Series: Undergraduate Student Research Awards Recipients (#2)

(August 19, 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) under the Undergraduate Student Research Awards (USRA) program. Learn more about the USRA program and read our first profile feature here.

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

Ian Deschene, 4th year Kinesiology student at Laurentian University

Hometown: Sudbury, ON

High school: Lockerby Composite School

Investigating why heavy equipment operators sometimes ignore or become desensitized to safety alarms, and how this "alarm fatigue" impacts safety risks on the job.

Alberto John Rondina, Biomedical Biology graduate at Laurentian University

Hometown: Sudbury, ON

High school: St. Benedict Catholic Secondary School

My research investigates how the inflammatory protein c5a affects JAK/STAT signalling and catecholamine production in adrenal cells during sepsis. The goal of this research is to improve our understanding of adrenal dysfunction during sepsis.

Mallory West, 3rd year Zoology student at Laurentian University

Hometown: Sudbury, ON

High school: Sudbury Secondary School

Analyzing water chemistry and biological samples in local lakes alongside the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP). This includes identifying fossilized insect larvae (Chaoborus) in lake sediment to reconstruct historical water quality and ecosystem changes over time.

Alan Ripley, 4th year Behavioural Neuroscience student at Laurentian University

Hometown: Markdale, ON

High school: Grey Highlands Secondary School

My research examines how the near-total absence of background ionizing radiation affects eukaryotic cell physiology, culturing Saccharomyces cerevisiae in a continuous pioreactor system at SNOLAB — a world-renowned underground laboratory 2km beneath the Earth's surface — through NOSM University. The goal is to advance our fundamental understanding of radiation biology and its implications for human health, from cancer mechanisms to extreme environments such as deep space.

Yerim Chung, 2nd year Biochemistry student at Laurentian University

Hometown: Sudbury, ON

High school: St. Benedict Catholic Secondary School

My research investigates the application of microbial engineering for environmental bioremediation, with a focus on developing biological strategies to degrade plastic waste, reduce nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions, and remediate metal-contaminated environments. By leveraging the metabolic capabilities of microorganisms, this research seeks to contribute to sustainable solutions for pressing environmental and public health challenges.

Suman Jha, 3rd year Chemical Engineering student at Laurentian University

Hometown: Jalandhar, Punjab, India

High school: Army Public School

Evaluating mineral separation processes, specifically studying how adjusting operational parameters in froth flotation can maximize the efficient recovery and extraction of critical minerals.

Zoe Booth, 3rd year Biomedical Biology student at Laurentian University

Hometown: Sudbury, ON

High school: École Secondaire du Sacré Coeur

Investigating how a high-fat diet affects specialized hormone-producing cells (enteroendocrine cells) in the gut lining. Understanding these changes helps reveal how high-fat diets influence metabolism, gut health, and signals related to hunger and digestion.

Similoluwa Olufowobi, Biomedical Biology graduate at Laurentian University

Hometown: Sudbury, ON

High school: Confederation Secondary School

Uncovering the molecular mechanisms that allow colorectal cancer cells to become resistant to radiation therapy, aiming to identify potential pathways to make treatments more effective.

Tapsirou Dia, 4th year Mechanical Engineering student at Laurentian University

Hometown: Sudbury, ON

High school: École secondaire Macdonald-Cartier

Evaluating how heavy equipment vibrations transmit through a worker's feet to the rest of the body, measuring how effective different dampening materials are at reducing physical fatigue and long-term injury risks.

Samuel Cotnoir, 3rd year Biomedical Biology student at Laurentian University

Hometown: Sudbury, ON

High school: École secondaire Macdonald-Cartier

This summer, I’m travelling to wildland firefighter bases across Northern Ontario to conduct half-face respirator mask fit testing. I am also analyzing air monitoring data from a previous field study to evaluate wildland firefighters exposure to airborne gases and particulate matter.

Jordan Fergani, 4th year Behavioural Neuroscience student at Laurentian University

Hometown: Sudbury, ON

High school: LoEllen Park Secondary School

Measuring low-level light emissions given off by human kidney cells and melanoma skin cancer cells after exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation to better understand cellular responses to UV damage.

Emma Salvati, 4th year Biomedical Biology student at Laurentian University

Hometown: Sudbury, ON

High school: Lasalle Secondary School

The project investigates how exposure to toxic heavy metals impacts the health, behavior, and genetics of fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster)—a key model organism whose genetic similarities to humans help scientists better understand environmental health risks.