not required. The ideal candidate would also have some basic laboratory skills (biology and chemistry) as well as an ability to work in the field collecting soil, water, and vegetation samples. However, detailed training on all aspects of the work will be provided.

Research area: Our main goal is to decipher how normal cells establish a specific response to extracellular cues. To achieve this, our work seeks to determine how signalling networks are formed following cell stimulation with growth factors. We are particularly interested in signalling via modular protein interaction domains. We use state-of-the-art tools including proteomics, live-cell imaging and 3D biological models.

Student roles:
The student will work on a small-scale project that is related to the thesis of a PhD candidate in the laboratory. The student is expected to learn how to perform molecular biology, biochemistry and cell biology experiments related to proteins in a cutting-edge life science research environment. The student is expected to be able to perform experiments independently by the end of the internship. The student will design and execute protocols, perform experiments, analyse data and report them (figures, tables, short reports) to the team. The lab is composed of 6-8 people from all over the world, at different stages of their career.

Skills required:
The student must have a basic knowledge in biology/biochemistry, with at least some laboratory experience.
The student is expected to be motivated, meticulous, and to have positive interactions with the team.

Research area: My research area is in mycology and specifically in the ecology and diversity of fungi.

Student roles:
The student will isolate fungal cultures from soil and test them under exposure to hydrocarbons. The student will also use existing cultures from a culture collection.

Fungal isolates will be evaluated for their ability to grow on media containing hydrocarbons.

Skills required:
The ideal candidate would have a good background in biology, biodiversity and ecology. Laboratory skills and previous training in mycology and/or microbiology would be an asset.

Research area: My research applies statistical modelling and machine learning to large-scale biological datasets, with a focus on genomics and transcriptomics. My lab is currently investigating gene regulatory network (GRN) inference from single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data. This work connects to my broader expertise in high-dimensional biological data analysis, LASSO-based feature selection, and algorithm development for genomic applications.

Student roles:
The student will conduct a literature review on GRN inference methods and benchmarking frameworks, perform computational analyses running and evaluating multiple algorithms on scRNA-seq datasets, and contribute to a final benchmark report and co-authored manuscript for journal submission.

Skills required:
Undergraduate degree (or final year) in bioinformatics, computational biology, statistics, or computer science
Proficiency in R and/or Python; familiarity with Bioconductor or scanpy is an asset
Basic understanding of gene expression data and transcriptomics concepts
Strong analytical and quantitative skills; interest in algorithm evaluation and reproducible research

Research area: The Chase lab is focused on virology, phycology, and microbial ecology and evolution. We work at the forefront of large-scale sequencing and time-series datasets by collecting aquatic samples in areas susceptible to climate change, and important to local communities which house interesting ecological dynamics. We are especially interested in virus-host relationships among bloom forming microalgae. The Chase lab specializes in understanding “giant viruses”, virophages, RNA viruses, and their impacts on the microalgae they infect. We uncover novel viruses with novel functional roles in our changing environment using in situ, in silico, and in vitro avenues.

Student roles:
Successful applicants will work with Dr. Chase to formulate research questions using virus and microalgae data from Lake Winnipeg. The student’s role within the project will be to learn about giant viruses, explore their data, and report their findings. Examples of what students can explore include offshore and nearshore site differences, and microbial diversity of traditional areas of local Indigenous communities or areas of high recreational fishing and other activities. Successful applicants will collect and process water samples in-lab, and use metagenomics to provide a “shot-gun” look at all viruses contained within their samples, which they can then fine tune to identify giant viruses. Microalgal diversity and environmental roles will also be explored within the Lake Winnipeg sampling time-series. A step-by-step training on a bioinformatics pipeline through one-on-one training will ensure a thorough understanding of this skillset. Successful applicants will produce figures and tables to present their work. The goal is for successful candidates to deduce a “scientific story” to be communicated via a joint peer-reviewed publication, and/or through local community bulletins. Broadly, skills that can be obtained through this project include: field sampling, nucleic acid extraction, molecular assays, command-line bioinformatics, figure production, and scientific dissemination. Please note that field sampling is optional, students who do not wish to partake are not obligated. Students will be expected to attend weekly lab meetings to report and discuss their findings, and to partake in biweekly one-on-one meetings with Dr. Chase to advance their project and seek advice. The role of members of the Chase lab team are to contribute to an environment that is welcoming, collaborative, and scientifically motivated. In turn, Dr. Chase’s role is to provide mentorship, support the team with a safe and scientifically rigorious environment, and to facilitate the advancement of mentee career and learning goals.

Skills required:
Students are required to have completed courses in or related to Microbiology. Courses on Microbial Ecology and Bioinformatics will be considered an asset, but not required. Students are required to have previous experience research experience, e.g., volunteer, research assistant, directed studies course with a research professor, or a substantial lab-based course that developed experience in molecular lab settings (i.e., sterile work environments, methods of microbiology, etc.). Other research experiences will be considered. Above all the Chase lab seeks highly motivated, and research dedicated students whose goals include all forms of scientific dissemination, and producing impactful and meaningful research.

Research area: Freshwaters are some of the world’s most ecologically and socially valuable systems but are highly vulnerable to anthropogenic disturbances. One of the most widespread anthropogenic disturbances which threaten freshwaters is timber harvesting. However, the outcomes between studies that assess timber harvesting’s impact on freshwaters are often inconsistent. These inconsistent outcomes make it difficult to determine if timber harvesting consistently affects freshwaters, and if so, what drives these effects. To address this problem, we are using evidence syntheses to quantify general trends and identify key drivers across the literature, providing a robust foundation for forest management decision-making and guiding future research.

Student roles:
The student will assist a PhD candidate with an evidence synthesis investigating the effects of timber harvesting on freshwater ecosystems. The work will be done entirely at a desk and will involve:
-Reading and screening scientific articles, extracting and organizing data (e.g., environmental variables, study outcomes), and helping prepare a large dataset for analysis
-Extracting data from figures, tables, and supplementary materials where required
Applying standardized data extraction protocols and ensuring consistency across studies (e.g., verifying entries, resolving discrepancies)
-Maintaining clear documentation of data extraction decisions and coding procedures
-Participating in periodic check-ins to review progress and resolve questions

The student will receive training on how to screen and extract data from scientific articles and will receive a detailed methods document to follow.

Skills required:
-A background in biology, geography, ecology, physical sciences or related field
-Fluent in English
-Willingness to learn evidence synthesis data coding/extraction methods
-Willingness to learn how to analyze complex datasets
-Strong attention to detail and ability to work efficiently with large volumes of information
-Experience reading and interpreting scientific literature
-Ability to work independently and manage time effectively

Research area: My lab studies the genetic and epigenetic basics of neurodevelopmental disorders including Rett Syndrome.

Student roles:
The student will be responsible for associated experiments, analyzing the data, and keeping up to date with related literature.

Skills required:
Knowledge of molecular and cellular biology for transcript and protein analysis.

Research area: Our research interests are focused on the role of human microbiota as effective partner for the gastrointestinal tract. In our laboratory, we study the impact of diet and probiotics on the composition and equilibrium of gut microbiota, and the production of bioactive molecules with mental and physiological health benefits. Our goal is to modulate the human gut microbiota using next generation probiotics and their antimicrobials (bacteriocins), thus producing clinically meaningful positive changes in human health.

Student roles:
- Test d'activité antimicrobienne in vitro,
- Metabolic and genomic characterization of bacteria,
- Analyzes and discussion of results
- Assist in the preparation of culture media and materials needed for work
- Maintain laboratory equipment
- These tasks do not exclude a wider participation that will also allow the candidate to enrich some of his/her technical knowledge in microbiology/ molecular biology/cell biology.

Skills required:
- Knowledge of molecular microbiology and biology tools (DNA extraction, PCR)
- Ability to work as a team
- Good sense of organization
- Good interpersonal skills
- Good communication
- Ability to analyze scientific articles in English
- Good computer skills (Word, Excel, Internet)

Research area: My research centers on gut microbiome physiology, its mechanistic modulation by nutritional and xenobiotic factors, and interplay with the host, and is built with around three themes: I) Gut Neuromicrobiology, 2) Interplay Xenobiotics-Microbiota-Nutrition, and 3) Investigation of new probiotic-prebiotic-postbiotic-symbiotic formulations with positive modulation of the gut microbiota and the host.

Student roles:
- Biological activity in vitro,
- Metabolic and genomic characterization of bacteria,
- Analyzes and discussion of results
- Assist in the preparation of culture media and materials needed for work
- Maintain laboratory equipment
- These tasks do not exclude a wider participation that will also allow the candidate to enrich some of his/her technical knowledge in microbiology/ molecular biology/cell biology.

Skills required:
- Knowledge of molecular microbiology and biology tools (DNA extraction, PCR)
- Ability to work as a team
- Good sense of organization
- Good interpersonal skills
- Good communication
- Ability to analyze scientific articles in English
- Good computer skills (Word, Excel, Internet)

Research area: My specialized research area is aquaculture-environment interactions, which spans a range of scales, from individual responses to interactions between cultured or fished populations and the environment. To achieve these goals, I use a range of tools, from physiological studies at the individual level to ecosystem modelling, to explore the effects of bivalve culture or fisheries on the environment, as well as how climate change can affect the performance of commercial bivalves. The ultimate goal of my research is to provide advice to managers and policymakers to improve the sustainability of aquaculture and fisheries.

Student roles:
- The student will take the lead in carrying out the experiments at the Aquatron Laboratory. The experiments will include: 1) maintaining the scallops in acclimatization tanks until the experiments are carried out; 2) exposing the scallops to different air temperatures for a range of time periods (to be determined in consultation with fishers and Fisheries and Oceans Canada); 3) determining the metabolic rate and survivability of the scallops after the air exposure challenges. This will provide the student with hands-on training in seawater laboratories and experimental design.
- The student will be trained in the determination of respiration rate in bivalves. Our Aquatron Laboratory is a state-of-the-art facility with the capability to measure respiration rate simultaneously in eight scallops. It is expected to have capabilities to simultaneously measure respiration on 16 scallops during the summer 2021, when these experiments will be carried out. This will provide the student with training on bivalve physiology, ranging from operating oxygen sensors, interpreting metabolic rate data, bivalve dissection.
- Finally, the student will analyze the results of the experiments using the existing lab methodologies, plot results, and interpret the results. Given the novelty of these experiments, the results will be published as a primary publication or a Fisheries and Oceans Technical Report. The student will prepare the results for this publication. The student will be either a co-author or lead author on the publication, depending on their involvement. Accordingly, this will provide the student with training on scientific writing.
- In summary, the student will have a leadership role in this project, and frequent interaction with the advisor will ensure the success of the internship.

Skills required:
A student with a general background in biology and specific interests in animal physiology and behaviour is ideal for this project. Organizational skills, including basic knowledge of Excel, Matlab or R, would be an asset due to the need for summarizing data in tables and figures. Although the experiment is well defined, alternative hypotheses could be proposed by the student; consequently, creativity and resourcefulness will be valued. Hands-on experience caring for aquatic species will be valued. Communication skills to exchange ideas, results and brainstorm with other students/advisor are critical to be able to work both independently and collaboratively.

Research area: My research applies advanced statistical and machine learning methods to large biological datasets, including microbial community data derived from environmental sequencing. In collaboration with Dr. Greg Anderson (Dean of Science, TRU), my lab is investigating how soil microbial biodiversity responds to ecosystem disturbance using amplicon sequencing data, compositional statistical methods, and network inference. This work connects to my expertise in LASSO-based regularization for high-dimensional biological data (Bioinformatics Advances, 2025) and is supported by an NSERC Discovery Grant (2024–2029) and a Genome BC grant (2025–2028).

Student roles:
The student will conduct literature review on soil microbial ecology and compositional data analysis methods, perform statistical and machine learning analyses on amplicon sequencing datasets, assist with co-occurrence network construction and interpretation of results, and contribute to a final research report and co-authored manuscript for journal submission.

Skills required:
Undergraduate degree (or final year) in bioinformatics, ecology, microbiology, statistics, or a related quantitative field
Proficiency in R (phyloseq, vegan, igraph) and/or Python (scikit-learn, pandas)
Familiarity with next-generation sequencing concepts; prior exposure to 16S rRNA amplicon data or microbiome analysis is a strong asset
Basic understanding of ecological diversity metrics (alpha/beta diversity) and multivariate statistics (ordination methods)
Experience with version control (Git/GitHub) and reproducible research workflows (RMarkdown or Snakemake)

Research area: I am a plant evolutionary geneticist who's work focuses on understanding phenotypic and genomic adaptation to contemporary, human-induced environmental change. My lab uses large-scale experiments with plants to understand to selective agents operating in natural plant populations, and combines this with high-throughput whole genome sequencing to uncover the genetic architecture of phenotypes driving patterns of adaptation in nature. In doing so, we leverage the latest computational advances to analyzing genomic sequencing data, and often perform simulations to understand the limits of what existing tools can do, which is especially important when working in non-model systems.

Student roles:
The student will be involved in every aspect of the project. Specifically, the student will:

1. Grow out plants from recent crosses in a controlled greenhouse
2. Generate additional crosses between select plants to generate future mapping populations
3. Collect tissue for DNA extraction and library preps
4. Analyze existing genomic data from some of the parental plants that generated (1) to preliminarily identify the location of the SI locus and infer the number of segregating haplotypes given existing genomic data in this system.

This project will provide the students with a thorough understanding of how to conduct rigorous and high-throughput research in plant evolutionary genetics. The student will be the primary researcher for this project and have the freedom to make it their own. I will be around all summer and will work closely with the student on this project, meeting for at least one in-depth meeting every week.

Skills required:
A background in genetics would be helpful for this project, as would experience growing plants for research, either in a controlled greenhouse, growth chamber, or in the field. A basic understanding of genomics and bioinformatics would also be helpful in the event that we get to the whole genome sequencing component of the project. Experience tracking phenotypes and collecting data on plants or animals would also be considered valuable.

Research area: Freshwater ecosystems are among the most biodiverse and important ecosystems on Earth as freshwater is deeply intertwined with human activity. People rely on lakes, rivers, and wetlands for drinking water, food, recreation, and cultural connection, and in turn, human use and stewardship shapes the health of these ecosystems. Our research focuses on understanding this relationship by studying how humans interact with and care for freshwater ecosystems at the watershed scale. Alongside evaluating threats to freshwater, we develop monitoring and restoration frameworks that equip practitioners with the tools and data they need to support robust, evidence-based restoration over the long term.

Student roles:
The student will participate in field work and office work during the 12 weeks of the internship, working alongside and under direct supervision of a postdoctoral research fellow. The main tasks will consist of:
-Collecting biodiversity data
-Measuring vegetation and environmental quality
-Reviewing literature to assist in development of environmental restoration indicators
-Assistance with stakeholder workshop development related to ecological restoration indicators
-Report writing and design
-Other opportunities that may arise from partnership with Canadian environmental charity partner

The student will receive training on field work protocols, safety, and evidence-based synthesis development.

Skills required:
-Biology, ecology, or environment background
-Fluent in English
-Enjoys teamwork and collaboration
-Exhibits high level of professionalism as project may involve meetings with external partners and landowners
-Comfortable working in outdoor settings
-Willingness to learn how to perform evidence-based literature review

Research area: My laboratory is specialized in: neuroscience, behaviour, immunohistochemistry, rat, brain, reward system, surgeries and electrophysiology.

Student roles:
The student will take the rats and place them in Skinner's box to run tests. Verify that every Skinner box is working properly. After the test, clean the Skinner box and retrieve the data for later analysis. We have to run several batches of rat each day. The student will take good care of the rats, change litters, and insure water and food are available to the animals. Stereotaxic lesions will be made by injecting a neurotoxin in precise brain area, students are expected to learn to do these surgeries. Histologic analysis of the injection site will be performed. After this surgery animal will recover then be retested in the Skinner box. Students are going to analyze the data and produce a report on those results.

Skills required:
Bases in biology and psychology. Have taken a class like psychobiology, or neuroscience. Being good with animals in general. Previous experience with rat is not mandatory but the student will have to pet rat every day. Rat, blood and syringe should not be something scary for you.

Research area: Our research group specializes in modelling and experiments of sustainable technologies aiming at reducing the environmental impact of chemical and biological processes. Some applications of interest include, but are not limited to, bio-hydrogen production, conversion of captured CO2 to synthetic fuel, and cell cultures production. Modelling tools, including data-driven methods, are integrated with experimental data analysis to optimize production efficiency.

Student roles:
The selected candidate will work on an independent project under the assistance of graduate students and the supervision of the professor. Literature review would be the first step, followed by the experiments design and development. The student will be part of a dynamic research team, will attend weekly meetings to track progress, learn from other group members, disseminate results and get some feedback and support. According to the findings, the student will have the opportunity to present the project in a national conference and/or to write a paper

Skills required:
Ideal candidates are students in biotechnology, microbiology, bioengineering, or related fields. The student should be detail-oriented, analytical, and comfortable working in laboratory settings, and posses problem-solving capabilities. Basic knowledge of microbiological techniques (cultivation) and data analysis tools (Excel, Python) is desirable but not essential

Research area: Our lab investigates movement ecology, behavioural ecology, and wildlife ecology, with a focus on how individual variation in behaviour, personality, and space use shapes ecological and evolutionary outcomes in wild animal populations. We work primarily with small mammals in northern systems, combining intensive long-term field studies of individually marked animals with quantitative analyses of movement, social structure, and life history. A central question driving our work is why individuals within the same population behave so differently, and what the consequences of that variation are for survival, reproduction, and population dynamics. We integrate field-based data collection with statistical and theoretical approaches.

Student roles:
The student will be a full member of the field team for the duration of the 12-week internship, working 40 hours per week alongside the supervisor, graduate students, and other field assistants at a remote field camp in the Kluane region of the Yukon. The position has a firm start date of May 1, 2027, as peak data collection in this system occurs in April and May, and the student must be on site from day one of the program window. Day to day, the student will live-trap red squirrels using standardized protocols, including setting and baiting traps, checking trap lines on assigned grids, safely handling captured animals, applying ear tags, taking biometric measurements, and recording data in the field. The student will conduct territory and behavioural surveys, listening for and mapping vocalizations, identifying individually marked animals, and recording behavioural observations using focal and scan sampling. They will track individuals using radio-collars, contributing to ongoing movement and space-use research. Each evening, the student will enter, clean, and quality-check the day's field data, and will help maintain field gear, traps, and shared camp infrastructure. Beyond direct data collection, the student will participate in regular team discussions about study design, observations from the field, and the broader scientific questions driving the work, and will be encouraged to ask questions, develop hypotheses, and take ownership of small aspects of data collection. The student is expected to follow all safety protocols, including bear safety, and to communicate openly with the supervisor and team about any concerns. By the end of the internship, the student should have a foundational toolkit of small mammal field skills and a strong sense of what long-term ecological research looks like in practice.

Skills required:
The ideal candidate is an undergraduate in ecology, biology, wildlife science, or a related discipline, with a strong work ethic, attention to detail, and willingness to follow standardized protocols. Prior backcountry or wilderness experience is required, as the work takes place at a remote field camp under rustic conditions in true wilderness without electricity, heating, or running water. The student must be physically fit for long days of off-trail hiking while carrying gear, and able to live and work cooperatively in close quarters with a small team. Small mammal handling or telemetry are assets but not required.

Research area: The Biomass Technology Laboratory (BTL) offers a unique research window dedicated to valorizing diverse sources of residual carbon and solving food industry challenges. For over a decade, BTL has pioneered the conversion of lignocellulosic and organic residues into simple sugars, biofuels, and high-value biosourced chemicals. Our strategic areas include the thermochemical and biochemical conversion of biomass, the deployment of cutting-edge bioprocesses (such as anaerobic digestion and fermentation), and the chemical valorization of renewable electricity using CO2 as a carbon source. BTL integrates rigorous data processing, process optimization, and extensive analytical expertise to drive the global bioeconomy forward.

Student roles:
During the 12-week internship, the student will be responsible for conducting anaerobic digestion laboratory experiments. To foster integration into our international team, the intern will start by delivering an initial presentation about their academic background and proposed internship goals. Core responsibilities include preparing organic substrate samples, monitoring biochemical methane potential (BMP) reactors, and performing physical-chemical analyses. The student will meticulously log daily biogas production data into structured spreadsheets. Additionally, the intern will participate in laboratory maintenance, attend team meetings, and present a final synthesis of their experimental results to the BTL research group.

Skills required:
Candidates should be undergraduate or graduate students in Chemical Engineering, Biochemical Engineering, Biotechnology, Chemistry, or a related discipline. Applicants must demonstrate strong hands-on skills and prior experience working in wet chemistry or biology laboratories. Familiarity with basic analytical techniques (such as titration, spectrophotometry, or chromatography) and standard laboratory safety protocols is highly valued. The role requires rigorous organizational abilities to handle multiple experimental samples simultaneously, a collaborative mindset for multidisciplinary team integration, and professional proficiency in either English or French.

Research area: Our research group specializes in modelling and experiments of sustainable technologies aiming at reducing the environmental impact of chemical and biological processes. Some applications of interest include, but are not limited to, bio-hydrogen production, conversion of captured CO2 to synthetic fuel, and cell cultures production. Modelling tools, including data-driven methods, are integrated with experimental data analysis to optimize production efficiency.

Student roles:
The selected candidate will work on an independent project under the assistance of graduate students and the supervision of the professor. Literature review would be the first step, followed by the experiments design and development. The student will be part of a dynamic research team, will attend weekly meetings to track progress, learn from other group members, disseminate results and get some feedback and support. According to the findings, the student will have the opportunity to present the project in a national conference and/or to write a paper.

Skills required:
Ideal students will have a background in biotechnology, bioinformatics, cellular biology, or biomedical engineering. Experience with mammalian cell culture techniques, basic analytical assays (viability, cell counting), and familiarity with data analysis tools or programming (Python, R) would be advantageous. The candidate should demonstrate interest in interdisciplinary research, combining laboratory experimentation with AI-based analysis. Strong analytical skills, curiosity about machine learning applications in biology are relevant.

Research area: I am a paleoclimatologist who infers environments of the past two millennia in North America at high-resolution. I reconstruct past climates, river flows, floods, fires, forests and aquatic environments using a mix of proxies: pollen, charcoal, diatoms, particle size analysis, and x-ray fluorescence in lake and bog sediments, and tree-ring thicknesses. If we want to understand how the environment is changing around us, we must understand baseline natural conditions before large human populations and the industrial era perturbed most regions. This inference of past baselines is what my research aims to produce.

Student roles:
The student will either undertake a study of paleo-fires in the Ottawa River Valley or do loss-on-ignition (LOI) analysis of sediments from the valley. For the first, they will use the same dated sediment cores that are already being used in the paleo-flood study. Fires release micro-particles of charcoal into the air. These particles are carried by winds and water and deposited in lakes. By sampling a lake sediment core and counting and measuring the surface area of the charcoal particles in each sample, one can infer a past record of fires around the lake. A dissecting microscope with a camera and computer attached are used to do this analysis. This analysis will allow us to examine if there
exists a relationship between fires and floods in the basin. It will also allow us to determine baseline pre-European fire frequencies for several sub-basins. Southwestern Quebec is the driest region in Quebec and is expected to be severely impacted by anthropogenic climate change. Hence, having pre-industrial area fire frequencies will be useful.
Alternatively, the student might also help in doing a LOI analysis of the already taken
lake sediment cores. In LOI analysis, volumetric samples are burnt at fixed temperatures for fixed times and then weighed. First, organic material is burnt off at 550oC, then carbonates at 950oC. By weighing the samples after each burn, one can deduce the amount of organic material, carbonates and silicates in each core. This analysis allows us to detect changes in sediment material and hence source areas in the cores.
If the opportunity arises and the student is willing, the student will also assist in fieldwork in Quebec, either taking lake or peat bog cores, or coring trees. Quebec is gorgeous in the summertime. It is good to get out of the city.

Skills required:
The student will have some background in geography, earth science, environmental
science, forestry, botany or biology. I provide all lab training. The student will need to be
careful and diligent in their lab work and show close attention to detail. They will be
curious and able to work semi-independently. Some fieldwork experience or at least an
interest in trying fieldwork is an asset. Computer skills are also an asset, including
GIS, R or Matlab. Patience with cranky scientific software and equipment is a must.

Research area: Our laboratory works on the development of personalized therapies in breast and ovarian cancers. We employ longitudinal multiomics analysis of clinical and pre-clinical samples to identify therapeutic vulnerabilities and therapeutic opportunities.

Student roles:
The student will work with cell lines and will test different drugs in viability assay. The student will also do several cell biology assays such as western blots, PCR, IF, etc.

Skills required:
Knowledge in cell biology is required and a good understanding of cancer biology is preferable.

Research area: The Goud Lab asks fundamental and applied questions in plant biology and ecology. Our research addresses how variation in plant function influences patterns of biodiversity and ecosystem function, and how we can use this information to solve environmental problems. Current research focuses on plant responses and adaptations to abiotic stressors such as soil acidity, salinity, and metal contamination, and how this information can be applied to restore degraded ecosystems. We use interdisciplinary methods to answer our research questions, including plant traits, stable isotopes, leaf gas exchange, and environmental measurements.

Student roles:
The student will participate in all aspects of the measurement program. This includes plant, water, and soil measurements. The student will participate in field trips to wetland sites in Sudbury, Ontario. The student will work as part of larger team, receiving training from professors, professional scientists, and other students in all field sampling.

Skills required:
This is a field assistant position, and the student will be spending a lot of their time outdoors conducting field measurements. Training in specific field skills will be provided for the student, including plant species identification, plant trait measurements, soil and water sampling and analyses. A background in ecology, plant biology, physical geography, hydrology, ecological or environmental chemistry, soil science or a related field is required. Field work experience, lab experience, or hobbies that involve outdoor activities are an asset. We are looking for someone who is excited about being outdoors and who works well in a team.

Research area: The global demand for vegetable oils is rising for use in food, biomaterials, and biofuels. Enhancing seed oil production and customizing oils can boost Canada’s economy and diversify markets. Certain microorganisms also produce valuable lipids. However, improving oil yield and quality remains challenging due to limited knowledge of biosynthesis. Our research focuses on (1) expanding understanding of storage lipid formation, (2) increasing oil yield in plants and microbes, producing high-value bioproducts via synthetic biology, and (3) improving agronomic traits of canola like stress tolerance, seed yield, and oil quality to ensure stable, sustainable oil crop production amid environmental variability.

Student roles:
The students will conduct research with postdoctoral fellows and get strong hands-on training. The students need to follow advice.

Skills required:
Demonstrated strong knowledge and course scores in metabolic engineering, molecular biology, and applied microbiology. Previous research experience in labs is advantageous. Excellent organizational abilities and communication skills (both written and verbal) are essential, as is a proven capacity for effective collaboration.

Research area: Our main goal is to decipher how normal cells establish a specific response to given extracellular cues, and to further define how this is deregulated in cancer cells. To achieve this, our work seeks to determine how signalling networks are formed in normal cells and how different they are in cancer cells. We are using a combination of state-of-the art approaches in protein biochemistry, cell biology, microscopy and proteomics.

Student roles:
The student will work on a small-scale project that is related to the work of a postdoc in the laboratory. The student is expected to learn how to perform molecular biology, biochemistry and cell biology experiments related to proteins in a cutting-edge life science research environment. The student is expected to be able to perform experiments independently by the end of the internship. The student will design and execute protocols, perform experiments, analyse data and report them (figures, tables, short reports) to the team. The lab is composed of 6-8 people from all over the world, at different stages of their career.

Skills required:
The student must have a basic knowledge in biology/biochemistry, with at least some laboratory experience.
The student is expected to be motivated, meticulous, and to have positive interactions with the team.

Research area: Our research interests are focused on the role of human microbiota as effective partner for the gastrointestinal tract. In our laboratory, we study the impact of diet and probiotics on the composition and equilibrium of gut microbiota, and the production of bioactive molecules with mental and physiological health benefits. Our goal is to modulate the human gut microbiota using next generation probiotics and their antimicrobials (bacteriocins), thus producing clinically meaningful positive changes in human health.

Student roles:
- Isolation of intestinal bacteria,
- Metabolic and genomic characterization of isolated bacteria,
- Analyzes and discussion of results
- Assist in the preparation of culture media and materials needed for work
- Maintain laboratory equipment
- These tasks do not exclude a wider participation that will also allow the candidate to enrich some of his/her technical knowledge in microbiology/ molecular biology/cell biology.

Skills required:
- Knowledge of molecular microbiology and biology tools (DNA extraction, PCR)
- Ability to work as a team
- Good sense of organization
- Good interpersonal skills
- Good communication
- Ability to analyze scientific articles in English
- Good computer skills (Word, Excel, Internet)

Research area: Our laboratory works on the development of personalized therapies in ovarian cancer. We employ longitudinal multiomics analysis of clinical and pre-clinical samples to identify therapeutic vulnerabilities and therapeutic opportunities.

Student roles:
The student will work with cell lines and will test different drugs in viability assay. The student will also do several cell biology assays such as western blots, PCR, IF, etc.

Skills required:
Knowledge in cell biology is required and a good understanding of cancer biology is preferable.

Research area: Je mène des recherches en restauration écologique des sites miniers en contexte boréal, avec un intérêt particulier pour les dynamiques de végétation, les espèces exotiques envahissantes et le réensauvagement des milieux perturbés. Mes travaux visent à comprendre comment les écosystèmes miniers se régénèrent naturellement ou à la suite d’interventions de restauration, afin de développer des approches durables favorisant le retour de la biodiversité et des fonctions écologiques. J’utilise des approches de terrain combinées à l’écologie végétale, à l’analyse de la biodiversité et à l’étude des interactions plante-sol, en partenariat avec l’industrie et des acteurs gouvernementaux.

Student roles:
La personne stagiaire participera activement aux activités de terrain, de suivi écologique et de traitement de données associées au projet. Son rôle principal consistera à assurer le suivi des efforts de biocontrôle du Phragmites australis entrepris dans le cadre des travaux amorcés en 2026 sur plusieurs sites miniers abandonnés en Abitibi-Témiscamingue.
Elle contribuera au suivi des parcelles expérimentales, incluant l’observation de l’établissement des agents de biocontrôle, l’évaluation de la vigueur du Phragmites australis et la documentation de la réponse de la végétation environnante. Des visites de terrain sur différents sites miniers abandonnés permettront également de réaliser des inventaires floristiques visant à documenter la présence, l’absence et le recouvrement du Phragmites australis dans différents contextes écologiques.
Le stage comprendra aussi des activités de cartographie et d’acquisition de données spatiales. La personne stagiaire participera à des vols de drone pour la production d’orthophotographies de certains sites, ainsi qu’à la délimitation de colonies de Phragmites sur le terrain à l’aide d’un système GNSS RTK. Ces données serviront à produire des polygones spatialisés et à documenter la distribution de l’espèce.
La personne étudiante prendra également part à l’organisation, au traitement et à l’analyse des données recueillies, incluant la gestion de bases de données, l’analyse exploratoire et l’utilisation d’outils de systèmes d’information géographique (SIG). Le stage offrira une formation appliquée en écologie végétale, inventaires botaniques, géomatique et restauration écologique en contexte minier.

Skills required:
Nous recherchons une personne étudiante inscrite en biologie, écologie, foresterie, entomologie ou dans une discipline connexe, ayant un intérêt marqué pour l’écologie de terrain et la recherche appliquée. Une expérience en inventaires floristiques, en suivi écologique ou en travail de terrain constitue un atout. La personne devra faire preuve d’autonomie, de rigueur scientifique, d’un bon esprit d’observation et d’une capacité à travailler en équipe dans des conditions de terrain variables. Une aisance à communiquer en anglais est souhaitée dans le cadre des collaborations du projet (collaboration avec l'Université de Toronto).

Research area: The research area of my lab is to examine the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) in the sciences, specifically in the early undergraduate teaching of biology. My research focuses on understanding, testing, and examining teaching and learning strategies that may help students better understand fundamental ideas in biology. This includes investigating different pedagogical approaches, testing a variety of active learning techniques, and deploying alternative assessment methods that may promote better conceptual understanding of difficult biological concepts. My work aims to identify and implement strategies that improve student engagement, retention, and success in introductory biology courses at the undergraduate level.

Student roles:
The student working on this project will be responsible for analyzing the data collected through the LMS-based metacognitive questioning intervention administered to the undergraduate students enrolled in BIO 1320 - Organisms and Environment. This will involve examining the dataset of students' weekly self-assessment responses, along with responses collected at other key points in the semester, to identify which areas of course content students consistently found most challenging.

The student will also investigate whether regular engagement with the metaquestions correlates with improvements in academic performance, drawing on quantitative measures such as midterm and final exam grades. In addition, the student will conduct qualitative analysis, including thematic analysis of open-ended student responses, to better understand patterns in how students engaged with the reflective prompts.

Ultimately, the student's analysis will focus on assessing whether this metacognitive questioning framework was an effective method of supporting student learning, with the goal of contributing practical insights on its value as an instructional tool for STEM educators.

Skills required:
The preferred candidate should have the following skills and background:

Background:
- Be pursuing a science or education undergraduate degree.
- An interest in science education and science outreach

Skills:
- Basic statistical analysis skills (comparison of means, regression analysis, correlational analysis, etc.)
- Experience with statistical analysis tools such as R, SPSS, or Minitab
- Strong organizational skills for managing a longitudinal dataset collected at multiple time points
- Ability to maintain confidentiality and handle student data in accordance with our institution's REB policies and guidelines

Research area: Riparian forests are especially important for aerial insectivores, providing terrestrial and aquatic emergent insect prey. Stand-reducing forest disturbances can reshape aquatic insect communities, especially when they affect riparian forests. For example, disturbances such as timber harvest, wildfire, and insect outbreaks alter the physical, chemical, and nutrient inputs into streams, often increasing primary productivity and leading to shifts in benthic invertebrate communities. While benthic invertebrate responses to forest disturbances are well documented, links between these responses and the community structure of their emergent adult terrestrial life stages and the insectivores that consume them, are not.

Student roles:
During the 12-week internship, the student will participate in both office-based research and collaborative lab activities under the direct supervision of a PhD student. The primary focus of the role will be to support the development of a systematic evidence map.

Key responsibilities will include:
-Extracting and coding data from peer-reviewed literature, including information on geographic distribution, ecosystem type, disturbance characteristics (e.g., type, severity, extent), taxa studied, and ecological responses.
-Classifying whether studies assess direct effects or indirect pathways mediated by biotic factors (e.g., food webs, benthic communities) or abiotic drivers (e.g., nutrients, hydrology)
-Documenting study design features such as replication, temporal scale, and environmental covariates.
-Contributing to the literature synthesis processes following established evidence synthesis protocols
-Assisting in organizing and summarizing findings for reporting.
-Training will be provided in evidence-based synthesis methods, data management, and relevant ecological concepts.

Skills required:
-Biology, ecology, or environment background
-Fluent in English
-Enjoys teamwork and collaboration
-Exhibits high level of professionalism
-Comfortable with learning evidence-based literature review
-Experience reading or reviewing scientific literature

Research area: Our interdisciplinary lab uses approaches from both physics and biology to understand how bacteria control their cell shape during growth. Cell shape is physically determined by the cell envelope and notably by the peptidoglycan cell wall. To learn how cells control envelope geometry, architecture, and physical integrity we study cells at the single-cell level using live-cell imaging. We then measure and perturb processes and variables ranging from cell-cycle progression, mechanical forces, and biomass growth, to single-protein movement. Since the cell envelope is also one of the major targets for antibiotic theory, our work ultimately helps to develop better antibacterial strategies.

Student roles:
The student will conduct her/his own experiments under the supervision of a senior member of the lab. Depending on the background of the student the project can involve different activities listed below. The precise project will also be chosen depending on research progress prior to the start date, and depending on the preferences of the candidater. However, all students will conduct quantitative live-cell microscopy as a major part of the research project.

For students trained in physics or engineering :
- Development of microfluidic chambers and protocols to measure cell growth for multiple generations under the microscope, as well as physically/mechanically perturb their growth and shape.

For students trained in biology :
- construction of bacterial mutants through cloning, notably gene deletions, protein overexpression, and the construction of mutants, for proteins implicated in cell-envelope growth.
The precise project will be adjusted depending on the interests and skills of the student.

Skills required:
This project is open to students from backgrounds in both biology or quantitative sciences such as physics and bioengineering. However, it requires a keen interest in interdisciplinary science at the interface of physics and biology. Independently of background, basic experience in computer coding is desired. For students from biology, prior experience with cloning, molecular biology, or cell biology is helpful but not strictly required. For students from physics, experience with coding is required.

Research area: The research of our group is at the intersection between physics, chemistry and biology. We utilize optical methods to study biophysics problems, including protein dynamics, as well as energy and charge transfer processes, for instance those involved in photosynthesis. We also build our own instruments (or modify existing ones), write our own software and engage in computer modeling.

Student roles:
The student will become a member of the group that currently contains 2 graduate students and some undergraduate students. The student will participate in instrument design and modifications as well as optical/spectroscopic measurements utilizing existing setup, analyze obtained data, discuss his/her results with the graduate students and supervisor and produce reports and figures. The student will also be expected to familiarize him/herself with relevant literature (directed by the supervisor) and to acquire basic understanding of explored phenomena and of experimental methods. The MITACS Student will gain experiences with experimental techniques (optical spectroscopy and microscopy, some chemistry), equipment and data analysis / software that will be useful for him/her in many areas of science. S/he may become a co-author of a publication.

Skills required:
The student should have some knowledge of optics and chemistrey and desire to learn new things. Interest in and predisposition for experimental work is a must. Not being averse to some simple chemistry is a plus. Previous experience with experimental research projects is a plus.

Research area: Our laboratory investigates the regulation of gene expression in wheat using cutting-edge genomic approaches. We focus on understanding how plants respond to abiotic stress - particularly heat and drought - at the chromatin and transcriptome levels. Using MOA-seq (MNase-defined cistrome Occupancy Analysis) and RNA-seq, we map transcription factor binding sites, transposable element-derived cis-regulatory elements, and stress-responsive transcripts across the wheat genome at key developmental stages. Our research bridges fundamental epigenomics with applied breeding goals, aiming to identify regulatory elements underlying stress tolerance in diploid and tetraploid wheat.

Student roles:
The Globalink intern will be an active contributor to an ongoing PhD project investigating chromatin regulation and transcriptome responses in wheat under abiotic stress. Working under the direct mentorship of the PhD student Marie Honorine Sène and the principal investigator, the intern will contribute to the wet lab component of the project.

Wet lab responsibilities:
-Participate in wheat growth and stress experiments in controlled-environment growth chambers. This implies soil preparation, germination, and plant maintenance in controlled growth chambers.
- Help monitor stress phenotypes of the plant with basic measurements like flowering time, height, leaf number, etc.
- Assist with plant tissue harvesting at vegetative and reproductive developmental stages
- Contribute to nuclei isolation from wheat tissue using Percoll gradient purification
- Assist with the nuclease MNase digestion titration experiments for MOA-seq library preparation
- Contribute to RNA extraction and quality assessment (NanoDrop, Qubit, Bioanalyzer) for RNA-seq library preparation
- Perform gel electrophoresis and TapeStation quality controls on chromatin digestion samples

General responsibilities:
- Read and discuss primary scientific literature relevant to the project during weekly lab meetings
- Maintain a detailed and organized laboratory notebook
- Present progress to the research team at mid- and end-of-internship as an oral presentation
- Contribute to a written internship summary report

Skills required:
The ideal candidate is a motivated student in biology, biochemistry, genetics, botany, or a related field. Prior laboratory experience in molecular biology is required. The student should have performed at least DNA/RNA extraction, PCR, and gel electrophoresis. Familiarity with plant biology or genomics is a strong asset. Basic exposure to bioinformatics tools (command-line interface, R or Python) is appreciated but not mandatory. Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and ability to work both independently and collaboratively are essential.

Research area: Our Lab is a molecular and applied plant pathology laboratory working on several projects to try to understand biotrophic plant pathogens and insect pests putting at risk the economy in Canada and worldwide. For that we use molecular biology and genomics tools, but we also use classic microbiology and agronomy-based methodologies.

Student roles:
The student will play a key role for the project. The student will receive trainings for later perform PCRs, cloning, transformation of E. coli, transformation of A. thaliana, work with proteins. The student will learn a different array of molecular biology methodologies that will help them in their future careers and that will contribute directly to the characterization of P. brassicae effectors. The students will also learn how to work with plants, infect them, and evaluate disease progress. It will have a complete experience.

Skills required:
The main skill required from the student is curiosity, critical thinking and love for science. Of course, students with a biochemistry, bioinformatics, molecular biology, microbiology and biotechnology are going to have better chances to enjoy more the projects and to be able to have interesting results that can be published in a peer-review journal. This internship can be the door for a master, a PhD, and an academic career.

Research area: The plant endomembrane system includes membrane-bound organelles like the ER, Golgi, trans-Golgi network (TGN), and vacuole, as well as smaller vesicles that transport molecular cargo in and out of the cell. I am interested in how these organelles and compartments work together and maintain their identity even though they often share molecular cargo and membranes. This highly dynamic system is required for all kinds of cell and organism-level functions, including how plants adapt and respond to their changing environments.

Student roles:
Students will join an inclusive and collaborative lab environment where scientific autonomy is actively encouraged. They will lead their own project — designing and executing experiments, and maintaining a detailed lab notebook documenting aims, protocols, results, and conclusions with close mentorship from the lab supervisor and the support of the research team. Students are expected to engage as genuine team members, contributing their own ideas and hypotheses while benefiting from a constructive, supportive space that nurtures their growth as independent researchers.

Skills required:
Students should feel comfortable with standard lab techniques like using a pipette, sterile technique, and preparing chemical solutions. Knowledge of basic genetics and plants would be helpful but is not necessary. Students interested in molecular and cell
biology are encouraged to apply.

Research area: The Ecological and Environmental Genomics lab lead by prof. Yann Surget-Groba is par of the Institute of Temperate Forest Sciences located in the small village of Ripon in the Outaouais region of Quebec, Canada. We use genomic tools to study the evolutionary and conservation biology of various organisms, in particular to study the effect of different forest management systems on biodiversity, and to develop efficient biodiversity inventory methods based on the analysis of environmental DNA. We also investigate the landscape genomics of forest trees to understand their ability to adapt to a rapidly changing environment.

Student roles:
The students will first be involved in fieldwork to conduct traditional biodiversity inventories and collect invertebrates for the iDNA analyses. Then, work in the lab will involve DNA extractions and amplicon library preparation for Illumina sequencing. Other side projects are available in the group upon interest (bioinformatics, database development, electronics/transmitter development, environmental DNA analyses...).

Skills required:
The student will be required to be confortable conducting fieldwork (if no previous experience doing fieldwork, experience in outdoor activities such as hiking, camping, etc is required). Good physical condition is required to conduct fieldwork in difficult condition (access to the research sites can be difficult requiring hiking on uneven ground carrying equipment). Previous experience in a molecular laboratory (with knowledge of basic methods such as DNA extraction, PCR and gel electrophoresis) is preferable.