The VIVA Mental Health Science POP Awards competition is an opportunity for students and postdocs at the Douglas Research Centre to gain experience communicating their research topics to a wider audience. Since May, a dozen Douglas students have been preparing to participate in one of three challenges, receiving training and feedback from various speakers.
The event, during which the ten presentations were given and judged, took place at Douglas Hall on Friday, 29 January 2026. Multidisciplinary juries composed of community members, representatives from CIUSSS-ODIM, and researchers and students from the Douglas Research Centre ranked the presentations. In addition, the audience voted for their favourite presentation.
The candidates who won first prize in this local VIVA Science POP competition will represent Douglas at the Quebec Science POP grand final on 17 and 18 April 2026.
Outreach challenge
1st place (participation in the Science POP final):
Maria Zimmermann (team of Dr Turecki)
Bridging the Gap Between Nature and Nurture: The Epigenome
Media challenge
1st place (participation in the Science POP final):
Zoey Chapman (team of Dr. Massimiliano Orri)
The Dark Side of Uncertainty
People’s Choice Award
Micah Provost (team of Dr Cermakian)
The role of the master clock for our circadian rhythms and our response to light
Maria Zimmermann, Zoey Chapman and Manuela Ferrari
Congratulations once again to everyone who took part, and good luck to the finalists in the next stage of the competition!