Our Team
Paul Villeneuve
Dr. Villeneuve is a Professor in the Departments of Neuroscience and the School of Mathematics and Statistics at Carleton University. He also holds adjunct appointments in the Department of Public Health Sciences at Queen’s University (Kingston, Canada), and the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at McGill University (Montreal, Canada). His research investigates the links between environmental and occupational exposures and health. His current research program includes epidemiological studies on radiation health effects and wildfire smoke. His research has focused mostly on cancer but also spans other health conditions, including cardio-respiratory disease, mental health, and neurodegenerative diseases. Dr. Villeneuve’s research is highly interdisciplinary, and his group maintains close collaborations with researchers worldwide. He has served on advisory committees for the World Health Organization, the U.S. National Toxicology Program, Health Canada, and the Ontario Workplace Safety and Insurance Board. He holds a PhD in Epidemiology from the University of Toronto and was previously accredited as a Professional Statistician by the Statistical Society of Canada.
Students
Brianna Frangione
Brianna is a PhD Candidate in Epidemiology at the University of Ottawa with research interests in occupational and environmental determinants of health. She holds a BSc in Health Sciences from Carleton University. Her doctoral research focuses on the association between occupational exposure to low-dose ionizing radiation and dementia among Canadian nuclear power plant workers. Her research is supported by a Canadian Graduate Scholarship Doctoral Award from the Canadian Institute of Health Research.
Susanna Abraham Cottagiri
Susanna is a PhD candidate in epidemiology at Queen's University, Kingston, Canada, working under the supervision of Dr. Paul Villeneuve (Carleton University) and Dr. Will King (Queen's University). Her thesis explores the association between ionizing radiation and thyroid cancer among individuals living near Canadian nuclear power plants. She holds an MSc degree in Applied Public Health from Cardiff Metropolitan University, UK, and a Bachelor of Technology in Biotechnology from Karunya University, India. Her key research interests include the health impacts of environmental exposures and the prevention of chronic disease.
Matthew McKitrick
Matthew is a Phd candidate whose research examines environmental radiation exposure and associated health risks in communities surrounding Canadian nuclear power plants. His work combines atmospheric dispersion modeling with radiation dose assessment to estimate public radiation doses and evaluate spatial patterns of radionuclide distribution. Building on this modeling framework, Matthew is conducting a cancer risk analysis for leukemia, using the dose estimates developed from his environmental models to assess potential long-term health impacts. His research integrates environmental science, epidemiology, and geospatial analytics to strengthen evidence-based assessments of radiation risk.
Lazara Jimenez Torres
Lazara is a M.Sc. Candidate in Neuroscience at Carleton University, with postgraduate training in Applied Clinical Research from McMaster University and a MD degree from the University of Medical Sciences in Cuba. With a background in pediatrics and epidemiology, her research focuses on environmental determinants of health and the impact of air pollution on childhood cancer in Canada. Her thesis explores the link between fine particulate matter (PM₂.₅), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and childhood cancer incidence; project that would create new knowledge through the analysis of an existing national Canadian-based childhood cohort. Her professional profile can be found on LinkedIn.
Christina Milani
Christina is a Research Associate and MSc Neuroscience student at Carleton University. Her current research focuses on occupational exposures (e.g., crystalline silica, diesel engine exhaust) and cancer outcomes using systematic review and meta-analysis methods. She has over five years of experience coordinating health research projects in environmental and occupational epidemiology, end-of-life and palliative care, and health services utilization. Her broader research interests include environmental and occupational epidemiology, evidence synthesis, and health services research.
Ben Nikkel
Ben is an MSc student in Data Science, Analytics and Artificial Intelligence at Carleton University. His work has focused on air pollution exposure. For his thesis, he is researching the use of social media to measure the respiratory health impacts of wildfire smoke exposure. He holds a BSc in Neuroscience/Statistics from Carleton University.
Abbey Gibb
Abbey is an MSc student in the Department of Neuroscience, where her thesis focuses on investigating the effects of occupational exposure to ionizing radiation and the risk of Parkinson's disease within Canada. She completed her BSc in Neuroscience and Mental Health, with a minor in Psychology, at Carleton University. Following her master’s degree, Abbey hopes to continue her education in the field of epidemiology, building on her growing interest for statistical methods, and passion for health promotion and well-being.
Angelique Bernard
Angelique is an M.Sc. student in Neuroscience at Carleton University. She completed her B.Sc. in the Combined Honours program in Neuroscience and Biology at Carleton. Her research focuses on conducting a systematic review and meta-analysis examining the relationship between cardiovascular disease and pollen exposure. She aims to synthesize current evidence to better understand how pollen may influence cardiovascular outcomes. Outside of research, Angelique has been a dedicated figure skating coach for the past seven years and enjoys mentoring young athletes.
Tofunmi Olanipekun
Tofunmi is a third-year undergraduate student in the Health Sciences program at Carleton University. Her research examines the relationship between prenatal and childhood exposure to air pollution and the risk of developing childhood cancer. She has a passion for understanding how environmental exposures can impact quality of life and is eager to continue her research and contribute to evidence-based initiatives that inform and shape public health interventions.
Abdul-Halick MAMA
Halick is a graduate student in public health with a strong interest in epidemiology and health data science. His work focuses on statistical modeling and the use of population-based data to study health outcomes. He is particularly interested in environmental epidemiology and digital health innovations. During his internship at Carleton University, he will support research examining the impact of air pollution on childhood cancer.
Staff
Sydney Simard
Sydney is a Research Associate in the Villeneuve lab. She holds an MSc in Neuroscience from Carleton University, where her thesis explored sex differences and the influence of estrogen receptors in depressive- and anxiety-like behaviours in rodents in response to chronic stress. She seeks to build on her neuroscience background by examining how environmental and occupational exposures contribute to population-level health outcomes.
Prince Zhao
Prince is an experienced research assistant in the Villeneuve lab. He has a background in biostatistics and large-scale data analysis. He is skilled in SAS programming, with expertise in managing complex datasets, performing survival analysis, and preparing technical documentation.