Mylène Ratelle, PhD

Having a PhD in Public Health, Dr. Ratelle has an expertise in risk management. She is currently an Adjunct Professor at the University of Waterloo. Mylène completed a mandate as a researcher at the University of Waterloo on a project using biomonitoring to conduct a risk analysis in Indigenous communities in the Northwest Territories with the aim to examine the relationship between exposure to environmental contaminants, nutritional status and traditional diet. This project allowed her to acquire expertise in risk communication for a wide audience.
 
Mylène has already acquired a solid knowledge of risk analysis and biomarkers of exposure in environmental health previously acquired during the performance of an interdisciplinary thesis in public health on exposure to certain pesticides. During this PhD project she was responsible for analytical development, epidemiology, toxicology, biostatistics and risk analysis. Data from human clinical studies following ingestion have resulted in improved understanding of the elimination of metabolites. These profiles were used to refine sampling strategies for migrant agricultural workers. The characterization of exposure to these pesticides in the workplace was also carried out. Her Master’s in Environmental Health and Disaster Management, completed in 2008, focused on mercury levels in fish and health risks.
 
Mylène also worked at the Public Health Agency of Canada in the Department of Epidemiology, working on topics related to the health of the Inuit population of Nunavik, as well as in a laboratory of microbiology and epidemiology of Notre-Dame Hospital . Mylène has academic and professional experience in administration and project management. Her varied skills and multidisciplinary experiences make her an excellent candidate in risk analysis and risk management for environmental contaminants, in communication in science and health, in any project working with vulnerable populations, and in developing partnerships.