The Team
The PARCS en santé project is a transdisciplinary action-research initiative. It brings together numerous researchers, organizations, and institutions. To access the full research team and partners, please visit the project website PARCS, team section
The individuals listed below are involved in the Zooniverse platform component of the project:
Cécile Aenishaenslin
Professor
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
Université de Montréal
Cécile Aenishaenslin is a professor at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the Université de Montréal and a researcher at the Public Health Research Centre and the Groupe de recherche en épidémiologie des zoonoses et santé publique.
A veterinarian and epidemiologist, Dr. Aenishaenslin is also trained in public health and international studies. As a research scholar funded by the Fonds de recherche du Québec – Santé, she conducts transdisciplinary research aimed at better understanding the effects of global changes on animal and zoonotic diseases and at developing interventions, programs, and policies aligned with the One Health approach.
As principal investigator and lead of the PARCS en santé project, Dr. Aenishaenslin serves on all committees and contributes to the supervision of several students, including Jessica Hainault for Axis 1 (Ticks and pathogens) and Manon Boiteux for Axis 3 (Citizen science).
Mélanie Dappen
PARCS en santé Project Coordinator
Université de Montréal
Mélanie Dappen is the coordinator of the PARCS en santé project. Trained as a biologist, she worked for nearly 15 years at the organization GUEPE as a regional director. She was responsible for educational services, staff training, the development of educational content, and all projects carried out in the greater metropolitan area. Her experience has led her to engage with diverse audiences in a variety of contexts and to collaborate with partners from multiple sectors (academic, municipal, governmental, community, philanthropic, etc.).
She has also developed numerous training programs, workshops, and educational tools, particularly on biodiversity, outdoor education, interpretation of green spaces, and human–wildlife coexistence. She is recognized for her expertise in science communication and public engagement.
Large natural parks are her preferred field of activity, and coordinating the PARCS en santé project represents an opportunity for her to contribute to the preservation of these natural environments.
Jessica Hainault
PhD Student in Veterinary Sciences
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
Université de Montréal
Jessica Hainault completed her undergraduate degree in biological and ecological sciences at UQTR in 2024. Since 2022, she has worked as a research coordinator on several projects within GREZOSP, notably overseeing the field component of the tick-related work in PARCS en santé. Naturally curious and particularly interested in interactions among living organisms, she greatly enjoys fieldwork. Pursuing graduate studies was therefore a natural progression for her. She is currently completing a PhD in veterinary sciences, with a specialization in epidemiology.
Her research project is an integral part of Axis 1 (Ticks and pathogens). Under the supervision of Cécile Aenishaenslin and co-supervision of Patrick A. Leighton and Ariane Dumas, her work focuses on evaluating the effect of relative deer abundance and other ecological variables on the environmental risk of tick-borne diseases in peri-urban nature parks.
Manon Boiteux
PhD Candidate in One Health
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
Université de Montréal
Manon Boiteux is a PhD candidate in the individualized One Health program at the Université de Montréal (UdeM). She holds a master’s degree in environmental sciences and has worked for several years in the research sector as a research advisor at the Innovation Laboratory of the Vice-Rectorate for Research, Discovery, Creation, and Innovation at UdeM. She notably contributed to the development of the UdeM One Health Initiative and remains actively involved as a representative of the One Health Student Club. She also supports the development of new One Health training programs at UdeM (summer school, graduate microprogram, and doctoral program).
As part of her doctoral project within Axis 3 of the PARCS en santé project, she focuses on inter- and transdisciplinary and participatory approaches. More specifically, her work examines citizen science as an intervention tool to prevent the risks of tick-borne diseases and to support the conservation of peri-urban park ecosystems in Quebec. She is conducting her PhD within the One Health Urban Research Chair.
