As part of Le Devoir’s special issue “Relève en recherche,” INRS helped produce an article highlighting the work of Océane Hourtané, a Water Sciences graduate and recipient of the Best PhD Thesis Award in this field. Her story reflects the scientific rigour, curiosity, and social engagement that are driving the next generation of INRS-trained researchers.
At the Eau Terre Environnement Research Centre, Océane has brought her focus to bear on understanding the behaviour of emerging metals such as gallium, lanthanum, and platinum—elements widely used in modern technologies and sourced from the environment. By generating new data and developing innovative methodological tools, her research helps to better assess the risks that these metals can pose for aquatic ecosystems and biodiversity.
The French-born Hourtané found at INRS a collaborative and decompartmentalized scientific environment conducive to applied research. “Here, autonomy and interdisciplinarity are encouraged. This allows us to address problems from multiple angles and propose practical solutions,” she explains.
Now a postdoctoral fellow at INRS, she continues to work in partnership with the Ministère de l’Environnement, la Lutte contre les changements climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs (MELCCFP). Her goal is to help develop freshwater quality criteria for purposes of informing decision-making and ensuring the sustainable protection of biodiversity.
Read the full article in Le Devoir’s special issue titled “Relève en recherche” (in French).
