Informed decisions on resource management and development require an understanding of how projects will impact the resource, other resources, and the ecosystem. Because the ocean and land are intricately connected along coastal areas, development projects in either will invariably affect the other. However, Ecological Risk Assessments do not consider the two in tandem because the […]

“A large majority of microbes cannot be cultured. Recently, microbiome sequencing has begun to identify the genetic potential of these lineages, often referred to as microbial “dark matter”. By integrating my taxonomic profiling methods with function profiling developed by the academic supervisor, I aim to develop and apply a comprehensive pipeline for microbial dark matter […]

The collection of bacteria and archaea in an ecosystem is termed the microbiome. This microbiome is critically important to the structure and function of essentially any ecosystem, providing many ecosystem services, such as growth promotion, nutrient turnover, and impacts on organismal health. The vast majority of these organisms, however, are unknown to science for a […]

Les infections nosocomiales sont des infections contractées dans les établissements de santé et représentent un problème de santé publique majeur. Dans les établissements de santé québécois, on évalue qu’entre 80 000 et 90 000 personnes sont atteintes d’une infection nosocomiale, ce qui correspond à 10% des admissions. Dans ce contexte, il est alors urgent de […]

Consumers are increasingly interested in how their pork is raised especially in terms of welfare (the five freedoms) and the use of antibiotics (in relation to antimicrobial resistance). This project will focus on pig behavioural traits such as aggressiveness, tail biting and social interaction and seek to develop new tools to allow these traits to […]

The research project will assist the Ottawa Branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA-Ottawa) with the evaluation of new innovative mental health services intended to divert individuals from their overuse of emergency rooms and having further hospitalizations for mental health problems. The project will involve three separate studies over a two-year period: (1) an […]

Lactating dairy cows have extensive embryonic loss, but the mechanisms that lead to this failure to maintain pregnancy are not clearly understood. It is suggested that high-producing dairy cows are marginally deficient in nutrients such as Vitamin B complex molecules, selenium etc., which are positively associated with health and reproduction. The goals of the project […]

Wildlife populations are frequently affected by human influences on the landscape. Freshwater turtles have been heavily affected, with 7 of 8 Ontario turtles now listed as species at risk. Individual animals may be stressed by human disturbance, causing reduced fitness. Chronic stress hormones in turtles can be measured analyzing claw clippings in a lab. This […]

Non-Apis bees are now recognized as significant pollinators. For most crops visited by bees, pesticides are used for pest management, and there is concern about the potential negative effects of pesticides on wild and managed bees. Most toxicity studies involving bees have focused on honey bees (Apis mellifera), partially because honey bee data are required […]

Non-Apis bees are now recognized as significant pollinators. For most crops visited by bees, pesticides are used for pest management, and there is concern about the potential negative effects of pesticides on wild and managed bees. Most toxicity studies involving bees have focused on honey bees (Apis mellifera), partially because honey bee data are required […]

Proposed developments (pipelines, super-tankers) along the coast of BC have the potential to negatively impact (shell)fisheries. Direct monitoring of fisheries can only detect negative impacts which have already occurred; therefore, indicator species (meiofauna) and environmental variables are monitored to detect disturbances before productivity is impacted. Our project will monitor intertidal ecosystems (numerous species and environmental […]

Proposed developments (pipelines, super-tankers) along the coast of BC have the potential to negatively impact (shell)fisheries. Direct monitoring of fisheries can only detect negative impacts which have already occurred; therefore, indicator species (meiofauna) and environmental variables are monitored to detect disturbances before productivity is impacted. Our project will monitor intertidal ecosystems (numerous species and environmental […]