BIO

I was first introduced to the Arctic on an SOI expedition in 2011 funded by the Leacross Bern Foundation. The trip truly changed my life; drawing me back to the Arctic nearly every summer since. Currently, I am a graduate student in the UBC Department of Botany studying Arctic plant genomics. I have spent six summers working Alexandra Fiord on Ellesmere Island (79 degrees north) studying the effects of warming on tundra plant species.

 

My PhD thesis explores the biogeography of Cassiope tetragona (White Arctic Heather) from 45 circumpolar locations and the genomic DNA methylation of Dryas integrifolia (White Mountain Avens) plants from experimentally warmed and control plots at four sites around the Arctic. I am working to determine if there are gene expression or methylation patterns that are consistently associated with experimental warming.

 

When not working on my thesis, I enjoy hiking, back-country skiing, mountaineering, and working on alpine huts and trails. As an exec member and past president of the UBC Varsity Outdoor Club (https://www.ubc-voc.com/), I enjoy teaching people to backcountry ski and introducing students to glacier travel and basic mountaineering. Currently, I am also the student representative for the International Tundra Experiment (https://www.gvsu.edu/itex/) and co-founder of the Nch'kay/Garibaldi alpine research site: https://garibaldialpine.wixsite.com/garibaldialpine