Annie Martin

About me

I was born/grew up in: Trois-Rivières (Quebec) and grew up in Sherbrooke (Quebec)

I now live in: Chambly, Quebec

I completed my training/education at:  B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Kinesiology at UQAM; M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering (Innovation Management) at Polytechnique Montreal

What I do at work

In the Health Beyond Initiative, my job is more about project and team management. I have many meetings to coordinate the different activities with my team and our partners. My work involves the drafting of strategic documents and collaboration agreements. I also provide support and recommendations to other ongoing activities. I see to the good management of our budget and the achievement of our objectives. I am a bit like a ship’s captain who tries to get everyone rowing together while I indicate the right direction.

My career path is

I came to the Canadian Space Agency by chance in 2005. At that time, one of my professors asked me if I wanted to do an internship with the space medicine group. I had never thought about working in this field. As soon as the first few weeks of the internship were over, I was already passionate and convinced that I wanted to do this for the next few years. I never left the field of space medicine. I was in the right place at the right time! This was a happy coincidence of life! What luck! You have to seize these opportunities!

I am motivated by

What I am most passionate about is working on the strategies and technological projects to prepare for future missions to Mars. I like to think that I am playing a role in the realization of future manned missions to Mars. It might be a small role, but it is still a role! I also love meeting with partners, researchers and entrepreneurs to discuss the future of space exploration. I enjoy connecting with people and building bridges between organizations. This helps us create a bright future with concrete benefits for Canadians on Earth. This is what makes me passionate and gives meaning to my work!

How I affect peoples’ lives

My role is to ensure our different activities are coordinated. This allows us support the organization's goals. The relations and collaborations I establish with the team allow us to work with experts in different fields. This benefits our activities.

Outside of work I

I have been teaching figure skating for 20 years. I enjoy training, reading, watching movies (especially Marvel ones!) and playing with my two year old son. I love to go camping in the summer, go to the beach and relax while watching the stars. I also love to cook and go to restaurants to discover new dishes!

My advice to others

Be curious! Connect with people in the field and find a mentor to coach you. Try to diversify your knowledge (technologies, health, etc.). If you have the opportunity, apply for an internship.