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At the forefront

Science faculty at the Mount have been making waves for years, with an impact far beyond what would be expected of a smaller university.

This means our students learn alongside some of the best in their fields, and also have exceptional access to undergraduate research opportunity.

From leaders in psychology and biology, to superstars in chemistry, physics, math and computer science, Mount faculty are being recognized around the world.


Dr. Gavin Kernaghan Halifax-based research team receives money to study Alzheimer's disease

Dr. Gavin Kernaghan
Uncovering the intricacies of fungi-plant relationships
Dr. Kernaghan, who leads the Atlantic Root Symbiosis Lab, has been studying the ecology of fungi in northern Canadian ecosystems. He and his collaborators were awarded a $250,000 grant from Environment and Climate Change Canada, which supports research to improve the knowledge of Atlantic Canadian ecosystems.

Dr. Ian Pottie
Researchers awarded $1.5 million for Alzheimer’s disease research
As part of a powerful partnership of Halifax universities, Mount professor Dr. Pottie (standing left in photo) has been helping build and fine-tune a compound to definitively detect Alzheimer’s in living patients. The research team was awarded close to $1.5 million from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).


Dr. Kathy Darvesh

Dr. Kathy Darvesh
Mount professor named top chemistry teacher
Dr. Darvesh has been named Canada’s top chemistry educator at the post-secondary level for 2016 by College Chemistry Canada. The award recognizes outstanding contributions to university/college-level chemical education, celebrating educators who are “enhancing the quality of teaching in an area of chemistry, biochemistry, or chemical technology.”

An accomplished researcher, Dr. Darvesh’s research interests include quantum chemistry, structure-activity relationships and chemical education.
Cherif Matta-Science Page Photo

 Dr. Cherif Matta
Recipient of the prestigious Lady Davis Fellowship
Already well-respected in his role as Professor and Chair of the Mount’s Department of Chemistry and Physics, Dr. Chérif F. Matta now finds himself preparing for an incredible academic opportunity after being awarded the highly regarded Lady Davis Fellowship.


Established in 1973, the Fellowship provides an opportunity for Visiting Professors, Post-Doctoral Researchers and Doctoral Students from abroad to teach, study and participate in research in Israel at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and at the Technion Institute of Technology in Haifax.
Tamara

 Dr. Tamara Franz-Odendaal
Paving a way for women in science

Dr. Franz-Odendaal highlights the importance of female role models in STEM fields. Dr. Franz-Odendaal is a biology professor at the Mount and Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada’s Atlantic Chair for Women in Science and Engineering. She has been recognized by her peers as one of the top researchers in Canada and internationally in the field of ecological evolutionary developmental biology. Dr. Franz-Odendaal was the Mount’s 2015 Research Excellence Award winner.
Derek Dr. Derek Fisher
From the Mount to Munich: Brainwaves in mental health
Derek was named the 2015 recipient of a Young Investigator Award by the EEG & Clinical Neuroscience Society. The award recognizes those who have “demonstrated significant contributions to translational research in the field of Neuro-Psychiatric Electrophysiology and Neuroimaging.”
Dan Majaess

 Dr. Dan Majaess
Canadian astronomer and Mount instructor helping map the galaxy
In an article published in Astrophysical Journal Letters, astronomers from Chile and Canada announced the discovery of a special duo of stars on the other side of the Galaxy’s disc. Among the researchers involved is Daniel Majaess, a Canadian astronomer and instructor at the Mount.
Psychology symbol Pscyhology faculty lighting up minds at the Mount
Mount psychology professors have a vast array of research interests and are some of the best in their fields. Meet three Mount psychology faculty who are making a big research impact: Dr. Dan Séguin, Dr. Derek Fisher and Dr. Will Shead.