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Our People

Office of the Vice President Research

The Office of the Vice-President Research works in collaboration with both institutional and external stakeholders to optimize both fundamental and commercial research activities and to maximize the visibility of their impacts and outcomes locally, nationally, and internationally.

This team works actively to lead high-level research partnerships and coordinate strategic initiatives between Laurentian University, funding agencies, government organizations, private sector entities, and industry.

By cultivating and supporting large-scale university wide programs and initiatives aligned with Laurentian University Strategic Research Plan, the Office of the Vice-President Research aims to foster and support a vibrant institutional environment in which innovative and transformational research can be achieved. 

 

Office of the Vice-President Research Staff

Headshot of Dr. Tammy EgerDr. Tammy Eger
Vice-President of Research
Email: vpresearch@laurentian.ca

Dr. Tammy Eger is a Full Professor at Laurentian University in the School of Human Kinetics and was the inaugural Research Chair in Occupational Health and Safety with the Centre for Research in Occupational Safety and Health (2015-2019). Her research interests focus around the application of ergonomic and human factors principles in industry. She is the co-founder of the Centre for Research in Occupational Safety and Health and co-developer of the first mobile occupational safety and health research lab in Ontario.

Dr. Eger is an author of over 50 journal papers, 100 conference abstracts, and has delivered more than 50 invited presentations around the world. She has received over five million dollars in research funding as a principal and co-investigator from: the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, Canadian Foundation for Innovation, the Ontario Workplace Safety and Insurance Board, and the Ontario Ministry of Labour. Dr. Eger was also instrumental in raising over four million dollars to support the operations of the Centre for Research in Occupational Safety and Health during her tenure as Director and Research Chair. 

Dr. Eger attended Queen’s University earning Bachelor’s degrees in Biology, and Physical and Health Education, and a Masters and Doctoral degree with a specialization in occupational biomechanics. She is an alumna of the Homeward Bound Projects international leadership program for women in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine. 

Lisette Legault
Executive Administrative Assistant
Phone: 705-675-1151 (3944)
Email: llegault@laurentian.ca

As the Executive Assistant to the Vice-President, Research, Lisette is responsible for managing the Vice-President’s calendar and email; ensuring the effective functioning of the office; overseeing all budgets; is the recording secretary and administrative support to the Research, Development and Creativity Council, the Research Ethics Board Liaison Committee; the Research Coordination Group; and various implementation and search committees.

Office of Research Services

The mandate of Office of Research Services (ORS) is to support researchers with all aspects of their research activities. This mandate encompasses a broad suite of services which includes assisting researchers in every step of the pre and post research grant funding process, grant funding administration, knowledge mobilization, human participants research ethics, animal use protocols, and intellectual property management and technology transfer.

This support includes, but is not limited to:

  • reviewing and providing feedback on grant applications,
  • assisting faculty in finding appropriate external funding opportunities,
  • managing and offering support for internal funding opportunities,
  • delivering workshops about grant opportunities and grant writing best practices,
  • meeting one-on-one with faculty to develop grant proposals as well as long-range plans for research funding,
  • assisting with mid- and end-of-grant progress reports,
  • working as a liaison between researchers and funding agencies to resolve issues or answer questions,
  • working as a liaison between researchers and the finance department to resolve issues, and
  • support and assistance with the ROMEO database.

Office of Research Services Staff

Gisele RobertsHeadshot of Gisele Roberts
Director, Research and Innovation
Phone: 705-675-1151 (3866)
Email: groberts@laurentian.ca

Gisele brings critical expertise as director with over 15 years of experience in tech transfer, innovation services, and research administration, having served most recently as the Interim Director of Research and Innovation. During her time as Manager of Innovation and Commercialization at Laurentian, Gisele played a key role in the establishment of the Jim Fielding Innovation Centre, lead the development of a post-secondary entrepreneurship support program that provided resources to students at Laurentian, Cambrian College and Collège Boreal, and successfully negotiated Laurentian’s first license agreement which led to the university’s first issued patents and royalties. 

Gisele holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Laurentian University and a Masters in Business Administration from Memorial University.  She is a member of the Canadian Tech Transfer Professionals, the Ontario Research and Commercialization Alliance, and was a Board Member of AUTM (2020-2023).  

Lise Carrière
Post-Award and Ethics Officer
Lead ROMEO Administrator
Phone: 705-675-1151 ext. 2429
Email: lncarriere@laurentian.ca

As the Post-Award and Ethics Officer, Lise’s main responsibilities are to work with the research team and serve as the office of record for all awards and ethics certifications made to researchers. She is responsible for preparing funding reports on funding received and manages recordings of information in databases and other records. She also monitors and facilitates compliance for all ethics and awards regulations and requirements. She assists investigators and project personnel throughout the duration of their award with their obligations under the terms and conditions of the awards. Lise serves as the university’s ex-officio representative on the Research Ethics Boards and the Animal Care Committee. Finally, she is the lead administrator for the ROMEO database, an online database-driven system that manages certifications and awards and tracks grant status and facilitates funding disbursements. Lise offers a variety of additional services to the University, including presentation and workshops on the ROMEO system and a variety of research ethics topics.

Lise joined the Office Research Services team as the Research Contracts Officer. Lise came to Laurentian in 2007, where she worked at the Institut franco-ontarien in the role of Executive Assistant. In 2010, she accepted a Nurse Practitioner/MScN Clinical Placement Coordinator position at the School of Nursing. Lise has built her career in a variety of roles and industries where she learnt quickly how to adapt to different working environments.

Heather Dufour 
Innovation and Commercialization CoordinatorHeadshot of Heather Dufour
Phone: 705-675-1151 (5095)
Email: hdufour@laurentian.ca

Heather obtained a B.Sc. in Forensic Science/Analytical Chemistry and a M.Sc. in Chemical Sciences from Laurentian University. She has ample experience in student and colleague training as well as using chromatography and high resolution mass spectrometry to investigate organic molecules. Heather has also published peer-reviewed articles in analytical chemistry journals such as the Journal of Analytical Toxicology, Analysis Methods and the Journal of Chromatography B. From April 2018 to April 2021, Heather was the lead technologist in the Perdue Central Analytical Facility and was responsible for set-up and daily operations in the facility as well as implementing health and safety procedures. She also maintained facility equipment, trained facility users on equipment use and participated in method development for faculty, students and industry. 

In May 2021, Heather began a new role as innovation and commercialization coordinator. In this role, she will support the development, operation and promotion of the Jim Fielding Innovation and Commercialization Space through training, mentoring and networking. 

Dr. Christopher McTiernan
Research Advisor
Phone: 705-675-1151 ext. 3406
Email: cx_mctiernan@laurentian.ca

Christopher received his B.Sc. in Biochemistry in 2008 and M.Sc. in Chemical Sciences in 2010 from Laurentian University. He then obtained his Ph.D. in Chemistry at the University of Ottawa in 2016 and followed this up with postdoctoral training at the Université de Montréal and University of Ottawa Heart Institute, where he worked in the interdisciplinary field of Regenerative Medicine. In 2021, he returned to Sudbury to work as a Senior Research Chemist for a local biotech startup. He has published his work in several high-impact peer-reviewed journals, has experience in the drafting and review of grant applications, and has coordinated several international projects. 

Christopher is responsible for all pre-award processes related to the natural sciences, health sciences, and engineering and in assisting researchers in finding potential sources of funding.
 

Andrée Noiseux
Research Advisor
Phone: 705-675-1151 ext. 2423
Email:  aj_noiseux@laurentian.ca

Andrée is responsible for all pre-award processes related to research in the social sciences and humanities. She completed an undergraduate degree in History and Spanish at Laurentian University in 2007 and a Master’s degree in International Development and Globalization at the University of Ottawa in 2012. Andrée has experience in grant proposal writing, project coordination, program evaluation and student mobility pathways.

Ryan O'Donnell
Research Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Advisor
Phone: 705-675-1151 ext. 5100
Office: L-648
rodonnell@laurentian.ca

Ryan is the Research Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Advisor for the Office of Research Services and the Metal Earth initiative. As Research EDI Advisor, he is responsible for working with various stakeholders within Laurentian University to support practices of inclusion and equity for researchers, faculty, students, and staff. Ryan is coordinating the development of the Canada Research Chair Equity, Diversity and Inclusion action plan, leading facilitations for EDI-related issues within the university, and consulting and engaging with community members on EDI gaps.

Originally from Whitby, Ontario, Ryan moved to Sudbury to attend Laurentian University where he completed his undergraduate degree with a major in psychology and minor in communication studies, and with a specialization in social psychology. 

During his final year at Laurentian, Ryan conducted a thesis, with the help of Dr. Cynthia Whissell, on the topic of varying interpretations of words and language between English and French-speaking students, using Dr. Whissell's Dictionary of Affect in Language. This study brought him to his realization of interest in understanding various perspectives and experiences across identities, and working towards inclusion and understanding of all people. 

Learning about and fostering equity, diversity, and inclusion is a never-ending journey on which we can all embark, to uphold values and environments which welcome and include all people of varying identities. 

Ryan has previous experience in EDI-related work at the Social Planning Council of Sudbury (prior to its closing in 2022), as well as with the Greater Sudbury Police Service, and strives to grow his capabilities of fostering equity and inclusion while assisting in supporting Laurentian's increasingly diverse population.

Laura Williams
Administrative Assistant
Phone: 705-675-1151 ext. 4996
lwilliams1@laurentian.ca

As the Administrative Assistant for the Office of Research Services (ORS), Laura provides administrative support to the ORS, the Director of Research and Innovation and the University Veterinarian. She also serves as recording secretary on the Research Ethics Board and the Animal Care Committee.

Craig Yeates
Industry Liaison Officer
Email: cyeates2@laurentian.ca

As the Industry Liaison Officer for the Northern and Rural Innovation Cluster, Craig provides intellectual property (IP) support and services to researchers, industry, and entrepreneurs on campus and in our communities. 

Tri-Council Leaders

The Tri-Council Agencies, made up of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), are major sources of research funding for post-secondary institutions in Canada. Tri-Council funding is vital for providing a supportive environment for fundamental and applied research, training highly qualified personnel, and fostering innovation at Laurentian University.

The primary function of the Tri-Council Leaders is to build synergies between the Agencies and the university community by facilitating the exchange of knowledge regarding research trends, new research programs, policies and directions, as well as identifying new opportunities for interdisciplinary research collaborations. Laurentian’s Tri-Council Leaders will be the university’s key interlocutor at national meetings, where they will have the opportunity to express the viewpoints of Laurentian’s research community. Within the university, locally and regionally, the Tri-Council Leaders will promote the Tri-Council’s mandate by engaging in outreach and consultation activities which will promote the research and scholarly works in each research discipline.   

Headshot of Alexender MoiseDr. Alexander R Moise
NOSM-Laurentian University

  • Associate Professor, Medical Sciences Division, Northern Ontario School of Medicine at Laurentian University
  • BSc. Hon. Genetics and Ph.D. Zoology (2000), University of British Columbia
  • Postdoctoral training in Ophthalmology (U. Washington) and Pharmacology (Case Western Reserve University)
  • Recruited to NOSM/Laurentian in 2017 from University of Kansas where he held an Associate Professor position in Pharmacology and Toxicology
  • Research supported by NSERC and NIH (NICHD) is focused on the roles of vitamin A in embryonic development, vision and regulation of metabolism
  • Awarded a Fulbright US Scholar Award held at the Brazilian Biosciences National Laboratory (LNBio)  
  • Has served on grant review panels for NSERC, NIH, American Heart Association, Israel Science Foundation, and German Research Foundation
  • Co-chair of the FASEB Retinoid Meeting and a member of scientific advisory and award committees for the American Association for Anatomy and the Society for Birth Defects Research and Prevention 

Headshot of Thomas MerrittDr. Thomas Merritt
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
tmerritt@laurentian.ca

Dr. Thomas Merritt is a functional genomicist with a wide range of research projects connecting genetic diversity and biological complexity. Much of this research quantifies interactions across metabolic networks in the Drosophila (fruit fly) model system integrating population and molecular genetics, genetic engineering, and environmental stresses to examine simple and complex phenotypes including broad metabolomics effects and epigenetic gene regulation. Recent work has radiated out to address questions of community and metabolic diversity in locally and globally important microbes that drive environmental damage in mine drainage environments. These microbial projects are addressing interesting questions in both applied and fundamental science. All projects are unified by common questions addressing the translation of gene and genome diversity into biological complexity.

Headshot of Diana CoholicDr. Diana Coholic
School of Social Work
dcoholic@laurentian.ca

Dr. Diana Coholic has been a clinical social worker for over 20 years. Her SSHRC-funded research program is investigating the effectiveness of an arts-based mindfulness group program for the improvement of child/youth well-being. In September 2016, she began a new 3-year project with youth aged 11-17 years old who are experiencing challenges with schooling. Information can be found on her research website: www.dianacoholic.com.  

Diana is a core member of the research group ECHO - Evaluating Children's Health Outcomes (http://www.echoresearchcentre.com.) She is also the Academic Director for the Northern Ontario Region of YouthREX that has a mission to make "research evidence and evaluation accessible and relevant to Ontario’s youth sector through knowledge mobilization, capacity building and evaluation leadership."