Lab Members

Pascale Tremblay, Ph. D.

Researcher, full Professor in Rehabilitation Sciences at Université Laval, and director of the Lab.

Pascale Tremblay is a full professor in the rehabilitation department at Université Laval, where she teaches in the speech-language pathology and audiology programs and acts as graduate research director for the M.Sc. and Ph.D. programs in rehabilitation sciences. She hold the Canada Research Chair (Tier 1) in the Neurobiology of speech and hearing.

At the crossroad of cognitive neuroscience, linguistics, gerontology and rehabilitation, Dr. Tremblay’s interdisciplinary research program aims to uncover the neurobiological mechanisms underlying the perception and production of speech and voice in adults, which are important building blocks of social interactions. Her work also focuses on understanding how aging affects speech and voice and, ultimately, aims to relate age-related communicative changes to age-related neurobiological changes in order to gain insights into underlying mechanisms. This knowledge is key to develop new innovative strategies to prevent, delay or even reverse the effects of aging on communication by inducing neuroplastic changes in the neurological circuits involved in speech and hearing processing, which is another focus of her research. Strategies under investigation include neurostimulation and the practice musical activities, especially singing, as well as other types of speech/vocal expertise. To achieve these goals, Dr. Tremblay and her team study the anatomy and functioning of the brain using state-of-the-art cognitive neuroscience methods such as functional, anatomical and diffusion brain imaging [MRI] as well as transcranial magnetic stimulation [TMS] and electroencephalography [EEG]. They also use modern behavioural and physiological approaches, such as bio-acoustical analyses of the speech signal, analyzes of speech errors, facial electromyography [recordings of muscle activity], measures of facial muscle force and endurance, respiration patterns, to study speech and voice mechanisms and to understand how these mechanisms evolve over the lifespan. 

To learn more about ongoing projects, visit the section « Project .» To discover our installations, visit the  « The Lab » section.

Click on the links here to view Dr Tremblay’s Google scholar profile, her Pubmed  bibliography or her ORCID profile. Interested in joining the lab for a research internship, a M.Sc./PhD or a postdoc? Contact us!

Lab Members

Natália Brambatti Guzzo

Lab coordinator

Natália has a PhD in linguistics, and most of her research focuses on phonetics, phonology, language acquisition, and language variation. Her research involves experimental work and data analysis. Natália is also a lecturer in the Département de langues, linguistique et traduction and in the École de langues at Université Laval. Her website is https://nataliaguzzo.github.io.

Melissa Dion

Research Associate (part-time)

Mélissa holds a bachelor's degree in psychology and doctoral studies in neuropsychology. She joins the laboratory as a research associate as well as a doctoral student. Her research interests focus on normal and pathological cognitive aging, as well as the different mechanisms underlying cerebral neuroplasticity.

Valérie Brisson, B.A.

Doctoral student in rehabilitation sciences

Valérie is a graduate student in language sciences at Université Laval. She pursues her passion for linguistics et language neurosciences trough her master’s project on speech perception and aging. She is also interested in beneficial effects of music on the brain and on communication, as she is herself a musician in the OSMFQ (Orchestre Symphonique de Musique de Films de Québec) since 2015. Valérie also loves to get involved in her community by participating at fundraisers and volunteering at the CPCQ (Centre de Parrainage Civique de Québec).

Xiyue Zhang, M.Sc.

Doctoral student in Neuroscience

Xiyue is a PhD student in neurosciences at Université Laval. Her interest is the protecting effect of singing on communication and cognition in aging. She joined the lab after working in pharmaceutical industry for three years. She holds a master's degree in Biomedical Engineering (BME) from University of Florida in the US and a bachelor's degree in BME from Beijing Institute of Technology in China.

Alexandre Sicard

Master student in rehabilitation sciences

Interested in science since high school, Alexandre found a particular interest in health sciences. Student during one year in the bachelor's degree in biopharmaceutical chemistry, he then completed a bachelor's degree in biomedical sciences. He thus began a master's degree in rehabilitation sciences. His project aims to investigate the effects of musical practice on brain health and cognitive abilities.

David Ratelle

Graduate student in audiology and research assistant

How can such small disturbances in the air carry so much meaning for human beings? This is the big question that prompted David to undertake his master's studies in audiology at Laval University and to join the Speech and Hearing Neurosciences Laboratory. Preceded by a rich related experience, he holds a master's degree in interpretation from the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal, which he obtained with great distinction as a soloist and as a chamber musician. David has also shared his passion through music education, supported by master's studies in music education at UQAM, he has worked in the private and public sectors with students of all ages.

Sarah-Ève P. Goulet

Research Assistant

I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Laval University. Human behavior and its link with the normal or pathological functioning of the brain fascinate me. Neuropsychology is a field that allows me to nourish my different interests. Therefore, I plan to pursue my academic career with a doctorate in neuropsychology.

Lydia Gagnon

Research assistant, graduate student in speech-language pathology

Aware of the importance of communication in the human experience, Lydia is intrigued by language in all its components. Currently a Bachelor’s student in Language Sciences at Laval University, she wishes to better understand the complexity of this faculty’s disintegration during normal and pathological aging. Lydia believes that it is important that people are able to express their thoughts to the best of their ability. She is therefore also interested in learning Quebec’s sign language​.

Pascale Bédard, M. Sc.

Research associate (part-time)

Pascale is interested in phonetics, and computational lingusitics. She graduated from the lab in 2016. Her master thesis focused on the creation of a large database of Québec spoken French syllables (SyllabO+). She now works part-time at the Speech and hearing neuroscience laboratory towards the creation of a database of Quebec oral French syllables.

Nathan Guillon

Research assistant, undergraduate student in linguistics

As a student in the bachelor's degree in language sciences of the Université Laval and a graduate in music from Cégep de Sherbrooke, Nathan is passionate about music and linguistics. His attraction for studying sound is confirmed by his interest in phonetics. Aiming for a Ph.D., Nathan's goal is to become a professor and researcher in that field.

Jessica Laroche

Research intern, undergraduate student in biomedical sciences

Jessica is a bachelor’s student in biomedical sciences at Université Laval. She is passionate about neuroscience and wants to learn more about the effects of aging on the brain. Clinical research in this area is of particular interest to her because of the techniques used and the human side it involves.

Philippe Prucha

Resident in diagnostic radiology

After completing a bachelor's degree in biology at McGill University I completed my medical studies at Université de Montréal in 2022. My interest for diagnostic imaging led me to pursue my residency in diagnostic radiology at Université Laval. My project in neuroimaging will attempt to establish a link between cerebral structural data obtained through MRI and cognition in a normal population.

Évelyne Drouin

Research assistant, undergraduate student in psychology

Currently pursuing a bachelor's degree in psychology, Évelyne has always had an interest in the neurological difficulties that affect human functioning, and mainly in language. The observation of brain aging is therefore of interest to her as it allows her to highlight certain language pathologies due to age.

Alumni

Marie Phoenix

Research assistant, undergraduate student in psychology

2023

Marilyne Joyal

Research associate

2020-2023

Coralie Mus

Research intern, undergraduate student in biomedical sciences

2023

Ana Berteaux

Research intern, undergraduate student in biomedical sciences

2023

Keir Lawley

MITACS Research intern

2023

Thomas Vézina

Research intern, undergraduate student in psychology

2023

Jessica Laroche

Research intern, undergraduate student in biomedical sciences

2023

Marianne Lapointe

Research intern and undergraduate student in biomedical sciences

2023

Edith Durand

Postdoctoral scholar

2022

Juan Camilo Becerra-Mateus

Research intern

2022

Sabrina Juhasz

Research intern, undergraduyate student in biomedical sciences

2021-2022

Camille Fuduche

Research intern, master student at Université de Strasbourg, France

2022

Marie-Clarisse Perron

Research intern, undergraduyate student in biomedical sciences

2020-2021

Alison Arseneault, B.A.

Research assistant, graduate student in remedial teaching

2019-2021

Sophie Simard

Research intern (fall 2019 and winter 2020), undergraduate student in biomedical sciences

2020

Julia Picard

Research intern summer 2020, undergraduate student in biomedical sciences

2020

Chloé Gingras, B.A.

Doctoral student in psychology

2018-2021

Maxime Perron, B.Sc.

Master student in clinical and biomedicasl sciences

2017-2020

Émilie Belley

Research assistant, undergraduate student in linguistics, graduate student in speech-language pathology

2017-2020

Catherine Fontaine-Lavallée, M.Sc.

Research associate (full-time)

2018-2020

Julie Poulin, B.A.

Graduate research assistant, master student in speech-language pathology

2017-2019

Isabelle Deschamps, Ph. D.

Chercheuse associée, Professeure au Georgian College, Early Childhood Education Department

2013-2016

Alexandra Lavoie

Undergraduate research assistant, student in linguistics

2018-2020

Catherine Savard

Undergraduate research assistant, student in linguistics

2018-2020

Lisa-Marie Deschênes, B.A.

Undergraduate research assistant, student in psychology, Université Laval

2018-2019

Benjamin Côté, B.A.

Research intern, master student in linguistics

2019-2020

Agathe Porssut

Graduate research intern, speech-language pathology student

2019

Audrey Desjardins

Research intern, undergraduate student in OT

2019

Julie-Anne Veilleux, MOA

Graduate research assistant, speech-language pathology student

2017-2018

Melody Courson, Ph. D.

Doctoral student

2013-2018

Eloi Gagnon, B.Sc.

Research intern, undergraduate student in biomedical sciences, Université Laval

2018

Elena Vaccaro, B.A.

MITACS research intern, graduate student in speech-language pathology at Sorbonne

2018

Catherine Denis, B. A.

Research assistant, graduate student in speech-language pathology

2016-2018

Antoine Halbaut, B. A.

International research intern, graduate student in biomedical sciences

2017

Anne-Christine Bricaud, B. A.

International research intern, gradiuate student in speech-language pathology

2017-2019

Catherine Lortie, Ph.D.

Doctoral student in experimental medicine at Université Laval, under the supervision of Drs Matthieu Guitton and Pascale Tremblay

2013-2017

Micaël Carrier

Research intern, undergraduate student in biomedical sciences, Université Laval

2016

Daniel Kennedy-Higgins, M. Sc.

Doctoral student at UCL with Patti Adank and Joseph Devlin

2015

Anthony Tremblay, B.A., M. O. A.

Master student in speech-language pathology

2013-2016

Chloé Chagnon-Dumesnil

Undergraduate research assistant, undergraduate student in linguistics, Université Laval

2015

Marie Hélène Tessier, B. A.

Undergraduate research assistant, student in psychology, Université Laval

2014-2016

Avril Treille, M. A.

Research intern supervised by Pascale Tremblay, and doctoral student in cognitive sciences at Universités de Grenoble (France) under the supervision of Marc Sato, Jean-Luc Schwartz and Coriandre Vilain.

2015

Camille Boudreau

Research assistant, undergraduate student in psychology, Université Laval

2015

Mylène Bilodeau-Mercure, M. Sc.

Research assistant, then Master student in experimental medicine

2012-2015

Claudie Ouellet, B.A.

Research assistant

2013-2015

Anne-Marie Audet, B.A.

Research assistant

2013-2015

Julie Rivard, B.A., M.A., M.O.A.

Speech pathology master student at Université Laval

2013-2015

Nancy Meunier, B.A., M.O.A.

Speech pathology master student at Université Laval

2013-2015

Vanessa Kirouac, B.A., M.O.A.

Speech pathology master student at Université Laval

2012-2014

Nancy Langlois, B.A., M.O.A.

Speech pathology master student at Université Laval

2012-2014

Vincent Ferland-Longpré, B.A., M.O.A.

Speech pathology master student at Université Laval

2012-2014