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EDUCATION

2019-present: Banting Postdoctoral fellow, University of Calgary

2016-2019: NSERC Postdoctoral fellow, University of Calgary

2015-2016: Postdoctoral fellow, University of Toronto and University of Alberta, Canada

2010-2015: PhD, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada

Thesis title: People, parasites and predators: Unexpected dynamics of sea lice in Pacific Canada

2004-2009: BSc, University of Victoria, Victoria, Canada with distinction

Biology and Earth & Ocean Sciences, minor in Mathematics, Co-operative education

 

AWARDS

2019: Banting (NSERC) Postdoctoral Fellowship

2016: NSERC Postdoctoral Fellowship

2015: University of Alberta Faculty of Science Dissertation Award, Fisher Scientific Scholarship

2014: Bill Shostak Wildlife Award
2012: NSERC Vanier CGS, University of Alberta President's Doctoral Prize of Distinction, AAAS/Science Program for Excellence in Science
2011: Alberta Innovates Graduate Student Scholarship (PhD), D Alan Birdsall Memorial Scholarship
2010: NSERC CGS-M, Alberta Ingenuity Master's Scholarship, PIMS International Graduate Training Centre Graduate Fellowship in Mathematical Biology, Walter H. John's Fellowship, University of Alberta Honorary Master's Scholarship
2008: NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Award, Bob Wright Undergraduate Scholarship, Stanley John Cross and Marjorie Irene Cross Scholarship
2007: The Andrew Weaver Distinguished Alumni Scholarship
2006: NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Award, Helen and Paul Trussell Science and Technology Scholarship, Heritage Canada Youth Award

2004: Robert W. Pearce Scholarship, Governor General's Bronze Academic Medal

 

PUBLICATIONS

 

WORK EXPERIENCE

In addition to the positions below, I have refereed articles for American Naturalist, the Journal of Mathematical Biology, Bulletin of Mathematical Biology, PLoS One, Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences and the Journal of Parasitology.

 

Research

2019: Contract research scientist, Pacific Salmon Foundation, Vancouver, BC, Canada

2010: Aquatic biologist, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Nanaimo, BC, Canada

Evaluated sampling designs and metrics to describe the distribution of wild salmon within conservation units, as described by DFO's Wild Salmon Policy.

2009: Research assistant, Living Oceans Society, Victoria, BC, Canada

Fit mechanistic models to data to determine the efficacy of salmon farming management strategies in reducing transmission of parasites from farmed to wild salmon in the Broughton Archipelago.

2009: Co-Op student, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Nanaimo, BC

Developed metrics to describe the distribution of wild salmon within conservation units, as described by DFO's Wild Salmon Policy, involving research into metrics described by others, as well as developing new metrics and applying them to escapement data to determine how to best describe the distribution of spawning salmon.

2008: NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Award, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada

Studied atypical habitat use by the wandering salamander.  \\ Assisted in fieldwork, data collection and data entry for the Arboreal Biodiversity Across Spatial Scales (A.B.A.S.S.) project on oribatid mites in the forest canopy in Clayoquot Sound under the supervision of Dr. Neville Winchester.

2007: Assistant wildlife biologist, Parks Canada, Radium, BC, Canada

Continued long term telemetry monitoring program of Bighorn sheep in Kootenay National Park. Wrote project reports, developed and reviewed research permits, and maintained database of Bighorn sheep sightings.

2006: NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Award, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada

Conducted a field-based experiment on the effect of sea louse infection on the schooling behaviour of juvenile pink and chum salmon, under the supervision of Dr. John Volpe.

 

Teaching

2014 & 2017: Ecological Models and Data, co-instructor, Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre, BC, Canada

Designed and delivered a three week course on modelling and statistical analysis of ecological data for undergraduate- and graduate-level ecologists.

2012: Models in Ecology teaching assistant, Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre, BC, Canada

Instructed students during labs, assisted students in research projects, evaluated students' work and coordinated field activities.

2011: Directed Studies teaching assistant, Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre, BC, Canada

Prepared and delivered lectures on experimental design and data analysis, supported 20 undergraduate ecology students in independent research projects, and evaluated students' research ability and written work.

 

Field

2009-2012: Field Crew, Broughton Archipelago Monitoring Program

Collected juvenile salmon samples and identified sex, stage and species of any attached sea louse parasites.  These data are part of a long-term study of the distribution and abundance of sea louse parasites in the Broughton Archipelago, BC, Canada.

2009: Field crew leader, Living Oceans Society, Salmon Coast Research Station, BC, Canada

Trained and supervised a crew of field biologists monitoring sea lice on wild salmon in the Broughton Archipelago.  Daily activities included boat operation and marine navigation, beach seining, handling salmon fry and identifying sea lice on fry.

 

PRESENTATIONS

 

Invited talks

 

Feb 22, 2017: The ecological context of host-parasite interactions. HPI Trainee Research Seminar Series, University of Calgary.

Nov 17, 2016: Data cloning to ensure parameter estimability in compex ecological models [webinar]. MBI Workshop: Population models in the 21st century. Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio.

May 6, 2016: Why conservation biology needs mathematics (public lecture). Les Grandes Conferences du Centre de Recherches Mathematiques, Universite de Montreal.  Click to access Slides on FigShare   
Apr 21, 2016: Models for conservation. Special seminar at the Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra, Australia
Dec 7, 2015: Producer-scrounger games in juvenile coho salmon, Seminar in Mathematical Biology, University of Alberta

Mar 11, 2014: Effects of sea louse parasites on host ecology and population dynamics, Seminar at the Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra, Australia
Feb 27, 2014: Effects of sea louse parasites on host ecology and population dynamics, Seminar in Ecology and Evolution, Australian National University
Feb 7, 2013: Can reduced predation offset negative effects of sea louse parasites on chum salmon?, Seminar in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto
Jan 29, 2013: Farmed to wild: sea louse transmission and control, Seminar in Mathematical Biology, University of Victoria

Nov 19, 2012: Models to management: sea lice transmission from farm to wild salmon, Seminar in Mathematical Biology, University of Alberta
Jul 10, 2012: Sea lice on chum salmon: Parasite-mediated release from predation? Fisheries Science and Management Research Group talk, Simon Fraser University
May 16, 2012: Spatiotemporal parasite dynamics of farmed and wild salmon, Guest lecture in Models in Ecology, Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre

 

Conferences

 

August 5-11, 2018: Parasites of migratory caribou: effects of host movement and climate change, ESA 2018, New Orleans, USA

May 30, 2016: Data cloning to ensure parameter estimability in complex ecological models, International Statistical Ecology Conference, University of Washington
May 30, 2014: Salmon farms, sea lice, and predators (Oh my!) [Talk], Salmon Pathogen Workshop, Salmon Coast Field Station, BC
Jan 18, 2013: Sea louse control and transmission dynamics [Best student poster], Disease Dynamics 2013, University of British Columbia Oct 12, 2012: Can parasite-mediated predation counteract direct impact of sea lice on chum salmon [Talk], PIMS IGTC Summit in Mathematical Biology, Naramata, BC

Feb 21, 2012: Distinguishing sources of parasites on wild juvenile salmon [Poster], Recent Advances in Statistical Inference for Mathematical Biology, Ohio State University

Jul 15, 2011: Interdisciplinary Research: the Broughton Archipelago Monitoring Program [Talk], Mathematical Biology Workshop and IGTC Summit, University of Victoria

May 17, 2011: Nine year study of sea lice and pink salmon in the Broughton Archipelago [Talk], International Marine Conservation Congress, University of Victoria

Oct 1, 2010: Modelling management of sea lice in aquaculture [Poster], PIMS IGTC Summit in Mathematical Biology, Naramata, BC

Apr 7, 2010: Assessing the distribution of spawners under Canada's Wild Salmon Policy [Talk], Fisheries and Oceans Canada Regional Science Forum, Victoria, BC

Mar 3, 2010: Sea louse management in the Broughton Archipelago [Talk], Pacific Ecology and Evolution Conference, Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre