- Academic Life
- Awards and Distinctions
Paloma da Cunha de Medeiros and William-Jacomo Beauchemin awarded one of the country’s highest academic honours in recognition of their outstanding academic achievement.
Biology PhD student Paloma da Cunha de Medeiros and custom PhD student William-Jacomo Beauchemin are among the 166 recipients of the 2025 Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships.
Awarded annually, by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), this prestigious scholarship recognizes academic excellence, research potential, and exemplary community engagement among doctoral students across Canada.
“Receiving this scholarship is a deeply moving honour. I’m grateful to everyone who has supported me throughout my journey. It strengthens my motivation to study the impact of pollutants on male fertility and to contribute to science in the service of society.”
Paloma da Cunha de Medeiros, PhD student at INRS
For William-Jacomo, the scholarship marks a major turning point—symbolizes a return to academia after several years of collaboration with INRS as a practitioner partner. This valuable experience will contribute to his doctoral research.
“I’m honoured to receive the Vanier Scholarship, which marks a new beginning after years of collaboration with INRS. It paves the way for my return to doctoral studies at a leading research institution.”
William-Jacomo Beauchemin, PhD student at INRS
Understanding male fertility in the age of environmental pollutants
Paloma da Cunha de Medeiros, a PhD student in Professor Daniel Cyr’s lab at the INRS-Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie Research Centre, is tackling a critical public health issue: male infertility.
Her project, “Regulatory Mechanisms in the Differentiation of Epididymal Stem Cells: The Role of Immune Cells in the Epididymis”, explores the interactions between stem cells and immune cells in the epididymis—an organ essential to sperm maturation and male fertility.
She aims to understand how Halo cells—a type of immune cell—affect the differentiation of basal cells, a mesenchymal stem cell present at the base of the epididymal epithelium. Her innovative approach uses epididymal organoids to simulate an inflammatory environment, particularly one caused by nanoplastics—tiny pollutants that are widespread in our environment.
Her research could shed light on the causes of male infertility, which is on the rise both in Canada worlwide.
Rethinking intelligence
William-Jacomo Beauchemin is conducting a sociohistorical study on the concept of intelligence. Under the supervision of Professor Christian Poirier at the INRS Urbanisation Culture Société Research Centre, he explores how this idea—often seen as an individual trait—has been shaped through modern history and various tools and systems of social regulation.
His project, “Intelligence Under Pressure: A Sociohistorical Trajectory of a Modern Category”, seeks to understand how intelligence has been used to classify individuals, legitimize social hierarchies, and shape performance norms. Using interdisciplinary discourse analysis, he examines how the concept is used in theoretical texts, media, and public policy.
He also explores forms of resistance to dominant definitions of intelligence. By uncovering the historical roots of this category, his work contributes to contemporary debates on epistemic injustice and the challenges posed by artificial intelligence.
Congratulations to Both of You!
About the Vanier Scholarship
The Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships Program aims to attract world-class doctoral students to Canada and encourage them to stay. Recipients receive $50,000 per year for three years in support of their studies.
