1st prize: Nathalie Turgeon, Université Laval

Nathalie Turgeon earned a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and pursued her graduate studies (master and doctorate) at Université Laval under the supervision of Professor Sylvain Moineau. Since joining the bioaerosols research laboratory at Université Laval in 2004, she has worked with Professor Caroline Duchaine and established a new research niche within her team: in vitro aerosols. Over the past eight years, Nathalie has contributed to the design and development of seven new aerosolization chambers with a range of partners. She has also created practical training sessions on the topic for collaborators and ground-breaking models of virus transmission via aerosols.

Since 2017, she has worked with members of the research unit of the Québec Heart and Lung Institute and its animal facilities to implement an axenic animal platform that has become a point of pride for the centre.

Nathalie Turgeon also actively contributes to knowledge transfer and training activities by welcoming and supporting graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and undergraduate interns in the laboratory.