Science Atlantic-CIC Chemistry Conference
2024 Award Winners
The 2024 Chemistry Conference (ChemCon) was held May 23 to 25 at Cape Breton University
Review the conference program and abstracts.
Science Atlantic Undergraduate Research Award
Oral

Aloyna Mendonce
University of New Brunswick
A molecular design of the sensor platform for the detection of breast cancer biomarkers
Science Atlantic Science Communication Award
Oral

Ailish Sullivan
Mount Saint Vincent University
Exploring Chemical Sources of Diffuse Interstellar Bands Through Quantum Mechanics
Canadian Association of Theoretical Chemists Award
Oral

Daniel Deschênes
University of New Brunswick
Exploring the Structure and Substrate Specificity of N- Methyltransferase 4 in Catharanthus roseus via Molecular Operating Environment (MOE)
Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Molecular Science Graduate Program
Oral

Nghi (Lisa) La
Mount Allison University
Preparation and monitoring of bifunctionalized gold nanorods via ligand exchange
Poster

Joe Nazak
Acadia University
Photodecarboxylation of Phenylacetic Acid Derivatives
Chemical Education Award
Oral

Erin Wiggins
Mount Saint Vincent University
Adapting Titration Experiments for Students with Colour-Vision Deficiencies
CIC Best Undergraduate Presentation in Analytical Chemistry
Oral

Moriah Hennessey
Mount Allison University
Production of reactive oxygen species by e-cigarette smoke in surrogate lung fluid
Poster

Amy Stepheson
Memorial University Newfoundland
Sea-ing Things Differently: Analysis of Bio-active Carbohydrates in Brown Seaweed
CIC Best Undergraduate Presentation in Environmental Chemistry
Oral

Zoë LindenSmith
Mount Allison University
Acute Toxicity of Brake Pad Wear on Brook Char Gills (Salvenlinus fontinalis)
Poster

Haley Adams
Memorial University Newfoundland
Impact of exposure to environmental pollutants on placental metabolism
CIC Best Graduate Presentation in Environmental Chemistry
Oral

Sarah Boudreau
Memorial University Newfoundland
Isolating Hydroxyapatite from Atlantic Salmon Processing Waste - Transforming Trash to Treasure!
CIC Best Undergraduate Presentation in Inorganic Chemistry
Oral

Suhjung Chun
Mount Allison University
Synthesis and Redox Properties of Homoleptic Indium o-Amidophenolates
Poster

Mitchell Baker
Saint Mary's University
An N-H insertion reaction to prepare an α-phosphenium cation
CIC Best Graduate Presentation in Inorganic Chemistry
Oral

Tyler Saunders
Dalhousie University
Synthesis and Reactivity of New Phosphino(silyl) Nickel Complexes for Application in Alkene Hydrogenation Catalysis
CIC Best Undergraduate Presentation in Macromolecular and Polymer Chemistry
Oral

Zeyaealdin Zarei
University of Prince Edward Island
Advanced Formation of Nanogel for Cryopreservation
Poster

Victor Martinez Macias
St. Francis Xavier University
Examining Gold-Nanocluster-Allergen Bioconjugates for Immunotherapy Treatment
CIC Best graduate Presentation in Macromolecular and Polymer Chemistry
Oral

Lo Grant
Saint Mary's University
Microbial Impact on Wine: A Study of L'Acadie Vineyards Natural Wine
Poster

Catherine Doyle
University of Prince Edward Island
Poly(B5AMA) embedded cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) composites as antimicrobial coatings
CIC Best Undergraduate Presentation in Materials Chemistry
Oral

Mackenzie Reid-Hall
Memorial University Newfoundland
Investigating NO2 Gas Adsorption and Reactivity in Zirconium-Cluster-Based MOFs Using Breakthrough Analysis
Poster

Eve Lavers
University of New Brunswick
A Concerted Two-electron Bipolar Bispryidinylidene for Higher Voltage Symmetric, Organic Redox Flow Batteries
CIC Best Graduate Presentation in Materials Chemistry
Oral

Sydney Crain
University of New Brunswick
Concerted Two-electron Bipolar Bispyridinylidenes for Symmetric, Organic Redox Flow Batteries
Poster

Judith MacInnis
Memorial University of Newfoundland
From Sea to "C"atayst: Calcium Carbonate-Rich Crab Shell Biochar
CIC Best Undergraduate Presentation in Organic Chemistry
Oral

Nicholas Stevenson-Garagan
University of New Brunswick
Towards a Bis(Iminophosphorano) Substituted 9,10-Antraquinone as a New High Voltage, Double Concerted Active Material for Symmetric ORFBs
Poster

Allyson Paul
University of New Brunswick
Isolation of MIA Compounds in the Leaves of Tabernaemontana divaricata
CIC Best Graduate Presentation in Organic Chemistry
Oral

Mary Stackaruk
Saint Mary's University
Enhanced Copper Durability with N-Heterocyclic Carbene Monolayers
Poster

Aditya Vardhan
Acadia University
Ketoanilides as Surrogates for Electrophiles as well as Nucleophiles
CIC Best Undergraduate Presentation in Physical, Theoretical and Computational Chemistry
Oral

Isabela Drozdowski
Saint Mary's University
Dissolving Barriers in Chemical Detection: Navigating Electrochemical Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (EC-SERS) Beyond Water
Poster

Sophie Kiefte
Memorial University Newfoundland
Metabolic biomarkers of neurodegeneration in a novel mouse model
CIC Best Graduate Presentation in Physical, Theoretical and Computational Chemistry
Oral

Emily Sabean
Acadia University
Formulations to Deliver Cannabidiol and Psilocybin for the Treatment of Neuropsychiatric Disorders
Poster

Justine Guidon
University of Prince Edward Island
Fluorescence-based studies on host-guest inclusion complexes of modified β-cyclodextrin with anilinonaphthalene sulfonates
Previous Award Winners

2023 Chemistry Award Winners
The 2023 Science Atlantic-CIC Chemistry Conference (ChemCon) was held May 25 to 27, hosted by Dalhousie University.

2022 Chemistry Award Winners
The 2022 Science Atlantic-CIC Chemistry Conference (ChemCon) was held May 26 to 28, hosted by St. Francis Xavier University.
Best Biochemistry Presentation
First Place Tie - Oral

Laura Pickett
Acadia University
Common Yarrow (Achillea Millefolium L.) Essential Oil as a Potential Repellent and Acaracide Against Ticks (ACARI: IXODIDAE)s
First Place Tie- Oral

Amelia Williams
Mount Allison University
Vape Pen Toxicity and Possible Causes
Second Place - Oral

Lydia Zamlynny
Acadia University
Green Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles using Plant Extracts and Encapsulated Plant Essential Oil as Tick Management Tools
Third Place - Oral

Andrew Rideout
Mount Allison University
Immunotitration Analysis of the Methionine Aminotransferase from the Ulva Dimethylsulfoniopropionate Biosynthesis Pathway
First Place - Poster

Shafkat Ahmed
Mount Allison University
The Characterization of a Novel Methionine Dehydrogenase in the First Step of the dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) Biosynthesis Pathway in the Red Algae Polysiphonia japonica.
ChemCon 2022 Award Winners
The Annual Science Atlantic-CIC Chemistry Conference (Chemcon)
Hosted virtually by St. Francis Xavier University, May 26 to 28, 2022
Science Atlantic Undergraduate Research Award

Sarah Englehart
University of New Brunswick
A Luminescent Triarylboron Solid-State Sensor
Science Communication Award

Kate Leslie
Saint Mary’s University
Induced Self-Assembly of AuNP Monolayers at Oil-Water Interfaces guided by a Thermodynamic Model
Best Analytical Chemistry Presentation
First Place - Oral

Na Yung Seoh
Cape Breton University
Identifying urinary biomarkers to quantify omega-3 consumption, using multi-segment injection-capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry
Second Place - Oral

Sam Julien
Saint Mary's University
Challenges in Developing an Electrochemical Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy Aptasensor for Early Diagnosis of Acute Myocardial Infarction
Third Place - Oral

Gloria Simmons
Mount Allison University
Acid-Catalysed Dissolution of Iron In Brake Wear Aerosol
Best Inorganic Chemistry Presentation
First Place - Oral

Emily Traver
Dalhousie University
The Effect of Synthesis Conditions on the Formation of Dispersible Plasmonic Zirconium Nitride Nanoparticles
Second Place - Oral

Padmapriya Srivinasan
Mount Allison University
Synthesis, Reactivity and Computational studies of Redox Active Indium Benzenethiolate Complexes
Third Place - oral

Jacob Hoare
Saint Mary's University
Synthesis and characterization of novel first-row transition metal-N-heterocyclic carbene complexes
First Place - Poster

John Lee
Mount Allison University
Synthesis and Characterization of a Novel Cyclic Diindane
Second Place Tie - Poster

Allison Clark
Memorial University
Formation of Metal Ionic Liquid Catalysts for the Perfectly Alternating Copolymerization of Epoxides and Anhydrides
Second Place Tie - Poster

Grace Leech
Mount Allison University
Synthesis of Indium Compounds Containing Redox Active Amidophenolate Ligands
Best Organic Chemistry Presentation
First Place - Oral

Emily Sabean
Acadia University
The Photogeneration and Cycloaddition Reactions of tert-Butyl Substituted Quinone Methides
Second Place Tie - Oral

Megan Ethier
St. Francis Xavier University
Visible Light Mediated Refinery Waste Degradation using Noble Metal Nanoparticle Composites
Second Place Tie - Oral

Maggie LeClair
St. Francis Xavier University
Probing the Biosynthetic Potential of Streptomyces sp. RKND-216
Third Place - Oral

Olivia Roland
Cape Breton University
An Examination of Pyrolysis-Syngas Adsorption Using Biochar, Activated Charcoal and Dried Biomass
First Place - Poster

Caylee MacDonald
Saint Mary's University
Ionic Bis-Thiourea Organocatalysis
Second Place - Poster

Liah Christie
Saint Mary's University
Sonochemical N-demethylation of Alkaloids
Best Physical Chemistry Presentation
First Place - Oral

Mary Stackaruk
Saint Mary's University
Copper-based scaffolds for Electrochemical Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (EC-SERS)
Second Place Tie - Oral

Jillian Downey
Mount Allison University
Connecting Antioxidant Depletion and Reactive Oxygen Species Production by Aerosol-Borne Quinones
Second Place Tie - Oral

Incé Husain
University of New Brunswick
Understanding Machine Learning Generated Molecular Representations
Third Place - Oral

Elisha Bennett
Saint Mary's University
Polarization-sensitive Second Harmonic Generation Microscopy for Characterizing the Ultrastructure of A- and B-type Crystallized Maltodextrin Particles
First Place - Poster

Grace Mercer
Memorial University
Understanding the effects of neuroprotective agents to prevent brain injury from preterm birth
Second Place - Poster

Nikitia Harvey
Memorial University
Does exposure to nanoplastics impact pregnancy outcome and fetal development?
Best Graduate Presentation
First Place - Oral

Reza Moshrefi
memorial University
Electro-generation of a nanocomposite thin films at a micro liquid/liquid interface
Second Place - Oral

Ziyi Chen
Dalhousie University
Site-specific X-ray Spectroscopy Study on Ag25(SR)18 Nanoclusters
Third Place Tie - Oral

David Morris
Dalhousie University
Structure and Properties of High Entropy Alloy Nanoparticles with Varied Composition
Third Place Tie - Oral

Yashodha Pangodage
Dalhousie University
Investigating the Photocatalytic Activity of Gold Nanoparticle Semiconductor Supported Zeolitic Imidazolate Framework-8
First Place - Poster

Oforbuike Egbe
Dalhousie University
Supramolecular fluidic structure of ionic liquids probed by NMR diffusion and single entity electrochemical detection of ionosomes
Second Place - Poster

Nauman Nazeer
University of Prince Edward Island
Self-Assembly Behaviour of Synthetic Antimicrobial Peptide Analogues