Sophie Gingras

Technical Specialist with the Systems Engineering Division

Sophie Gingras has been working with the CNSC since 2000.

Expertise and education

Sophie has a bachelor’s and master’s degree in chemical engineering from Laval University in Québec City. She is also a professional engineer, licensed to practice in Quebec.

Her interest in science and her strong educational background contribute to her expertise in the area of chemistry control for nuclear reactors.

In 2019 Sophie’s elite knowledge of nuclear reactor chemistry contributed to her leading the organization of an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) technical meeting on nuclear reactor chemistry and its impact on fuel.

Roles and responsibilities

Sophie’s verifies a nuclear reactor’s chemistry control program, to ensure the program is properly implemented. As a technical specialist, she performs inspections and evaluations of chemistry control information sent by licensees on a regular basis.

She also evaluates new reactor designs, including small modular reactors (SMRs), as part of her responsibilities as a technical specialist. Sophie also supports the CNSC’s work on regulating SMRs by participating in international conferences and reading papers.

Sophie’s expertise in reactor chemistry allows her to evaluate the information provided by licensees or companies that apply for licences to build a new nuclear reactor or a new SMR design. She ensures the chemistry control programs of proposed facilities appropriately protect the reactors from premature degradation of systems and unsafe operating conditions.

Other roles

Sophie and the team of technical specialists also provide technical expertise if there are any incidents or requests from the licensees.