I am a Senior Geneticist with Benchmark Genetics Iceland. My goals are to advance the performance and sustainability of the Atlantic salmon aquaculture industry using innovative research to inform genomic selection. 

 

Previously, I was postdoctoral researcher at Dalhousie University. I studied the ecophysiology and genomics of farmed bivalves in Atlantic Canada. My research helped identify genetic markers of upper thermal tolerance in blue mussels that will help the industry sustainably expand despite the challenges of climate change. I also investigated how genetic selection may be able to assist the oyster sector in managing MSX disease. 

 

I completed my Ph.D. in Marine Biology at Memorial University. The aim of my past research was to investigate/identify mitigation strategies that would minimize the impacts of climate change on cage-cultured Atlantic salmon aquaculture production within Atlantic Canada. 

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I appreciate hands-on teaching and was the Instructor for OCSC 3000 - Aquaculture Principles and Practices. Before that, I enjoyed being the Lab Demonstrator for this same course three years in a row. I still guest lecture in several other courses at Memorial University on topics related to aquaculture biotechnology.

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I graduated with my M.Sc. in Aquaculture from Memorial University in 2019. My Master's thesis focused on helping identify the optimal rearing temperature of AquAdvantage Salmon (growth hormone transgenic female triploid Atlantic salmon). Concurrently, I worked full-time in the salmon aquaculture industry on Prince Edward Island. Prior to moving to the east coast, I attended Fleming College's post-graduate Aquaculture program. My B.Sc. with Honours came from the University of Guelph, where I majored in Animal Biology and minored in Nutrition and Nutraceutical Science.