Laurie Rousseau-Nepton, an assistant professor at Laval University, is the first woman from the First Nations to receive a PhD in astrophysics. Prior to this role, she was a resident astronomer at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope (CFHT) for nearly 7 years.

Her university studies, spent in part at the Observatoire du Mont-Mégantic, were decisive in her career. In addition to studying star formation there, she participated in the creation of the SITELLE instrument, an imaging spectrometer now used on the CFHT. Her experience allowed her to hold the position of a resident astronomer at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope and to set up a new astronomical instrumentation laboratory at the University of Toronto. Through her public engagements and her documentary series Étoile du Nord aired by the National Film Board of Canada (NFB), Laurie Rousseau-Nepton encourages young people to develop a love for science and the sky, while also showcasing Indigenous astronomical knowledge.