A grant from the CHS to better understand the impact of noise on users of hearing aids and cochlear implants
Cirris is pleased to announce that Philippe Fournier, Ph.D., researcher at Cirris and professor at Laval University, has been awarded a $90,400 grant from Canadian Hearing Services – Global Partnership for Innovation.
Entitled “Measuring the pleasantness or loudness of natural sounds, as well as the functional consequences of noise on hearing aid and cochlear implant users,” the project aims to better understand how people with hearing loss perceive and tolerate noise in their daily lives.
Noise is the second most harmful source of environmental pollution and is associated with many negative effects, such as fatigue, stress, sleep disorders, and difficulty concentrating. People with hearing disorders, including tinnitus, hyperacusis, or hearing loss, are particularly vulnerable. Even with hearing aids or cochlear implants, many users report significant discomfort with noise, especially during the first few months of use.
As part of this project, the research team will use two recently developed and validated methods to assess sensitivity to noise. The first involves listening to short excerpts of natural sounds at different sound levels in order to assess their pleasantness and perceived intensity. The second places participants in an immersive environment composed of several speakers, where ambient noise is gradually amplified while they perform a reading task. These approaches will identify the thresholds of annoyance and discomfort associated with noise.
Participants will be assessed before the first fitting of their hearing aid, shortly after use, and then after six months. The goal is to better understand the processes of noise adaptation in users of hearing aids and cochlear implants, in order to contribute to the development of more appropriate rehabilitation strategies that take into account the patient’s experience and promote optimal use of the devices in noisy environments.
The project is led by Philippe Fournier, Ph.D., as principal investigator, in collaboration with Christine Turgeon, Ph.D. (Laval University, Cirris), and an interdisciplinary team of researchers, clinicians, community partners, and students from academic, hospital, and international settings, including François Bergeron, Ph.D., also a researcher at Cirris.
With this grant, Cirris reaffirms its commitment to supporting innovative research aimed at improving the social participation and quality of life of people living with hearing impairments.
The MAIN project wins the Fonds de recherche du Québec Award at the ADRIQ Innovation Awards Gala
The MAIN project was awarded the Fonds de recherche du Québec (FRQ) Prize at the 35th edition of the ADRIQ Innovation Awards Gala, a prestigious recognition that highlights the excellence and impact of this collaborative research initiative led in particular by Cirris.
Led by principal investigator Benoît Gosselin, the MAIN project stands out for its resolutely intersectoral and human nature. According to him, this success is above all the result of a collective effort, bringing together partners who are hand prosthesis users, clinicians from the CIUSSS de la Capitale-Nationale, and a vast network of collaborators from the research, education, and industry communities.
Key partners include several FRQ strategic centers and groups, including Cirris, ReSMIQ, COPL, UNIQUE, CERVIM, and INTER, as well as collaborators from Laval University, ÉTS, and UQAM. The project can also count on the expertise of the TOPMED and Groupe CTT college centers, the support of its industrial partner Bio6 (Quebec City), and the essential commitment of students, interns, and research associates, who bring the project to life every day with their passion and creativity.
Several Cirris researchers are actively contributing to the MAIN project, including Alexandre Campeau-Lecours, Édith Martin, François Routhier, and Véronique Flamand, thereby strengthening the interdisciplinary expertise at the heart of this innovation.
The MAIN project aims to design the first smart hand prosthesis technology based on connected high-density myoelectric sensors (HD-EMG) and interactive deep learning strategies. This innovative approach will not only improve the user experience by compensating for disability more naturally, but also strengthen the neuromuscular capabilities of amputees and fully exploit the potential of their residual limbs, beyond the current limitations of prostheses.
Myoelectric prostheses already represent a major advance in rehabilitation, using electromyography (EMG) to non-invasively capture the electrical signals generated by muscle activity in order to control the movements of the prosthesis. The MAIN project aims to push the boundaries of this technology, thereby increasing its positive impact on both the quality of life of amputees and the socioeconomic development of Quebec.
Bringing together international experts from six FRQ-NT strategic clusters (UNIQUE, ReSMiQ, INTER, REPARTI, CQMF, and COPL), two FRQ-S networks (REPAR and Cirris), college technology transfer centers, public and industrial partners, and four university research chairs (including two Canada Chairs and two Canada-CIFAR Chairs), the MAIN project perfectly illustrates the strength of collaborative and interdisciplinary research supported by Cirris.
Photo credits : Association pour le développement de la recherche et de l’innovation du Québec (ADRIQ)
Alexandre Campeau-Lecours recipient of the 2025 Summa Teaching Award
Congratulations to Alexandre Campeau-Lecours, associate professor in the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering at Laval University and regular researcher at Cirris, for winning the 2025 Summa Teaching Award! This recognition is the most prestigious distinction awarded by the Faculty of Science and Engineering. It aims to honor exceptional individuals who have distinguished themselves through their significant contributions to teaching or research, their commitment to their community, or their professional achievements.
A mechatronics engineer by training, Alexandre Campeau-Lecours completed a doctorate in robotics at Laval University before pursuing a career in industrial research and development at Kinova. He is now dedicated to robotics and rehabilitation engineering, developing assistive technologies (orthotics, movement aids, feeding tools, smart prosthetics) aimed at improving the independence and quality of life of people living with disabilities. His approach focuses on co-creation with users, clinicians, and community partners.
Source and photo credits: Laval University
Creation of a Chair in Leadership in Teaching, Awareness, Self-Management, and Support (SENSAS) for the Well-Being of Veterans and Their Families.
Laval University, in partnership with the Center of Excellence on Chronic Pain for Canadian Veterans (CESLDC), is launching a first in Canada with the creation of the SENSAS (Awareness, Self-Management, and Support) Chair in Teaching Leadership for the Well-Being of Veterans and Their Families. This initiative aims to address a pressing need: chronic pain affects 41% of veterans, twice as many as in the civilian population, while specific resources remain scarce, particularly in Quebec.
The Chair, led by Pascale Marier-Deschênes, assistant professor in the Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, will develop, among other things, a bilingual online program for chronic pain self-management, co-created with veterans. This program can be used alone or as a complement to professional care. At the same time, the Chair aims to raise awareness among the student community, faculty, and health professionals about the unique realities of veterans and their families by developing interactive training modules on topics such as military culture and the transition to civilian life.
The CESLDC’s $500,000 in financial support over five years will enable the Chair to roll out this innovative program, in addition to promoting the ongoing professional development of clinicians already in practice. This interdisciplinary and collaborative approach reflects the values of social engagement and responsibility upheld by Laval University and its Faculty of Medicine.
For Laval University Rector Sophie D’Amours, this project illustrates the concrete impact that the university can have on society, while Dean Julien Poitras emphasizes the importance of training professionals who are better equipped to support veterans in their care journey. This chair marks an important step toward greater recognition of the specific needs of this population.
Source: Laval University News
Photo credits: Yan Doublet, Laval University
Congratulations to the recipients of FRQ-2025-2026 funding!
The Fonds de recherche du Québec (FRQ) recently announced the recipients of its 2025-2026 funding programs. Congratulations to the Cirris researchers and students whose projects have been funded through this competition!
Prof. Alexandre Campeau-Lecours
Program: Team Research Project
Project: Development and validation of a voice control interface for assistive technologies for people living with disabilities
Program: Audace
Project: Development of an anticipatory assistance system using electromyography to assist with involuntary movements in people living with motor incoordination
Prof. François Routhier
Program: Dialogue / Researchers
Project: Xprescience: A media project for popularizing science by, for, and with people with disabilities
Simon Tremblay-Turcotte
Program: Doctoral Research Scholarship
Project: Inclusive aviation: designing accessible and inclusive toilet areas in commercial aircraft for all passengers
Megan Veilleux
Program: Master’s Research Scholarships – Regular Component
Project: Supporting the social participation of people living with traumatic brain injury through the co-development of an intergenerational intervention.
Bérangère Naudé
Program: Springboard Grant
Project: Ergonomic audit of an application promoting residential independence for people with disabilities.
Héloïse Baglione
Program: Doctoral Research Grants for Professional Degree Holders – Regular Component
Project: Clinical management of deficits in understanding affective prosody: a new treatment approach
Aristide Honado
Program: Doctoral Research Scholarships – Research Reintegration Component
Project: Co-creation program for individualized assistive devices to promote social participation among people with disabilities
Ismaël Breton
Program: Master’s research fellowships
Project: Development and validation of a new generation of physical assistance robots
Jean-François Filiatrault
Program: Postdoctoral fellowships
Project: Institutional pathways of people with intellectual and sensory disabilities: life trajectories, self-determination, and intervention strategies
Karine Gendron
Program: Master’s Research Scholarships
Project: Understanding the life trajectories and factors influencing the residential transition experiences of aging adults with intellectual disabilities who left their family home after the age of 40.
Lucie Gattaz
Program: PBEEE / Doctoral Research Scholarships
Project: Social participation and cognitive difficulties following cancer and its treatments: better understanding to better support those affected and their caregivers.
Maxime Boutet
Program: Master’s Research Scholarships
Project: Use of rhythmic sensory stimulation in exploring the neural mechanisms involved in pain perception.
The mission of the Fonds de recherche du Québec is to support and promote excellence in research and the training of the next generation of researchers in the natural sciences and engineering, health sciences, social sciences and humanities, arts, and literature.
Gabrielle Leblanc Huard, Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation Scholar
Congratulations to Gabrielle Leblanc Huard, a doctoral student in social work at the Faculty of Social Sciences affiliated with CIRRIS, who is one of 16 recipients of the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation’s 2025 cohort, selected from more than 680 applications!
Her research project, entitled “Growing Up in Pain: A Qualitative, Exploratory, and Critical Study of the Transition to Adulthood for Young People Living with Chronic Pain,” explores the challenges these young people face when they have to balance chronic pain with the transition to adult independence.
Using a qualitative approach, Gabrielle Leblanc Huard analyzes the support mechanisms available, the social dynamics, and the structural inequalities that influence their journey.
Socially engaged, the doctoral student actively participates in collaborative projects, awareness-raising activities, and initiatives aimed at promoting the rights of people living with invisible health conditions and improving access to social services.
In recognition of her outstanding career and the quality of her research, she has also received doctoral scholarships from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and the Fonds de recherche du Québec – Société et culture, as well as a prestigious Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship.
These distinctions highlight her commitment to social innovation and her desire to have a lasting impact on social work policies and practices.
Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation Doctoral Scholarship
Awarded for academic excellence, social engagement, and openness to diverse perspectives, the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation Doctoral Scholarship is a three-year program. It aims to train leaders capable of transforming their ideas into concrete actions for the good of communities in Canada and around the world. Through its scholarships, mentoring, and public events, the Foundation supports the development of researchers committed to addressing the contemporary challenges facing our society.
See the complete list of 2025 scholarship recipients
Source and photo credits: Laval University
Alexandra Lecours receives the UQTR Scientific Succession Award
On Wednesday, April 16, the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières (UQTR) presented 23 honorary distinctions to members of its university community during the Distinction UQTR ceremony. During the ceremony, Alexandra Lecours was awarded the UQTR Scientific Succession Award, given to a professor at the beginning of their career who stands out for the excellence of their research and demonstrates exceptional leadership and scientific qualities that enable them to develop constructive and lasting relationships with the research community. Dr. Lecours had also previously won the 2023 Francophonie Award for Young Researchers in the Humanities and Social Sciences category.
Alexandra Lecours is an associate professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy at the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, a regular researcher at CIRRIS, and a Junior 2 Research Fellow with the Fonds de recherche du Québec – Secteur Santé. She also holds the UQTR Research Chair (jr) on the health of aging workers.
The entire CIRRIS community would like to offer her its most sincere congratulations!
Embark on Jimmy Pelletier’s World Tour!
Goal: 500 kilometers = $5,000 for inclusion
The Cirris Social Participation and Inclusive Cities (PSVI) research team is launching its own campaign to support Jimmy Pelletier’s Tour du Monde and contribute to the creation of the Adaptavie Health Complex and Hub. The team’s goal is to help bring together research, community engagement, and concrete action. We invite the research community to donate to show their support for this ambitious initiative, which will benefit people with disabilities in Quebec.
It’s simple: 1 km = $10
Each donation symbolizes one kilometer traveled by Jimmy around the world… and a collective step toward a more inclusive world.
Our goal is to mobilize members of our research and teaching community, our collaborators, and partners to collectively purchase kilometers. Together, let’s spread the word about Adaptavie’s mission and support a social project that is essential for the social participation of people with disabilities.
And visit the Jimmy Pelletier hike website for all the details.
Amélie Sanfaçon-Verret winner of the Tavistock Trust for Aphasia Award
Congratulations to Amélie Sanfaçon-Verret, who recently won a £500 scholarship from the Tavistock Trust for Aphasia! She has distinguished herself through the excellence of her aphasia research, which is already having a concrete clinical impact. Amélie’s work, which began while she was studying for her professional master’s degree in speech-language pathology, led to the creation and validation of a new clinical assessment tool for people with acquired communication disorders. Today, she is pursuing her research in the field of aphasia as part of her doctorate in rehabilitation sciences at Université Laval and Cirris, under the supervision of Laura Monetta (Université Laval/Cirris) and Vanessa Taler (University of Ottawa).
The Tavistock Trust for Aphasia Award recognizes members of the student community from all universities in the UK, New Zealand, Australia, Canada and Ireland with a speech-language pathology program.
*In the photo, Amélie Sanfaçon-Verret (recipient/PhD student) Laura Monetta, PhD (research director) and Vincent Martel Sauvageau PhD, (director of the speech-language pathology program, Université Laval).
2025 winners of the Prix Impact Scientifique de la Relève
Congratulations to the 2025 winners of Cirris’ Impact Scientifique de la Relève awards! With these awards, our Centre wishes to highlight the excellence and impact of the work carried out by its student community for the publication of articles making a remarkable contribution to the advancement of knowledge or practices related to Cirris’ mission during the year.
Frédérique Dupuis
PhD student in rehabilitation sciences, supervised by Pr Jean-Sébastien Roy
Article : The effect of a task-specific training on upper limb performance and kinematics while performing a reaching task in a fatigued state
Juan Camilo Mansilla
Postdoctoral fellow, supervised by Pr Normand Boucher
Article : Public Transport in the Disabling City: A Narrative Ethnography of Dilemmas and Strategies of People with Mobility Disabilities
Martin Caouette and Emmanuelle Careau receive the Charles III Coronation Medal
Congratulations to the research members of Cirris who were recently awarded the King Charles III Coronation Medal, a special commemorative award designed primarily to honor Canadians who have made significant contributions to their communities or abroad. It celebrates their achievements, dedication and commitment to the well-being of Canadian society.
Martin Caouette is Associate Professor in the Department of Psychoeducation at the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, researcher at the Institut universitaire en déficience intellectuelle et en trouble du spectre de l’autisme / CIUSSS-MCQ and holder of the Chaire autodétermination et handicap at UQTR. A psychoeducator by training, his research interests focus on the self-determination of adults with an intellectual disability or autism spectrum disorder, in order to better understand the issues at stake in residential and socio-professional contexts, and in the transition from school to adult life. He is interested in the practices of caregivers and, to promote knowledge transfer and proximity to clinical settings, he collaborates with various Quebec and international practice environments.
Emmanuelle Careau is Associate Professor in the Occupational Therapy Program at Université Laval’s École des sciences de la réadaptation, Associate Vice-Rector for International Affairs, Sustainable Development and EDI at Université Laval, and FRQ-S (Junior 1) Research Fellow. An occupational therapist by training, she is interested in developing, implementing and evaluating the impact of innovations in interprofessional education, optimizing collaborative practices and social responsibility projects in healthcare.
The entire Cirris community joins in offering its most sincere congratulations!
Teaching Excellence Award for Simon Beaulieu-Bonneau
Congratulations to Simon Beaulieu-Bonneau, Associate Professor at Université Laval’s School of Psychology, who has been awarded the Prix d’excellence en enseignement in the Associate or Full Professor category for 2023-2024! These awards recognize outstanding research and teaching by faculty members.
Simon Beaulieu-Bonneau is a Cirris researcher and FRQ-S Scholar (Junior 1). A psychologist by training, he holds an attestation for the evaluation of neuropsychological disorders, and his research interests focus on evaluation and intervention in rehabilitation neuropsychology, more specifically with adult clients who have suffered a traumatic brain injury or stroke. He is particularly interested in the functional impacts of cognitive disorders, the links between sleep and cognition, and the use of technology in neuropsychological assessment and intervention.
Photo credits: Faculty of Social Sciences, Université Laval