Blanchette Lab Foot Health Research Team
For my team and I, health is more than a field of research — it is a true calling. A diverse and interdisciplinary team, we are united by common methods and objectives in order to advance knowledge in service of the population.
Always striving for excellence, we work with rigour, collaboration, professionalism, and autonomy, while emphasizing a flexible and human-centred approach. Peer learning, mutual support, and enjoyment are at the heart of our daily work.
Students
Graduate Students (MSc, PhD)
Jany-Ève Allard is a podiatrist pursuing a Master’s in Physical Activity Sciences at UQTR under the supervision of Virginie Blanchette and the co-supervision of Magali Brousseau Foley. Her interest lies in improving the management of foot wounds in people living with diabetes. Her project focuses on patient-reported measures and experiences to improve the quality of diabetic foot care.
Yassin Andoulsi is a podiatrist currently pursuing a Master’s in Biomedical Sciences at UQTR under the supervision of Virginie Blanchette and the co-supervision of Magali Brousseau-Foley. His interest in diabetic foot research developed during his podiatric training, as he was a research intern at the Blanchette Lab. His project focuses on implementation science for improving community-based screening services for foot complications in primary care, with a Canadian and international perspective.
Annabel Bourgault is a podiatrist pursuing a Master’s in Physical Activity Sciences at UQTR, under the supervision of Virginie Blanchette and the co-supervision of Jérôme Patry. Her work focuses on shared decision-making and diabetic feet, particularly regarding the choice of offloading modalities during and after ulcer healing. The subject of her work reflects her commitment to bringing evidence closer to clinical practice in order to improve the quality of care offered to people living with diabetes.
Émile Carrier is a podiatrist who has begun a Master’s in Biomedical Sciences at UQTR under the supervision of Virginie Blanchette and the co-supervision of Magali Brousseau-Foley. Eager to improve front-line foot health care and services, his work focuses primarily on the effects of the preliminary implementation of a community-based service for diabetic foot screening in a family medicine group.
Élise Mahé-Duverger is a pedicurist-podologist trained in France. She is pursuing a Master’s in Biomedical Sciences at UQTR under the supervision of Virginie Blanchette and the co-supervision of Anik Giguère. Driven by a desire to support individuals in their health choices and foster their autonomy, she is leading a project on the co-design of a shared decision-making aid supporting the choices of people living with diabetes and foot amputations.
Maya Fakhfakh completed her medical training in Tunis, followed by a Master’s in Public Health with a thesis at Université Laval. She is currently pursuing a doctorate in Biomedical Sciences at UQTR in collaboration with Université de Montréal, under the supervision of Virginie Blanchette and the co-supervision of Magali Brousseau-Foley. She is interested in reducing inequalities in access to care, public health, and digital health solutions to strengthen prevention in primary care. Her work focuses on the co-construction of a community-based primary care service and on exploring the use of artificial intelligence.
Solène Libier eis a pedicurist-podologist trained in France. She discovered research during a Mitacs internship at UQTR in Virginie Blanchette’s team, where she is now pursuing a Master’s in Physical Activity Sciences under her supervision and the co-supervision of Antoine Perrier. Her project focuses on the research culture and capacities of Quebec podiatrists and French pedicure-podiatrists, with the aim of strengthening the links between research and clinical practice.
Linda Mili is a Master’s student in Biomedical Sciences at UQTR under the supervision of Virginie Blanchette and the co-supervision of Magali Brousseau-Foley. Before turning to research, she completed medical studies in France and a master’s degree in ethics. Convinced that health is grounded in individual autonomy and trust, her master’s project focuses on preventing foot complications in people living with diabetes, through the co-development of a shared decision-making aid for footwear choices.
Narimane Meddas is a doctoral candidate in Biomedical Sciences at UQTR in collaboration with Université de Montréal, under the supervision of Virginie Blanchette and the co-supervision of Magali Brousseau-Foley. Holding a degree in fundamental microbiology from an Algerian university, she is conducting a thesis on knowledge application for diabetic feet using a translational approach aimed at improving infection management, including shared decision-making.