People
Assistant Professor
Marco Zenone is an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Ottawa. His research examines how digital platforms, commercial actors, and online information environments shape health. Drawing on the commercial determinants of health, he studies how mis/disinformation spreads, why it persists, who profits from it, and what can be done to create safer and more trustworthy information ecosystems. Much of his work focuses on cancer misinformation, unproven medical treatments, influencer marketing, social media, search engines, artificial intelligence, and platform governance.
PhD Student
2026–present
Alessandro Marcon is a PhD student whose research examines the social and commercial determinants of health with a focus on digital media ecosystems and online marketplaces. As a mixed methods researcher, he is driven to learn, use, and evaluate established and novel methodologies. His current research topics include regenerative medicine, cancer, immunization, and alternative medicines.
MSc Student
2026–present
Abigail Prince is an MSc student in Interdisciplinary Health Sciences at the University of Ottawa. She previously earned a B.Sc. in Anthropology from the University of Toronto, where she developed a broad interest in the biological, social, and cultural factors that shape human health. Drawing on this interdisciplinary background, she investigates how commercial incentives and digital platforms influence the spread of nutrition-related misinformation and public perceptions of health. Her work aims to support evidence-informed public health policies that strengthen the quality and reliability of health information online.
MSc Student
2026–present
Serena Hong is an MSc student exploring how public health narratives about marginalized populations shape and influence public perceptions, stigma, policy, and access to equitable and culturally safe services. Serena previously worked as a Research Assistant on various projects related to Family Violence, Women and Children and Bipolar Disorder in the GTA and in Ottawa. She is committed to using trauma-informed and anti-oppressive approaches while advocating for racialized and marginalized communities.
MSc Student
2026–present
Paige Roberts is an MSc student at the University of Ottawa interested in the health implications of digital platforms and commercial determinants of health, particularly cancer mis/disinformation. Her research focuses on identifying the pathways, mechanisms, and policy gaps that enable the spread and monetization of cancer disinformation to help inform interventions that better protect the public. Outside of research, she enjoys outdoor recreation, including hiking, biking, and paddling, anything food-related, and enthusiastic dog-and-cat-admiring.
Undergraduate Student
2025–present
Aliya Sattar is an undergraduate Bachelor of Health Sciences student at the University of Ottawa. She is studying the online promotion and monetization of Ivermectin as a cancer treatment, with a focus on how these claims are communicated on social media.
Undergraduate Student
2025–present
Giovanni Utano is an undergraduate Bachelor of Health Sciences student at the University of Ottawa. He is examining how naturopathic oncology practitioners frame the benefits of naturopathy in cancer treatment online, including treatment claims, persuasive strategies, and the construction of professional credibility.
Undergraduate Student
2026–present
Margot Ferguson is an undergraduate Bachelor of Health Sciences student at the University of Ottawa. She is examining how medical associations in Canada, the USA, Britain, and Australia contextualize health mis- and disinformation, with a particular interest in fertility-related medical misinformation.
Undergraduate Student
2026–present
Connor O'Brien is a fourth-year Honours Bachelor of Health Sciences student with a minor in Psychology at the University of Ottawa. His honours thesis examines pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and HIV misinformation on TikTok among queer men, focusing on its effects on stigma, harm reduction, and gaps in sexual education rooted in heteronormativity, as well as how such content is conveyed on social media. Outside of academics, he enjoys staying active through athletics, crochet, and photography. After finishing his undergrad degree, he hopes to further pursue a career in healthcare.
The Zenone Lab welcomes inquiries from undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows interested in pursuing research on health disinformation and misinformation, digital platform governance, science communication, the commercial determinants of health, and the online portrayal of health and wellness.
Please send a current CV and a brief description of the research you would like to work on.
If you are passionate about critically examining how health is communicated and distorted in the digital age, we encourage you to get in touch. For more information or to express your interest, please contact Dr. Marco Zenone at mzenone[at]uottawa.ca.