Dr. Frances Stewart
Frances Stewart is the Canada Research Chair in Northern Wildlife Biology, Assistant Professor, and Wilburforce leader in Conservation Science at Wilfrid Laurier University. Her passion for wildlife biology began canoeing through Ontario's protected areas where she was able to watch moose, wolves, birds and reptiles. It was these early life experiences that underpin her current research questions on wildlife and natural resource management. E: [email protected] |
Current members
Dr. Rosemary Hohnen
Postdoctoral Fellow (2024 -) Rosemary is a threatened species ecologist, interested in understanding the drivers of species declines and what we can do about them. Working with Ontario, BC, and Alberta scientists she is researching how landscape-scale alterations affect eastern and western wolverine distributions. E: [email protected] www.rosemaryhohnen.com |
Dr. Nick Luymes
Postdoctoral Fellow (2023 -) Nick is passionate about the interaction between science and environmental decisions. As one of two Weston Postdoctoral Fellows (2024-2026) he is investigating questions related to muskox habitat use and movement in the boreal forest of the Northwest Territories. E: [email protected] |
Claudia Haas
PhD Candidate (2022 -) Claudia aims to asses the potential of multi-species monitoring, while informing inclusive and meaningful decision-making for northern Indigenous peoples. Recipient of multiple Weston, POLAR, and ACUNS awards, she is our go-to source for all things protected areas. E: [email protected] |
Valentin Lucet
Research Assistant (2022 -) Val has an MSc from McGill specializing in ecological connectivity modeling and research software engineering. In the WILDlab he is tacking big data issues inherent in camera trapping studies, helps to lead our Northern Ontario team, and is our go-to source for all things reproducible. E: [email protected] www.valentinlucet.com |
Émilie Knighton
PhD Student (2024 - ) Émilie has an MSc in behavioural ecology at Acadia University, and has studied everything from lobsters to owls and sea ducks. As a PhD student she helps lead our Northern Ontario project and leads the field work. Her thesis investigates links between wildlife, vegetation, and carbon soil stocks across northern landscapes. E: [email protected] |
Eric Jolin
MSc Student (2022 -) Eric is using camera trap data to predict ungulate occurrences within Thaidene Nëné Indigenous Protected Area. A field co-ordinator extraordinaire, and awarded the Wildlife Preservation Society's 2019 New Noah, Eric builds upon research experience from the Pacific Northwest to the Indian Ocean. E: [email protected] |
Meghna Pal
Lab Co-ordinator (2023 - 2024) Meghna's interest in animals led her to focus studying ecology over the course of her BA Biology program at Wilfrid Laurier University. An avid reader and recent graduate, she is our go to source for co-ordinating WILDlab data, people, and projects. E: [email protected] |
Christine Dunbar
MSc Student (2023 -) Christine was born and raised in Yellowknife, NWT and has a BSc from Lethbridge College. Coming from an Indigenous background, Christine has always cared for protection of the environment. Co-supervised with Dr. Brad Woodworth, she is focusing her MSc on muskox habitat selection and has recently won POLAR, Weston, and Laurier Hypatia awards. E: [email protected] |
Amaan Leacock
Thesis Student (2024) Previously an NSERC USRA student with a real passion for all things wildlife, Amaan is embarking on an undergraduate thesis co-supervised with Dr. Nick Luymes. Amaan is using camera trap images to investigate marten and red fox associations in Northern Ontario. E: [email protected] |
Alumni
Amaan Leacock. NSERC USRA Student 2024 | WILDlab Undergraduate Thesis student
Émilie Knighton. Research Assistant 2024 | WILDlab PhD student
Charlotte Rentmeister. MSc 2023 | Mining Technologist at Yukon Gov
Noah Stein. Undergraduate Research Assistant 2023 | 4th year Biology student graduating year
Meghna Pal. Undergraduate Research Assistant 2023 | WILDlab co-ordinator
Sheyda Zand. Research Project 2022 | Research Assistant with Laurier's Dr. Andrew Spring
Eric Jolin. Research Assistant 2022 | WILDlab MSc student
Dr. Matthew Dyson. Postdoc 2021 | Research Scientist at Ducks Unlimited Canada | @DysonWildlife
Dr. Craig Simpkins. Postdoc 2020-2021 | Data Scientist at Quantiful Limited New Zealand | @connectiveCraig
Émilie Knighton. Research Assistant 2024 | WILDlab PhD student
Charlotte Rentmeister. MSc 2023 | Mining Technologist at Yukon Gov
Noah Stein. Undergraduate Research Assistant 2023 | 4th year Biology student graduating year
Meghna Pal. Undergraduate Research Assistant 2023 | WILDlab co-ordinator
Sheyda Zand. Research Project 2022 | Research Assistant with Laurier's Dr. Andrew Spring
Eric Jolin. Research Assistant 2022 | WILDlab MSc student
Dr. Matthew Dyson. Postdoc 2021 | Research Scientist at Ducks Unlimited Canada | @DysonWildlife
Dr. Craig Simpkins. Postdoc 2020-2021 | Data Scientist at Quantiful Limited New Zealand | @connectiveCraig