Science Atlantic Chemistry Conference
2026 Award Winners
The 2026 Chemistry Conference (ChemCon) took place from May 5 to 7 at the University of New Brunswick.
Science Atlantic Undergraduate Research Award
Oral Presentation
Brianna Aube
University of New Brunswick, Fredericton
Waste Aluminum as a Sustainable Metal Precursor
Science Atlantic Science Communication Award
Oral Presentation
Claire MacLean
Saint Mary's University
An Exploration of Nonaqueous EC-SERS for Inorganic Complexes
Cameron Forbes Memorial Award
Oral Presentation
Ziad Mohamed
University of Prince Edward Island
Enhancement of NSAIDs Anti-Inflammatory Activity through Conjugation with Schiff-Base Cyclotriphosphazene Dendrimer
Canadian Association of Theoretical Chemists Best Presentation in Theoretical Chemistry
Oral Presentation
Siri Williamson
Dalhousie University
Modelling molecular rotations with analog quantum computing
Canadian Journal of Chemistry: Best Student Presentation Award
Oral Presentation
Noah Macpherson
Saint Mary's University
Screening and Characterization of Antibacterial Metabolites Produced by Endophytes Isolated from the Leaves of Psidium Guajava
Poster Presentation
Emma Cholak
Cape Breton University
A Tale of Bromine, Biochar, and the Boronic Acid That Stole Its Heart
CIC Best Undergraduate Presentation in Analytical Chemistry
Oral Presentation
Yvanna Tchatchoua
Mount Allison University
Toward aptamer based, label-free detection of thrombin using gold nanoparticles and Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS)
Poster Presentation
Amaya Giraudier
St. Francis Xavier University
Investigation of Copper-Based Catalysts for the Electroreduction of Nitrate to Ammonia
CIC Best Undergraduate Presentation in Environmental Chemistry
Oral Presentation
Marissa Cox
Cape Breton University
Analysis of Metals and Fluorescent Compounds in Aqueous Leachates of Snow Crab (Chionoecetes opilio) and Larch (Larix laricina) Biochars
First Place (tie)
Poster Presentation
Olivia Mabey
Mount Allison University
A Tale of Two Cities: Contrasting Biomass-Combustion-Influenced PM₂.₅ Metals at Burnaby, BC and Saint John, NB
First Place (tie)
Poster Presentation
Cassidy Veinot
Acadia University
Repelling the Threat: Natural Product Chemistry Meets Tick Behaviour
CIC Best Undergraduate Presentation in Inorganic Chemistry
Oral Presentation
Evan Spencer
Saint Mary's University
Carbene trapping and complexation: Novel thiourea and selenourea ligands derived from 1,3-bis(2-pyridylmethyl) benzimidazolium salts
Poster Presentation
David Jay
Mount Allison University
Copper(II) Pyridonate Paddlewheel Complexes as Precursors for Metal-Organic Frameworks
CIC Best Undergraduate Presentation in Macromolecular Science and Engineering
Oral Presentation
Laura Powell
Memorial University of Newfoundland
Functional Polymers from Sulfur Nanoparticles
CIC Best Undergraduate Presentation in Materials Chemistry
Oral Presentation
Madison Power
Cape Breton University
Development of Oxidized Magnetic Single-Walled Carbon Nanohorn Adsorbents for Magnetic Dispersive Solid-Phase Extraction of Phthalates in Wastewater Systems
Poster Presentation
Adalia Wambolt
St. Francis Xavier University
Investigation of Casein Gold Nanocluster Bioconjugates as Allergen Immunotherapeutic Agents
CIC Best Undergraduate Presentation in Organic Chemistry
Oral Presentation
Jacek Marmulak
Cape Breton University
Taming Thiourea: An Immobilized Catalyst for the Morita-Baylis-Hillman Reaction
Poster Presentation
Ainaz Giahi
Mount Allison University
A Novel O-Enabled S/N Bidentate Ligand
CIC Best Undergraduate Presentation in Physical, Theoretical, and Computational Chemistry
Oral Presentation
George Lawless
Saint Mary's University
Chemistry of 1,3-Dichloro-1,3-bis(dimethylamino)propenium Cations: Detection and Characterization of an Azapentalenium Cation
Poster Presentation
Sydney Lewis
Saint Mary's University
Investigating the Ultrastructure of Banana Starch during Ripening using Polarization-Resolved Second Harmonic Generation Microscopy
CIC Best Undergraduate Presentation in Surface Science
Oral Presentation
Cynthia McNair
Mount Allison University
Towards Regioselective Ligand Exchange on Surfaces of Gold Nanorods
CIC Best Graduate Presentation in Analytical Chemistry
Oral Presentation
Adam Lynch
Dalhousie University
Sequence-Dependent Ionization and Fragmentation Explain the Prevalence of Missed-Cleavage Peptides in Proteomics
Poster Presentation
Jenna Berryman
Saint Mary's University
Aptamer-Based Assays for Biomarker Detection in Urine for Muscle Health Monitoring
CIC Best Graduate Presentation in Inorganic Chemistry
Oral Presentation
Deana Symes
Saint Mary's University
Heavy Group 15 Carbene-Stabilized Neutral Radicals
CIC Best Graduate Presentation in Materials Chemistry
Oral Presentation
Emily Doucet
University of New Brunswick, Fredericton
Composition-Structure-Property Relationship of Tellurium-Rich TaTexSe2-x Single Crystals
CIC Best Graduate Presentation in Organic Chemistry
Poster Presentation
Scott Robinson
Acadia University
Assembling Complex Polyheterocycles Using N-Acyliminium Ion Chemistry
CIC Best Graduate Presentation in Physical, Theoretical, and Computational Chemistry
Poster Presentation
Lucas Michaud--Chevalier
University of New Brunswick, Fredericton
Progress in Vernier spectroscopy for high resolution study of Chromium deuteride B6Π ← X6Σ+(0 − 0) and A6Σ+ ← X6Σ+(1 − 0) bands
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