Jess Benedict
Undergraduate Researcher, Microbes & Ecosystems LabScientific interests
Learning about ethology and behavioural ecology, looking at cool organisms under microscopes, the evolution of species, and investigating how “little” things (genes, microbes, interactions between individuals in a species) can have big impacts!
Hobbies
Reading, hiking, sewing, playing guitar, and anything that involves being outside!
Favourite organism
Tends to fluctuate a little bit, but right now, its Microeledone galapagensis, an adorable little blue deep-sea octopus that was recently discovered off the coast of the Galapagos.
Favourite element
Carbon! It’s the basis of all life, so I can’t give it enough credit.
Sam Lazure
Undergraduate Researcher, Microbes & Ecosystems LabScientific interests
Studying behaviour in wider evolutionary contexts, microorganism/macroorganism interactions, weird organisms
Hobbies
Rock climbing, hiking, reading
Favourite organism
Nyctibius jamaicensis
Favourite element
Oxygen
Scott McCain
BSc @ UWO · MSc/PhD @ Dalhousie · Postdoc @ MIT/UofT · Chief microbe wrangler (aka Assistant Professor), Microbes & Ecosystems LabScientific interests
Digging through published data sets, learning about weird microbial metabolisms, looking at cool phytoplankton, philosophy of probability.
Hobbies
Painting, playing hopscotch.
Favourite organism
Phaeocystis antarctica
Favourite element
Manganese
Nadia Shurrab
Undergraduate Researcher, Microbes & Ecosystems LabScientific interests
Investigating evolutionary relationships and the role of natural selection in shaping them; learning about cool microbial interactions and defense mechanisms; analyzing histological samples; fieldwork!
Hobbies
Horseback riding, scuba diving, hiking.
Favourite organism
Equus ferus and Canis lupus.
Favourite element
Bismuth
Alex Wightman
Undergraduate Researcher, Microbes & Ecosystems LabScientific interests
Learning about the evolution of genes and their mutations, tracing phylogenetic trees and discovering common ancestors, and microscopically viewing microorganisms.
Hobbies
Painting, Reading, Paddle boarding
Favourite organism
Odontodactylus scyllarus
Favourite element
Carbon