Laurence Poulin holds a bachelor's and master's degree in consumer sciences from Université Laval. During her studies, she became interested in consumer behaviour in the context of environmental scandals. At CIRANO, she collaborated on a project aimed at developing a sustainability assessment framework adapted to the reality of Quebec's biofood sectors/industries.

Following her studies, she joined the team of research professionals at the Observatoire québécois de l'adaptation aux changements climatiques (OQACC) at Université Laval. There, she works mainly on the development of a continuing education program for engineers, urban planners and architects in Quebec aimed at increasing the skills and capacities of these professionals to implement adaptation to climate change.