Series: Undergraduate Student Research Awards Recipients (#1)

(August 13, 2026) - This summer, twenty-four students have the opportunity to support research projects through Laurentian University with funding provided by Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). Undergraduate Student Research Awards (USRAs) are meant to nurture interest among undergraduate students and develop their potential for a research career. This funding provides students with research work experience that complements their studies in an academic setting.

The project topics carry a wide variety, from designing child-friendly urban spaces to studying cell growth in low-radiation environments 2 kilometers underground at SNOLAB. Students support research for a period of sixteen weeks on a full-time basis, from May to August.

Getting the opportunity to contribute in a meaningful way to a research project is often reserved for graduate students. The students’ year of study, major, and areas of research vary but they all similarly demonstrate the positive impact that this opportunity has on their current studies and future goals.

In this part one of a two part series, we will introduce the students and their projects.

Jérémie Pharand, 3rd year Pharmaceutical Chemistry student at Laurentian University

Hometown: Sudbury, ON

High school: École Secondaire Macdonald Cartier

The main focus of my project is to test the surface roughness of Nickel electrodeposits under different conditions. This is done from a solution of Nickel(II) Sulfate and Nickel(II) Chloride.

Nicole Luciani, 4th year Biomedical Biology student at Laurentian University

Hometown: Strathroy, ON

High school: Strathroy District Collegiate Institute

My research project focuses on using environmental DNA (eDNA) to uncover black fly-host interactions in Northern Ontario.

Christine Madrid, 4th year Biochemistry student at Laurentian University

Hometown: Sudbury, ON

High school: St. Charles College

Researching catalytic chelators and their mechanism of inactivating zinc-dependent metalloenzymes.

Rohwen Bockus-Murphy, 4th year Zoology student at Laurentian University

Hometown: Scarborough, ON

High school: Rosedale Heights School of the Arts

This project is looking at the possible effects of long term heavy metals exposure on male frog advertisement call metrics. This could give insight into more stressors affecting frog reproductive success in Ontario and other areas seeing industrial chemicals leaching into local water systems.

Jack Moskalyk, 4th year Kinesiology student at Queen’s University

Hometown: Sudbury, ON

High school: Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School

The main focus of this research is to compare the effectiveness of EEG-based (SmartCap) and camera-based PERCLOS fatigue monitoring systems in detecting driver fatigue during simulated underground mining operations. The study aims to determine which technology or whether a combination of both provides earlier and more reliable detection of fatigue to help prevent fatigue-related incidents in the mining industry.

Jayden Igiraneza, 4th year Architecture student at Laurentian University

Hometown: Mississauga, ON

High school: École secondaire catholique Sainte-Famille

The main objective of this project is to study architectural and urban strategies that meet the needs of children and promote their well-being, particularly in the context of medium-sized cities. My role is to help prepare activities, support the children during the activities, and analyze the results.

Preah Macdonald, 4th year Zoology student at Laurentian University

Hometown: London, ON

High school: Sir Frederick Banting

My project is focused on the nesting phenology of midland painted turtles in Algonquin Provincial Park. Using the long-term data collected over the past 54 years, I will analyze the impact of changing spring and fall temperatures on clutch frequency and internesting interval over time.

Chibike Ijomah, 4th year Biomedical Biology student at Laurentian University

Hometown: Sudbury, ON

High school: St. Charles College

The main focus of my research project is to expand on the validation of a Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP)-based assay for Fluconazole resistance in Candida species. I am assessing the reproducibility of the LAMP-based assay across various patient samples collected from Northern Ontario hospitals.

Liam Michaud, 4th year Biomedical Biology student at Laurentian University

Hometown: Sudbury, ON

High school: Collège Notre-Dame

This project employs potentiometric titration to characterize the surface chemistry of biochar, aimed at elucidating how its functional groups govern its environmental performance.

Michael Poitras, 3rd year Biomedical Biology student at Laurentian University

Hometown: Sudbury, ON

High school: St. Charles College

How the absence of background radiation impacts eukaryotic cell growth. Through SNOLAB and Pioreactor technology, we will compare yeast grown under normal background radiation with yeast grown under extremely low radiation conditions to better understand the biological impact of background radiation.

Nico Simon, Biomedical Biology graduate at Laurentian University

Hometown: Sudbury, ON

High school: Collège Notre-Dame

My research focuses on Retinol Saturase, an enzyme critically involved in vitamin A metabolism. This summer, I have been exploring its role in mitochondrial activity through genetic engineering and various metabolic assays.