[2] Later on, she pursued mechanical engineering during her undergraduate degree, and cites her reasons for going into science to include the desire to have a stable career as she may have to help her siblings one day.

[2][3] In 2007, Deschênes created the Consortium en machines hydrauliques, which is an academic-industry collaboration, including Hydro Québec and Natural Resources Canada, to carry out research on high-power hydraulic turbines.

[2][3][4] Deschênes and the Consortium have received support from industry and federal grants (including those from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) and NSERC Collaborative Research and Development grants) to purchase equipment and carry out collaborative research, such as analysing 3D turbine flow patterns with computer simulations, and investigating factors which influence durability of low-head turbines.

[2][5] She has co-founded three non-profit organizations to support and promote women in science and engineering: the International Network for Women Engineers and Scientists (INWES), the Association de la francophonie à propos des femmes en sciences, technologies, ingénierie et mathématiques (AFFESTIM), and the INWES Educational and Research Institute (ERI).

Of note, in 2015, Deschênes received the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council's Synergy Award for Innovation, in the partnership category, in recognition of her effective collaborations between industry and academia.