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Spatio-temporal Analytic of isotope Variations in the Environment

Present members
Auguste Hassler (postdoc 2023-2025)
Auguste recently finished his PhD in Earth Sciences at the University of Lyon (France), Earth, Planets and Environment. In his work he applies geochemical approaches to solve paleontological and biological questions. He comes in the SAiVE as a UKRI Marie-Curie PDF in collaboration with Dr. Kate Britton (U. Aberdeen) and he will work on developing new isotopic tools to track the fertility of megafauna sciences including caribou, mammoth and horses.
Felipe Dargent (postdoc 2020-2026)
Felipe is an evolutionary ecologist interested in the interface among infection, communities, and evolution. His work focuses on how complex community interactions influence adaptation and enemy-victim interactions. To do this he combines a broad toolkit ranging from field collections, ecological and evolutionary experimental assays (in nature and in the lab), and modelling. At the SAiVE lab, in collaboration with partners at the Invasive Species Centre and the Canadian Forest Service, Felipe is working on developing H and Sr isoscapes to determine eastern spruce budworm moth (Choristoneura fumiferana) provenance. The goal is to improve understanding of the dispersal dynamics of this forest pest to better mitigate the spread of outbreaks in the boreal forest. Check out Felipe's personal webpage.
Megan Reich (Fast-tracked PhD Biology 2018-2023)
Megan is from Chilliwack, BC. She completed her BSc in Environmental Sciences at the University of British Columbia (Vancouver) in 2015. She is working on her PhD with the SAiVE lab combining isotope, genomics and data science to study butterfly migration.
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Zoe Landry (PhD Earth Sciences 2021-2025)
Zoe studies the ecology and extinction of Pleistocene megafauna from northern North America, to investigate how certain traits influence species’ responses to climatic and environmental disturbances. Her PhD research, which is being conducted jointly at the University of Ottawa and the Canadian Museum of Nature, is focused on reconstructing the ecology and extinction timeline of North American Pleistocene horses, as well as resolving their problematic evolutionary relationships. She uses a combination of stable isotopes, palaeogenomics, radiocarbon dating, and ecological modelling to better understand these enigmatic animals and the ultimate cause of their extinction. Zoe’s work also aims to inform modern conservation efforts by illuminating how ecological traits relate to extinction risk, in an effort to identify species that may be at-risk due to ongoing climate change and other human effects. Her work will help to promote sustainable horse re-wilding practices that will improve ecosystem function and health across North America.
Sarina Cotroneo (PhD Earth Sciences 2016-2023)
Sarina's work focuses on lithium and strontium isotopes in Arctic rivers, and applies machine learning and data science to study hydrogeochemistry. Sarina has a background in environmental science, geochemistry, and science communication. She holds a master's in earth sciences from the University of Toronto and works as a policy analyst for the federal government.
Eve Lindroos (MSc 2023-2025)
Eve is a MSc student from Sudbury Ontario. She completed her BSc, majoring in geology, and minoring in math at the University of Ottawa. Her honors project was supervised by Dr. Clement Bataille and PhD candidate Megan Reich. Her project focused on testing if hydrogen isotopes remain inert in the chitin of wing tissues in monarch butterflies. As a MSc, Eve is working on developing the use of zinc isotopes to reconstruct the diet of several carnivores species cohabiting in Beringia at the LGM including wolves, lions and smilodons.
Ghislain Delaplante (MSc 2020-2022)
Ghislain is originally from northern Ontario, but has been a western Canadian since catching gold fever in Yukon 12 years ago. This severe bout of gold fever resulted in going AWOL from his original alma mater, Lakehead University, to explore the Yukon mountains, fly helicopters in the Middle East, and lead a cross-country ski program in southern BC. He completed a BSc in Biology and Earth Sciences at Vancouver Island University (finally!) prior to joining the SAiVE lab, where he is currently exploring groundwater/surface water interactions in a varied permafrost environment in south-central Yukon.
Nilofar Benvidi (BSc honour EVS 2021-2023)
Nilofar Benvidi has always been a visual learner and she likes to go for walks just to observe and be in nature. As a third-year biology student, she started taking environmental science courses and this sparked her interest to solve puzzles of nature with the help of science. She is working on her honour project to track eastern budworm dispersal with Dr. Dargent and Dr. Bataille.
Shanie Brault Nikolajew (BSc honour EVS 2022-2023
Shanie is a 4th year student currently completing her BSc in Environmental Sciences at the University of Ottawa. Her honors project focuses on stable isotopes and radiocarbon analysis of a narwhal tusk from the 1960s to determine the migratory and foraging behavior of the species. Her project is supervised by Dr. Clément Bataille and Dr. Brett Walker and is being conducted in conjunction with the Museum of Nature with the help of Dr. Danielle Fraser.
Shanie est une étudiante de quatrième année qui complète présentement son baccalauréat en sciences environnementales à l'Université d'Ottawa. Son projet de spécialisation porte sur l'analyse d'isotopes stables et de radiocarbone d'une défense de narval datant des années 1960 afin de déterminer le comportement migratoire et de recherche de nourriture de l'espèce. Son projet est supervisé par le Dr Clément Bataille et le Dr Brett Walker et est mené en collaboration avec le Musée de la nature avec l'aide du Dr Danielle Fraser.
Marrissa Miller (BSc honour BIO 2022-2023)
Marrissa is a fifth year biology student at Carleton University. Their research interests are all things insects and crustaceans. They have lived all over Canada and have seen many of the coolest invertebrates it has to offer. They will be pursuing a master's degree in entomology next year. Their current research is on calibrating an isoscape model that will be used to determine the natal origins of spruce budworm moths.
Mélodie Nkunda (BSc honour EVS 2022-2023)
Mélodie is a 4th year student in Environmental Sciences at the University of Ottawa. She has a passion for GIS and had the chance to work as an intern with the City of Ottawa in the role of Geoscience/geomatics/engineering assistant. Her current research is on developing isotopic tools to identify local eastern spruce budworm individuals.