海角社区

2026 Annual 海角社区 AMR Symposium

AMR 鈥� A One Health Perspective

Monday, June 8, 2026听| 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM (tentative)
In-Person | Registration required
Networking reception to follow听

Plaza Centre-Ville, Regency A Ballroom
777 Boulevard Robert-Bourassa, Montreal

The 海角社区 AMR Centre hosting it's 6th Annual Symposium on Monday June 8, 2026!听We invite you to join this in-person event to network and discuss AMR-related topics, AMR community research interests and needs.听Special guests Sabrina Sholts (Smithsonian Institute) and Ed Topp (INRAE) will be the keynote speakers.听

Registration is now closed.听

Program:

8:30 AM Registration opens

9:00 AM Welcome

9:15 AM Keynote Presentation:

• Sabrina Sholts, Biological Anthropology, Smithsonian Institution
  "AMR, One Health, and Natural History"

10:00 AM Faculty short talks

• Veasna Duong, Pandemic and Emergency Readiness Lab, 海角社区
  "Diagnostic Performance of NS1 Antigen Rapid Test and Its Impact on Antibiotic Use in Suspected Dengue Patients in Three Cambodian Provincial Hospitals"
• Sara Mahshid, Bioengineering, 海角社区
  "Nano-plasmonic optofluidic for ultra-rapid antimicrobial susceptibility testing"

10:40 AM Break

11:00 AM Faculty short talk

• Corinne Maurice, Microbiology & Immunology, 海角社区
  "Characterizing the gut phageome in early life"

11:20 AM Trainee flash talks

11:45 AM Lunch break/Career Insights Trainee Luncheon听with non-academia experts:

• Colombe B茅laise,听Technico-commercial Analyst, Axelys
• Sigrun Kullik, AMR Task Force,听Public Health Agency of Canada
• Fr茅d茅ric Leduc, Chief Business Officer, Anasens
• Patrick O'Neill, Medical Science Liason, bioM茅rieux
• Alexander Schurr,听Clinical听Research听Coordinator, MI4 - Clinical Research Program,听RI-MUHC
• Josephine Sciortino,听Senior Director of Editorial, Canadian Science Publishing
• Manuella Villion, Microbiologist, Centre d'expertise en analyse environnementale du Qu茅bec (CEAEQ)

1:00 PM Keynote Presentation:

• Ed Topp, INRAE, University of Burgundy
  "Role Played by the Environment in the Emergence and Spread of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) in Plant-Based Food Production Systems"

1:45 PM Faculty short talks

• Caroline Duchaine, Biochemistry, University Laval
  "Bioaerosols and AMR: towards understanding their role and impacts"
• Xin Zhao, Animal Science, 海角社区
  "Exploring One Health Connections: How Might Antimicrobial Resistance Move from Livestock to Humans"
• Nitish Boodhoo, Animal Science, 海角社区
  "The One Health implication of Enterococci in poultry production"

2:45 PM Poster Session and Break

4:00 PM Fireside Chat: Andr茅 Picard moderator with Sabrina Sholts and Ed Topp
鈥淏ringing science and knowledge to action: from citizens to global organisations鈥�

5:00 PM Closing &听Networking reception
Dr Sholts will be available to sign her book "The Human Disease: How We Create Pandemics, from Our Bodies to Our Beliefs" - bring your copy! Her book can be purchased on or .

About our Speakers:

Sabrina Sholts, PhD
Curator of Biological Anthropology,听Department of Biological Anthropology
Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History

Bio:听Dr. Sholts is a Curator of Biological Anthropology in the Department of Anthropology at the Smithsonian鈥檚 National Museum of Natural History (NMNH), where her research uses One Health approaches to explore intersections of human, animal, and environmental health in the past and present. She received her PhD in Anthropology at UC Santa Barbara and was a postdoctoral researcher at UC Berkeley in the Department of Integrative Biology and the Human Evolution Research Center.鈥疕er first book, The Human Disease: How We Create Pandemics, from Our Bodies to Our Beliefs (MIT Press,鈥�2024), won a PROSE award and a Smithsonian Secretary's Research Prize in 2025. Sholts was Lead Curator for the exhibit 鈥淥utbreak: Epidemics in a Connected World鈥� at NMNH in 2018-2022 and scientific advisor for the exhibit 鈥溍塸id茅mies, prendre soin du vivant鈥� at the mus茅e des Confluences鈥痠n Lyon, France in 2024-25. She was named a World Economic Forum Young Scientist in 2019 and received the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) in 2025.

Abstract: Many of the greatest threats to global health are shared by people, animals, and environments, necessitating 鈥淥ne Health鈥� approaches to these interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral challenges. One challenge of growing urgency is antimicrobial resistance (AMR), where excessive antimicrobial use in different sectors, particularly human听medicine听and agriculture, has听facilitated听the rapid emergence of drug-resistant microbes that spread across species via water, soil, and food. However, some of the human activities that promote AMR in the 21st century - such as industrialized livestock farming and global travel and trade - are also drivers of emerging听viral zoonoses and other One Health problems. In this presentation, I will discuss these activities in contexts of natural history and human evolution, with a focus on anthropological, paleomicrobiological, and historical evidence that sheds light on past processes of intensification and helps to inform effective strategies for future management.

Ed Topp, PhD
ANR/INSERM Senior Research Chair, Priority Research Program on AMR
Research Director, Agroecology Mixed Research Unit, INRAE, University of Burgundy, Dijon, France
Founder of the EDAR conference series and Co-Chair of EDAR8

Bio: Since July 2023, Dr. Topp has held the ANR/INSERM Senior Chair, in France鈥檚 Priority Research Program on Antibiotic Resistance, and is Director of Research at the UMR Agroecology at the INRAE research center in Dijon. Before his arrival in France, he was a Principal research scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC). He was also the scientific coordinator (2016-23) of the Federal genomics research and development initiative on antimicrobial resistance [GRDI-AMR], a key element of the Canadian federal action plan against antimicrobial resistance. He holds adjunct faculty positions in the Department of Biology at the University of Western Ontario. Ed is an environmental microbiologist and chemist and conducts research on animal and crop production practices that are protective of environmental and human health. A particular focus is the mitigation of the development and transmission of antimicrobial resistance. Ed has co-authored over 325 peer-reviewed publications and has an H-index of 91 (Google scholar 11.2025). He co-authored the 2023 United Nations Environmental Program report 鈥溾��. He is a past president of the Canadian Society for Microbiologists (2011), and was on the JPIAMR Science Advisory Board (2019-21). He was awarded the AAFC Gold Harvest award for Career Achievement (2015), and the Government of Canada Public Service Award of Excellence for Scientific Contribution (2016). He was elected a corresponding member of l鈥檃cademie d鈥檃griculture de France (2016) and was appointed a Fellow of the Soil Science of America (2022).

Abstract: This presentation will give an overview of what is known about the emergence and transmission of AMR in plant-based food production systems. Among the various sources and transmission routes considered include the use of fertilisers of faecal origin, and irrigation with treated municipal wastewater. The relative significance of microbial and of chemical contaminants including antibiotics will be considered. Finally, reference will be made to past and ongoing research, and key knowledge gaps will be听identified.

Nitish Boodhoo, PhD
Dr. Boodhoo's research program is centered on advancing the understanding of gastrointestinal health in avian species. Particular emphasis is placed on developing next-generation therapies like vaccines, probiotic formulations, and other immunomodulatory interventions. Ultimately, his goal is to fortify the health and productivity of poultry while mitigating the transmission of zoonotic agents along the poultry value chain, thereby reinforcing both animal and public health security.

Caroline Duchaine, PhD
Dr. Duchaine is the holder of the Tier-1 Canada Research Chair on Bioaerosols, and Professor at the Faculty of Science and Engineering, Universit茅 Laval. Her research focuses on bioaerosols, from a human, animal and environmental perspective.
听

Veasna Duong, PhD
Dr. Duong is a virologist with nearly 20 years of experience working on endemic and emerging arboviruses and zoonotic viruses. He began his career at the Institut Pasteur du Cambodge (IPC) in 2005 and earned his PhD in 2011, serving as Head of the Virology Unit from 2020 to 2024 before moving to Canada. Now based at 海角社区鈥檚 Pandemic and Emergency Readiness Lab (PERL), his work focuses on point-of-care diagnostics of arboviruses to optimize antibiotic use in low-resource settings, and on bridging genomic and field surveillance with basic science to better understand viral emergence and inform preparedness.

Sara Mahshid, PhD
Dr. Mahshid is an associate professor of Bioengineering at 海角社区, a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair, and an associate member of the Division of Experimental Medicine and interdisciplinary initiatives such as MI4 and the AMR Centre at 海角社区. Her lab develops innovative nano-biosensing diagnostic devices that integrate nanomaterials, microfluidics, and artificial intelligence. With multiple patents, over 70 high-impact publications in top-tier journals, and leadership roles in international networks, she is at the forefront of translating fundamental research into bedside applications for cancer, infectious diseases and antimicrobial resistance.听

Corinne Maurice, PhD
Corinne Maurice, PhD, is a Tier 2 Canada Research in Gut microbial interactions, an Associate Professor in the Microbiology & Immunology Department at 海角社区, and co-Director of the 海角社区 Centre for Microbiome Research. Her lab explores the interactions between gut bacteriophages, viruses specific to bacteria, and bacteria in a variety of conditions, to determine how to use bacteriophages to promote health.

Xin Zhao, PhD
Dr. Zhao is a professor in the Department of Animal Science with training in lactation physiology. His research focuses on mastitis in dairy cows and gut health in poultry. His group aims to reduce antibiotic use in animal production, mitigate zoonotic risks, and enhance food security and safety.

About our Non-academia Experts

Colombe B茅laise, PhD听
holds a degree in general engineering with a specialization in materials and structural mechanics from EPF Engineering School (France, 2014), as well as a master鈥檚 and PhD in biomedical engineering (biomechanics) from the Universit茅 de Montr茅al (2018). She worked as a biomechanics researcher at IN脡DI (2018鈥�2022) before joining Axelys as a technico-commercial analyst. In this role, she conducts in-depth prior art and market analyses to assess patentability and support decisions on advancing or discontinuing the valorization of scientific and technological innovations.

Sigrun Kullik, PhD
joined the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) in 2022, where she contributes to the Canadian Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance System (CARSS) as the surveillance lead for AMR in built and natural environments. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Guelph in Environmental Biology and has contributed to diverse initiatives across the federal government, including integrated risk management, program evaluation, and the environmental assessment of pharmaceuticals and veterinary drugs. Most recently, she led the development of PHAC鈥檚 Environmental Surveillance Strategic Framework (ESSF), which provides guidance on increasing access to data and evidence for the environmental dimensions of AMR.

Fr茅d茅ric Leduc, PhD
is a scientific entrepreneur and life sciences executive with a track record of building biotechnology companies, raising significant capital, and translating breakthrough science into clinical and commercial opportunities. He currently serves as Chief Business Officer at Anasens, where he leads business development, strategic partnerships, and commercialization initiatives for the company鈥檚 DNA nanosensor-based diagnostic platform. Over his career, Fr茅d茅ric has co-founded and led biotech ventures across human and animal health, secured more than $35M in funding, advanced innovative immunotherapy programs into clinical development, and built strategic partnerships with leading industry players, including Johnson & Johnson. His experience spans oncology, infectious diseases, animal health, diagnostics, and precision medicine. A committed builder of the Canadian life sciences ecosystem, Fr茅d茅ric also serves as Chairman and Member of the Board of BIOQu茅bec and Co-Chair of Sweet Biopharma Day, where he helps create platforms that connect entrepreneurs, investors, pharma leaders, and emerging Canadian biotech companies. Known for combining scientific depth, business pragmatism, and strong communication skills, he is passionate about mentoring scientific entrepreneurs and advancing innovations that can improve health outcomes.

Patrick O'Neill, MBA, M.Eng
is a seasoned biotechnology innovator currently contributing to bioM茅rieux's mission of advancing diagnostics as a Medical Science Liaison. He holds an M.Eng. in Biological and Biomedical Engineering from 海角社区 and an MBA from Concordia University. Prior to joining bioM茅rieux, Patrick was the founder and CTO of a diagnostics-focused biotech startup, where he led the development of patented biosensor technologies for clinical and industrial immunoassay applications. His multidisciplinary expertise bridges engineering, business, and translational science, driving impactful solutions in healthcare.

Alexander Schurr,听MScPH
completed his undergraduate studies in Political Science at Concordia University before developing a strong interest in public health and medicine. He attended the 海角社区 Summer Institute in Infectious Diseases and Global Health, where exposure to global health topics and inspiring researchers motivated him to pursue graduate studies in these fields and eventually led to completing a Master of Public Health at 海角社区.听Following his degree, he worked in homelessness research at the Douglas Mental Health University Institute, contributing to public health research focused on vulnerable populations. Enjoying direct interaction with people most, he now works as a clinical research coordinator in hospital and clinic settings.

Josephine E. Sciortino
is Senior Director of Editorial at Canadian Science Publishing, where she manages a team of Editorial Directors and Journal Development Specialists to grow and development scientific journals. She is a graduate of the Publishing Program at George Washington University. She has worked in scholarly publishing for over 25 years with various biomedical societies in the management of their specialty journals, including the Canadian Urological Association Journal (as the inaugural managing editor) and the Canadian Medical Association Journal. She also is an active volunteer at her local library and literacy group in Montreal, Canada.

Manuela Villion, PhD
who holds a PhD in microbiology, works as a microbiologist at the Centre d鈥檈xpertise en analyse environnementale du Qu茅bec (CEAEQ) of the Quebec Ministry of the Environment. Based in Quebec City, her professional activities consist not only of overseeing the laboratory鈥檚 microbiological analyses conducted under ISO 17025 standards, but also of staying abreast of new technologies that could enable better monitoring of environmental microbial contaminants. In recent years, in collaboration with colleagues on her team and university researchers, she has focused specifically on analyses for monitoring antimicrobial resistance genes in the environment and on metagenomic analyses.