I did my undergrad in biology at Queen’s University, where I completed an independent research project troubleshooting ways to find sex-linked markers within the genes responsible for herbicide resistance in an invasive plant species. My current project’s focus has shifted quite a bit from this but follows similar themes of ecology and novel species. Polyommatus icarus is a butterfly species native to Europe which has been introduced to North America within the past 20 years. I’m interested in combining field work and computer modelling to better understand the movement patterns of this species within urban landscapes to hopefully be able to inform policy makers about how to best manage this new insect species.

I’ve always been interested in nature and the world around me and being from Montreal makes this project extra exciting for me as I get to find out some new things about the city that I grew up in!