We are excited to be hosting a new Discovery Early Career Researcher Award recently awarded to Dr Chantal Lanctôt by the Australian Research Council.

Dr Lanctôt began her productive career in ecotoxicology at the University of Ottawa. She comes to the Australian Rivers Institute via Central Queensland University, where she was recently awarded her PhD, for her studies on the effects of coal mine waste water on aquatic life.
Here is the excerpt on her project from the ARC.
What happens to toxic metals during frog metamorphosis?
This project aims to investigate metal accumulation in frogs during larval development and explore tissue degeneration and remodelling as a factor influencing metal toxicity during metamorphosis. The project expects to produce information about the fate of metal burdens during metamorphosis and reveal important relationships between uptake and toxicity response pathways in animals undergoing complex life history strategies. This will provide significant environmental benefit by contributing towards improved regulatory and monitoring guidelines relevant for important metal pollutants, with particular relevance for the protection of vulnerable amphibians.