Since 1944, Acfas has been recognizing exceptional contributions to scientific research in all fields and supporting the next generation of promising researchers. Ms. Lalande is one of these up-and-coming talents to watch! Currently working on her research-based master's within the nanorobotics team, she is developing a homing device attached to a catheter that is directed by a magnetic gradient from a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine. Doctors are increasingly using less invasive measures when possible to avoid the risks of open surgery. "Today, our device is small enough to travel through any blood vessel with a diameter of 1 millimetre or more," Ms. Lalande explains. "The next step consists of testing our equipment in vivo, or with live tissue. It's highly likely that the succession of intersections in blood vessels, and their twists and turns, will present a real challenge for us," she explained.

For Ms. Lalande, popularization is a good opportunity to ground scientific knowledge in everyday reality, so that it's accessible to all. "Another positive point," she says, "is the surprising feedback from people who are not in my discipline. It sometimes helps me see my own work from a new angle."

Click here to find out more about her project.

Photo : Alexandre Jay, Acfas

Polytechnique sincerely congratulates Viviane Lalande for her perseverance and wishes her all the best for her future projects!

About Acfas

Created in 1923, the Association francophone pour le savoir (Acfas) aims to promote scientific activity, stimulate research and foster the dissemination of knowledge. The Association, based in Québec, comprises some 4,000 scientists from a wide range of fields.

Source: Association francophone pour le savoir (Acfas)