Description of the sessions

Chairs:
- Martine Dorais (phytologie, ULaval)
- Marianne Falardeau (science et technologie, TELUQ)

The issues of food autonomy and food security in northern communities are multidimensional, influenced by ecological, social, and cultural dynamics, further complicated by environmental changes. Access to traditional foods, as well as healthy store-bought foods, is identified as a key determinant of community well-being. This session invites presentations and copresentations addressing food autonomy and food security in the North, along with related themes, using inter- or transdisciplinary approaches.

Chairs :
- Marcel Babin (biologie, ULaval, CNRS)
- Flavie Lavoie-Cardinal (psychiatrie et neurosciences, ULaval)

Over the past two decades, high-resolution optical imaging has made spectacular progress, with seemingly no end in sight. In this session, we will present results that illustrate the progress made in high- and super-resolution imaging and microscopy in the fields of neuroscience and environmental science, and the breakthroughs made possible by cross-fertilization between these two disciplines.

Chairs:
- Raoul-Marie Couture (chimie, ULaval)
- Catherine Girard (sciences fondamentales, UQAC)

A unique feature of the high Arctic is the pace of change in the landscape. As climate alters glaciers, lakes, rivers and streams, shifting biogeochemical fluxes force microbial niches to adapt. In this context, this session aims to present collaborative aquatic research that builds on terrestrial field work in some of the last perennially ice-covered environment of the northern hemisphere.

Chairs:
- Mathieu Ardyna (biologie, ULaval/CNRS)
- Maxime Geoffroy (Fisheries and Marine Institute of Memorial University of Newfoundland)
- Audrey Limoges (sciences de la terre, University of New Brunswick)

The Arctic Ocean displays high connectivity through currents, water masses and biogeochemical processes which are being reshaped by climate-induced changes. As a result, the structure and resilience of Arctic marine ecosystems from the Arctic Ocean gateways to its most emblematic refuge, the Last Ice Area, are increasingly affected. This session explores the interactions between climate, the environment and Arctic ecosystems on several spatial and temporal scales.

Chairs:
- Mathilde Poirier (biologie, ULaval)
- Normand Voyer (chimie, ULaval)

Northern terrestrial ecosystems are subject to significant climatic pressures, affecting the organisms that make them up. Alterations to snow cover and seasonal cycles, as well as changes to communities and ecological interactions, are examples of the disturbances encountered by these species. Faced with these rapid transformations of the landscape, collaboration is essential to develop new knowledge and better predict the effects of these upheavals. Between resilience and fragility, what does the future hold for northern ecosystems?

Chairs:
- Caroline Hervé (anthropologie, ULaval)

How do we define a “result” in research-creation and participatory research? What are the impacts for Inuit communities? What do non-native researchers learn from them? We'll be looking at the multiple and often intangible effects of research and knowledge transfer processes. We propose a multi-voiced conversation about the spaces that research projects create - places of sharing, enrichment and creation.

Chairs:
- Jean-Pascal Bilodeau (génie civil et génie des eaux, ULaval)
- Christophe Krolik (droit, ULaval)

In a context of climate change, it is necessary to develop and maintain innovative, resilient and sustainable infrastructures for the northern communities of Quebec and Canada. By fostering interdisciplinarity and bringing in new perspectives, we design change while integrating social acceptability and the involvement of indigenous peoples. This session explores innovative infrastructure projects in northern Quebec that will contribue to a sustainable and inclusive future.

Chairs:
- Michelle Garneau (géographie, UQÀM)
- Pascale Roy-Léveillée (géographie, ULaval)

Although permafrost ecosystems are vulnerable to climate warming, the interactions between thermokarst processes, vegetation succession and soil thermal and biogeochemical conditions remain poorly documented. This session welcomes presentations addressing the positive and negative feedbacks between permafrost, vegetation, and climate, as well as interdisciplinary perspectives on the evolution of permafrost landscapes and their implications for both the natural environment and the cultural and social milieu of communities.

Chairs:
- Paul De Koninck (biochimie, microbiologie et bio-informatique, ULaval)
- Vincenzo Di Marzo (médecine, ULaval)

Environmental and social challenges are unfolding at a fast rate, especially in the North, inevitably affecting our physiology and health. Through the concept of “One Health”, calling for experts in environmental, animal and biomedical sciences to work together to understand the connections between these fields of science, several interdisciplinary projects, launched through the Sentinel North initiative, have focussed on the impact of the exposome (e.g. pollution, stress, diet) on health, from the gut to the brain and other organs, and via the emerging role of the microbiome.

Chairs:
- Antoine Allard (physique, génie physique et optique, ULaval)
- Dominique Gravel (biologie, UdS)

The abstracting power of mathematics unveils unsuspected similarities between systems of diverse origins. Using this common language, fields as varied as ecology, physics, sociology, economics and epidemiology are able to dialogue, leading to a better dissemination of ideas and building bridges across disciplines. The objective of this session is to highlight research projects in which these interdisciplinary conversations built through mathematical modeling took place.

Chairs:
- Pierre Ayotte (médecine sociale et préventive, ULaval)
- Yves St-Pierre (INRS)

Northern environments provide northern populations land and country food, essentials to their well-being and identity. The changes observed in these environments, particularly with the presence of numerous contaminants, are threatening the quality of traditional foods and the health of populations. This session presents various research studies focused on monitoring the quality of the northern environment (water, land, air), and proposes a discussion on new elements to consider in assessing the risks and benefits of traditional food in northern regions.