Recherche | Faites une différence | Laurentian University

Future Driven

Laurentian University researchers will change the world. Your gifts will help them do it.

In 2017 and in 2018, Laurentian was named Canada’s number one undergraduate university in total sponsored research income*. With considerable growth in research activity, the University is strengthening external linkages, enhancing community relationships and expanding its global reach. Our research and innovation activities are catalyzed within Northeastern Ontario, reflecting our unique geographic, cultural and demographic circumstances.

*According to Research Infosource

Erica Marrello, a third-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing student and Co-president of the French Nursing Council, stands in the Laurentian University nursing simulation lab holding an IV pole and her stethoscope.

News

Nursing Students Win at Provincial Games; Student Leader Erica Marrello Shares the Journey

For Erica Marrello, nursing became a calling during the COVID-19 pandemic when her father suffered ...

May. 13, 2026

Three Laurentian University students—(from left to right) Christian Alvarez-Sierra, Jenna Legault, and Evyn Martin—stand in an outdoor apiary wearing full white protective beekeeping suits and mesh veils. They are each holding up a wooden hive frame covered in honey bees to inspect the health of the colony, with blue and yellow hive boxes stacked on wooden pallets in the foreground.

News

Rebuilding Ecosystems Through Pollinators in Post-Mining Landscapes

Some may wonder what work honey bees have to do on a mine site, but for one Laurentian University fa...

May. 07, 2026

Karolyn McGovern, photo taken by Chris Elliott

News

Measuring Ecosystem Health by Listening to Frogs

Karolyn McGovern, a master’s student in Biology with a bachelor’s degree in the same field, is the w...

May. 06, 2026

Gisele Roberts, Director of Research and Innovation, smiles while holding her AUTM Canadian Award for excellence in technology transfer.

News

Gisele Roberts Honoured with National Award for Excellence in Technology Transfer

Laurentian University is pleased to announce that Gisele Roberts, the Director of Research and Innov...

May. 01, 2026

News

$450,000 Pledge from Vale and USW to the Dr. Leo Gerard Chair in Occupational Safety and Health

Mar. 02, 2026

Areas of Strength

Materials, Minerals, Matter and Energy

Fundamental Subatomic Physics: Sudbury is a global location of choice for deep underground research and Laurentian, through its partnership with SNOLAB, is pushing the boundaries of basic research to increase fundamental knowledge and to find solutions in the areas of neutrinos and dark matter, where some of the techniques developed can be applied successfully in other fields.
Mineral Exploration: cutting-edge fundamental and applied research, using multidisciplinary and multiscale approaches across the full spectrum of the geosciences to advance our understanding of the formation and space-time distribution of the mineral resources needed by an evolving society.
Mineral Extraction and Processing: research that advances and innovates in mineral extraction and processing through the applied sciences of mining technology, methods and design, and examines economic, labour, health, and safety issues, in partnership with industry, government and Indigenous communities.
New Materials: integrative research to develop new materials and cutting-edge technologies for advanced astroparticle physics experiments, biomedical and industrial applications and environmental remediation.

Young woman wearing a lab coat, working with a microscope.

Environment

Impacted Northern Landscapes: a globally recognized leader in research to develop innovative remediation and reclamation strategies and solutions in industrially-impacted landscapes, including finding new values in mining environments through innovative biomining, bioprospecting, and carbon capture technologies.
Biodiversity and Conservation: research that addresses stressed aquatic ecosystems, species-at-risk, and the effects of human stressors on wildlife, including the impacts of climate change and resource management on the terrestrial and aquatic communities and their environments.
Built Environments: design-build, materials research and research-creation methods to find built solutions for livable environments for northern climates and climate change adaptation.

A group of researchers standing knee-deep in a lake with a net.

Health, Health Services and Well-Being

Health and Safety: innovation and discovery to solve relevant and critical problems and eliminate occupational injury and disease in the workplace.
Rural and Northern Health: research to improve health determinants, services and access to care for rural and northern communities, with a particular focus on promoting health equity of northern and rural residents and enhancing our understanding of the healthcare system.
Healthy Life Trajectories: research, intervention, and programming that promotes and enhances mental, emotional, physical, social and community wellness at all stages of life and that recognizes intersectionality.
Biomedical and Genomic Research: basic and applied research into the molecular and genomic basis of biological complexity and disease, including ethical issues.

A Human Kinetics student using a respiratory device while her professor monitors the data collected on a computer.

Histories, Identities, Cultures and Languages

Indigenous and Ally-Led Community-Centred Research: research that respects Indigenous worldviews and Indigenous communities’ voices, that benefits Indigenous peoples and supports and promotes Indigenous peoples as researchers.
La Francophonie in Ontario and Canada: research, art and creative-based practices, education and outreach to understand the diverse realities, cultures and dynamics of Francophone communities in Ontario and across Canada.
Realities and Challenges of Northern Ontario: research that addresses the historical, political, economic, environmental, industrial and commercial specificities of this region.