With a Master’s degree in Applied Microbiology from INRS/Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie (Laval), Barbara Augustin has been teaching microbiology at the Cégep de Saint-Laurent (Montréal) since 2006. Her expertise focuses primarily on molecular biology, cell biology and biotechnology. For more than a decade, she has also taught nursing techniques, teaching courses in human anatomy and physiology, microbiology and immunology. This experience allowed her to develop a deep understanding of the needs and challenges faced by health professionals.

In 2012, she played an active role in the development of a Certificate of College Studies (AEC) in Applied Microbiology by developing the content of each course in the program.

Active and involved in various committees at the college, she collaborates, from 2014, in several research projects with the Centre des technologies de l’eau (Cteau), where expertise in microbiology is necessary.

Since 2016, she has served as the Biological Safety Officer (BSO) of the Containment Level 2 (CL2) Microbiology Laboratory to ensure compliance with biosecurity standards and protocols with the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC).

More recently, due to the pandemic crisis, she has developed a particular expertise in techno pedagogy to support her teacher colleagues in the transition to distance learning (FAD).

Thanks to her skills in science democratization, she is regularly in demand for educational consulting services when revising scientific books or as a guest expert for scientific programs.