Pascale Tremblay, Ph. D.
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
Marilyne Joyal, Ph.D.
Research associate (full-time)
Marilyne holds a Master’s degree in speech language pathology and a PhD in experimental medicine from Université Laval. Her thesis focused on brain and behavioral correlates of semantic processing in healthy and pathological aging. She joined the laboratory in order to further contribute to the development of knowledge in the field of cognitive neuroscience that helps understand the mechanisms underlying human communication.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Coralie Mus
Research intern
I am a 3rd year student in the baccalaureate in biomedical sciences. I have always been passionate about the human body and how it works, as well as about aging. The clinical part of research is something that interests me greatly, bringing together under the same heading patient contact, problem solving and here certain effects of aging.
Ana Berteaux
Research intern
I am an undergraduate student in biomedical sciences. I am interested in health sciences, particularly in clinical research. This field perfectly combines my interests for human contact, data analysis, and scientific writing. I think that cognitive neurosciences are a very stimulating expertise - I am happy to be part of the Neurospin project to learn more about brain aging related to speech and hearing.
Marie Phoenix
Research assistant, undergraduate student in psychology
I am a second-year bachelor’s student in psychology at Université Laval. I have a strong passion for the brain and how it functions. I am always in search of information that can help me understand certain brain deficits and possible pathologies, especially the ones that touches memory and language. I like to learn about people’s life et how their experiences can affect their behaviors and their cognition. I wish to pursue my academic course by doing a doctorate degree in neuropsychology.
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.
Alumni
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
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
Émilie Belley
Research assistant, undergraduate student in linguistics, graduate student in speech-language pathology
2017-2020
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
Lisa-Marie Deschênes, B.A.
Undergraduate research assistant, student in psychology, Université Laval
Benjamin Côté, B.A.
Research intern, master student in linguistics
2019-2020
Agathe Porssut
Graduate research intern, speech-language pathology student
Audrey Desjardins
Stagiaire de recherche à l'été 2019, étudiante au baccalauréat en ergothérapie
Julie-Anne Veilleux, MOA
Graduate research assistant, speech-language pathology student
Melody Courson, Ph. D.
Doctoral student
Eloi Gagnon, B.Sc.
Stagiaire de recherche, étudiant au baccalauréat en sciences biomédicales
Elena Vaccaro, B.A.
MITACS research intern, graduate student in speech-language pathology at Sorbonne
Catherine Denis, B. A.
Research assistant, graduate student in speech-language pathology
Antoine Halbaut, B. A.
International research intern, graduate student in biomedical sciences
Anne-Christine Bricaud, B. A.
International research intern, gradiuate student in speech-language pathology
Catherine Lortie, Ph.D.
Doctoral student in experimental medicine at Université Laval, under the supervision of Drs Matthieu Guitton and Pascale Tremblay
Daniel Kennedy-Higgins, M. Sc.
Research intern, doctoral student at University College London (Speech, Hearing and Phonetic Sciences) with Patti Adank and Joseph Devlin
Micaël Carrier
Research intern, undergraduate student in biomedical sciences, Université Laval
Anthony Tremblay, B.A., M. O. A.
Master student in speech-language pathology
Chloé Chagnon-Dumesnil
Undergraduate research assistant, undergraduate student in linguistics, Université Laval
Marie Hélène Tessier, B. A.
Undergraduate research assistant, student in psychology, Université Laval
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.
Camille Boudreau
Research assistant, undergraduate student in psychology, Université Laval
Mylène Bilodeau-Mercure, M. Sc.
Master student in experimental medicine at Université Laval, under the supervision of Dr Pascale Tremblay 2013-2015
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