Étienne is studying microbes that covers the outside and inside of trees, crops, animals, ice, soil and water. Although he grew up in the city, he spent his summers as a kid at the family cottage in the Canadian back-country, where he became fascinated with all life forms and their interconnections. This led him to complete a master focusing on the fungal pathogens associated with asparagus, followed by a PhD looking at the effects of global warming on Antarctic soil microbes. As an associate professor at the Institut national de la recherche scientifique of the Université du Québec, he is now leading a team of enthusiastic scientists toward (hopefully!) exciting discoveries in the field of plant-microbiome interactions. When he is not busy with science, Étienne enjoys spending time with his three kids and his wife, training for obstacle course races, snorkeling, BBQing, playing ice hockey or building stuff.
