Our Team

Biography

Nils Ambec is a researcher in ecology and environment at INNOV. With a PhD in environment and a master’s degree in plant ecology and biodiversity, he designs protocols, datasets, and algorithms for spatio-temporal modeling and statistical analysis applied to ecology and agriculture.

A passionate naturalist, he is interested in understanding environmental dynamics, from microhabitats to landscapes. His professional career has led him to publish, work on, and illustrate research projects in France, Sweden, Quebec, Ontario, and New Brunswick.

At INNOV, he contributes to the development of analytical tools and advanced models that support decision-making and sustainable land management.

Specific areas of expertise

• Applied ecology
• Spatio-temporal modeling
• Environmental data analysis/management
• Applied statistics
• Biodiversity

Major projects

• Initiation of a research project on the impact of a forest pest on the water quality of a watershed (OBVD, UQAT, NRCan)
• Distribution models for rare species and muscinal communities
• Study of the dynamics of wetlands and forests, their biodiversity, carbon stocks, and integrity

Email: nils.ambec@ccnb.ca

Biography

Danika Poitras is a researcher at INNOV. She holds a master’s degree in food science and a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from Laval University and has expertise in biogas production, bioprocess optimization, and product development.

Her work focuses on the recovery of co-products and the transformation of industrial agri-food waste into value-added products. Guided by the principles of the circular economy, she develops eco-responsible solutions that support innovation and sustainability in the food sector.

At INNOV, she contributes to the implementation of innovative processes and supports companies in their bioprocess projects.

Specific areas of expertise

• Bioprocesses
•  Biomethanization (biogas)
• Valorization of co-products
• Product development
• Circular economy

Major projects

• Valorization of agri-food waste
• Process development
• Food product development projects

Email: danika.poitras@ccnb.ca

Biography

Anas Madrani is an environmental technician with the CCNB-INNOV network. He supports research teams in characterizing wetlands and forests, setting up experimental devices, and conducting sampling and environmental measurement campaigns.

He specializes in drone image acquisition, photogrammetry, and the production of orthomosaics from aerial photographs. Bilingual and known for his thoroughness, he effectively combines fieldwork, data processing, and technical support for research projects.

Specific areas of expertise

• Characterization of natural environments
• Photogrammetry and drone imaging
• Orthomosaics and spatial data
• Environmental fieldwork
• Technical support for research

Major projects

• Environmental characterization campaigns
• Mapping and aerial imaging projects
• Support for ecological and agricultural projects

Biography

Bruno Tchinda has been a laboratory technician at INNOV for five years. He holds a Master II degree in biochemistry from the University of Yaoundé I (Cameroon) and a DEC in Laboratory Techniques and Biotechnology from the CCNB – Edmundston campus.

He is involved in the analysis of malt and barley, beer brewing, whisky production, beverage quality control, and the analysis of heavy metals and nutrients in plants. He also contributes to the training of students in the biotechnology program, particularly through the laboratory management course.

Specific areas of expertise

• Biochemical and food analysis
• Brewing and distillation
• Quality control
• Heavy metal and nutrient analysis
• Laboratory management

Major projects

• Analyses for the brewing industry
• Quality control projects
• Support for biotechnology training

Biography

Véronik Durette has been a technician at INNOV since 2015, after obtaining her diploma in Laboratory Technology – Biotechnology from the CCNB, Edmundston campus. She completed her training directly at INNOV, where she has pursued her professional career.

Her expertise lies in industrial scale-up, the development of ready-to-drink beverages, and the creation of a variety of recipes. Her notable projects include the valorization of molecules from tree bark and the fermentation and distillation of potato vodka.

In recent years, she has also collaborated on projects with the Ecology and Agriculture division, which has allowed her to broaden her skills and adopt an interdisciplinary approach.

Specific expertise

• Industrial scale-up
• Beverage development
• Fermentation and distillation
• Biomolecule valorization
• Interdisciplinary projects

Major projects

• Valorization of forest molecules
• Development of ready-to-drink beverages
• Bioeconomy and environment projects

Biography

Amy Frenette is a technician at INNOV with over 15 years of experience in agriculture. She has worked for 14 years as a biotechnology laboratory technician, developing expertise at the intersection of agriculture, biotechnology, and bioenergy.

Her work focuses primarily on small- and large-scale microbial fermentation, biomass assessment for biogas production, and the development and optimization of formulations in a research and development context.

At the same time, she integrates artificial intelligence approaches into agriculture, particularly for the detection and evaluation of plant deficiencies, contributing to the advancement of precision agriculture and sustainable solutions.

Specific areas of expertise

• Valorization of co-products
• Microbial fermentation
• Bioenergy and biogas
• Precision agriculture
• Beverage development

Major projects

• Fermentation and bioenergy projects
• Biomass processing and optimization
• Product development

Biography

Ravakiniaina Randrianatoandro is a geomatics project manager at INNOV. She holds a master’s degree in geography specializing in environment and land use planning, as well as a master’s degree in applied geomatics and remote sensing. Her profile combines a solid academic background with advanced technical expertise in spatial analysis and geographic information systems (GIS).

She designs and develops cartographic products tailored to user needs, ranging from thematic and synthetic maps to customized and complex geospatial solutions. Her work includes the creation of interactive online maps, the design of dynamic dashboards, and the development of decision-making tools based on geospatial data.

At INNOV, its expertise in geomatics is applied to many fields, including agriculture, forestry, integrated water resource management, geology, natural resource management, geohazard assessment, and environmental protection. She thus contributes to supporting applied research and innovation projects through rigorous spatial analyses and decision-making tools tailored to territorial issues.

Specific areas of expertise

• Geomatics and geographic information systems (GIS)
• Remote sensing and spatial analysis
• Cartographic product design
• Development of QGIS plugins
• Interactive mapping and dashboards
• Geospatial decision support tools

Major projects

• Development of customized geospatial solutions
• Design of interactive maps and dashboards
• Territorial analysis projects in the environment and natural resources

Email: ravak.randria@ccnb.ca

Biography

Laurie Vidal has been an applied research project manager at INNOV since 2023. Specializing in geomatics and geospatial analysis, she works on multidisciplinary environmental projects, providing cross-functional support to research teams.

A graduate in forest management in France and Canada, she holds a bachelor’s degree in forest management from the University of Moncton (UMCE) and a micro-certificate in Forest Carbon Management from the University of British Columbia (UBC). Her expertise covers hydrological modeling, forest carbon accounting, and natural environment analysis.

At INNOV, she contributes to the acquisition, structuring, and analysis of spatial data, cartographic production, the development of field forms (Survey123), and the development of innovative methodologies. Her work supports projects related to land and natural asset characterization, ecosystem services assessment, water quality monitoring, and carbon accounting in forest and wetland environments.

Specific expertise

• Geomatics and geospatial analysis
• Hydrological modeling
• Forest carbon and wetlands
• Cartographic production
• Field data and Survey123 forms
• Ecosystem services and natural assets

Major projects

• Characterization of the territory and natural assets
• Assessment of ecosystem services
• Water quality monitoring
• Forest and wetland carbon accounting

Email: laurie.vidal@ccnb.ca

Biography

Mike Doucette is a senior researcher at INNOV, specializing in analytical chemistry and food chemistry. A chemistry graduate from the University of Moncton, he has recognized expertise in malting, distillation, industrial scale-up, and extraction of value-added molecules.

During his career, he worked for Environment and Climate Change Canada and in the private sector before joining INNOV, where he has been working for several years on applied research and development projects. He is particularly involved in projects related to brewing sciences and the beverage sector.

In parallel with his research activities, he has contributed to the training of players in the craft beverage sector and the development of quality assurance and quality control programs, thereby supporting the continuous improvement and structuring of industrial practices.

Specific areas of expertise

• Analytical chemistry
• Food chemistry
• Malting and distillation
• Industrial scale-up
• Extraction of value-added molecules

Major projects

• R&D projects in brewing sciences
• Development of processing methods
• Quality assurance and quality control programs

Email: mike.doucette@ccnb.ca

Biography

Dodick Gasser is a senior researcher at INNOV and an expert in applied ecology, environment, and agronomy. He holds a PhD in biology, with a specialization in forest ecology and silviculture (UQAM), as well as a master’s degree in environment (University of Sherbrooke). As an agronomist, he has many years of experience in applied research, project development and management, and grant writing.

His work focuses on natural resource management, agroforestry, ecosystem services assessment, carbon accounting, wetland characterization, and land use planning. He has led large-scale projects related to integrated water management, soil conservation, eco-responsible management of used snow, and land use planning.

Author of more than 40 scientific, technical, and professional publications, he is actively involved in knowledge transfer and the dissemination of research results to scientific, institutional, and industrial communities.

Specific areas of expertise

• Forest ecology and silviculture
• Natural resource management
• Agroforestry and land use planning
• Ecosystem services and natural assets
• Wetlands

Major projects

• Soil conservation and water protection projects
• Ecosystem services assessment and natural asset management
• Land use planning and ecological restoration projects

Email: dodick.gasser@ccnb.ca

Biography

Gerrard Kilfoil is a food science researcher at INNOV. He holds a master’s degree in food science from Dalhousie University and has specialized expertise in malting, brewing, and beverage recipe development.

He has worked primarily with craft microbreweries, contributing to recipe development, industrial scale-up, and process optimization. In addition, he has been instrumental in expanding INNOV’s analytical capabilities, making the laboratory the only one in Eastern Canada to offer testing for beer, malt, grains, and hops.

He is now focusing his efforts on improving quality and innovation throughout the craft beer supply chain. He works with breweries, maltsters, producers, and distillers to incorporate more local ingredients, helping businesses improve the consistency of their products while supporting a stronger and more resilient regional craft beverage industry.

Specific expertise

• Malting and brewing
• Beverage development
• Fermentation modeling
• Process scaling

Major projects

• Brewing recipe development
• Fermentation process optimization
• R&D projects with microbreweries

Email: gerrard.kilfoil@ccnb.ca

Biography

Stéphanie Paradis-Léger is a researcher in applied ecology at INNOV. She holds a degree in international studies (University of Montreal), a master’s degree in environmental management (University of Sherbrooke), and a certificate in Permaculture Water Management from Oregon State University.

Her expertise lies in land use planning, climate change adaptation, integrated water resource management, and nature-based solutions. She has led numerous projects related to the protection of drinking water sources, ecological land use planning, and strengthening regional climate resilience.

She also designs analytical methodologies and decision-making tools applied to environmental issues and socio-ecological transition.

Specific areas of expertise

• Land use planning
• Climate change adaptation
• Integrated water management
• Nature-based solutions
• Socio-ecological transition

Major projects

• Protection of drinking water sources
• Ecological land-use planning
• Climate resilience projects

Email: stephanie.paradis-leger@ccnb.ca

Biography

Kirsten Rahm is an agronomy researcher at INNOV. She holds an advanced degree in agrochemistry and plant protection chemistry from the École nationale supérieure agronomique – Institut national polytechnique de Toulouse. She also pursued doctoral studies in environmental sciences at UQAM.

Her international background has led her to develop expertise in France, Germany, Sweden, and Canada. She has worked on boreal forest soils, the treatment of storm overflow sludge for agricultural fertilization, pollutant analysis, and product formulation, including cosmetics.

Since 2022, she has been leading agricultural projects at INNOV focused on the environmental impact of farming practices, agricultural technologies, and the valorization of residual fertilizing materials. She works across various crop systems and reviews Environmental Farm Plans in her role as an agronomist.

Specific areas of expertise

• Agronomy and agrochemistry
• Soils and fertilization
• Environmental assessment of agricultural practices
• Fertilizing waste materials
• Agriculture

Major projects

• Multisectoral agricultural projects
• Assessment of farming practices
• Review of Environmental Farm Plans

Email: kirsten.rahm@ccnb.ca

Biography

Lani Roy is a food science researcher at INNOV. She holds a master’s degree in food science and a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Dalhousie University. After working as a professional brewer in New Brunswick, she joined INNOV in 2022.

She works closely with microbreweries and the agri-food sector to develop alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, improve quality control practices, and promote agri-food co-products.

Following her training in fermentation technology at MIT in 2023, she expanded her activities to include the creation of high value-added molecules through precision fermentation, contributing to innovation in food biotechnology.

Specific expertise

• Food science
• Beverage development
• Quality control and assurance
• Precision fermentation
• Co-product valorization

Major projects

• Development of innovative beverages
• Advanced fermentation projects
• Valorization of agri-food co-products

Email: lani.roy@ccnb.ca