I am a fourth-year student and recently completed my Honours thesis. My research was interested in investigating behavioral innovation in the American Lobster, Homarus americanus, with the use of problem-solving tasks. I will be returning to St.FX for my final semester in the fall to complete my Biology degree. Until then, I am returning to the Wyeth lab for my fourth year as a research assistant. I will continue to work with Rachel Webber, who is investigating lobsters’ behavioral responses to various bait options near Antigonish, Nova Scotia.

I entered St.FX as a mature student and since then, I have gained experience from various research opportunities. The research projects that I have been involved in include work in Brier Island, studying Canada’s rarest plant, Geum peckii, antifouling methods for aquaculture netting and lobster behavior. I am enthusiastic to start this year’s project, and plan to do a Master’s degree in the Ecology or conservation field.

I am a fourth year student pursuing my BSc in Honours Chemistry. I am originally from Ottawa, and for the past two summers I have worked at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) Research Institute researching rare genetic disease including developing a zebrafish animal model for Pyridoxine-Dependent Epilepsy. This year I am working on developing environmentally-friendly antifouling surfaces for marine aquaculture, specifically against mussel fouling in the Bras D’Or lakes in Cape Breton as part of my thesis work. After my undergraduate degree, I am interested in pursuing a career in medicine, and I hope to someday have the opportunity to join Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders). I would like to always be involved in research in some capacity throughout my career. My other interests and hobbies include drawing and painting, singing and playing guitar, running, playing soccer, skiing, being a coxswain on the StFX Rowing Team and a member of the StFX Tennis Team, hiking and traveling. 

Theora is study sea slug movement patterns and a potentially new way animals might use magnetic fields to navigate.

Theora says: Raised in Antigonish, I’m a second year student in the biology program here at X. Though I have yet to find my focus I am excited about exploring the wide world of biological studies. Some of my other passions include religious studies, sketching, bookmaking and watching bad horror movies.

I am a fourth year biology student minoring in economics.  I am doing a directed study course focused on mussel antifouling. I am really looking forward to getting some research experience and applying my degree in a practical way. This project fits really well with my degree because bio fouling is a very costly issue for the commercial shipping and marine industry. After I am done my undergraduate degree, I hope to pursue a career in the healthcare field. 

Upon completing my BSc in Biology at StFX, I went through the typical post-graduate crisis where I didn’t know what to do with my life. Thankfully, Russ took pity on me and I joined the Wyeth lab, primarily researching the effect of UV light exposure on biofouling organisms. I have also been involved with other projects including sea slug behaviour, crow behaviour, antifouling abilities of trout netting, and environmental sequencing of biofilm. I was accepted into the biology MSc program at StFX and will be  looking at the effects of contaminants on lobster. I’m excited to be working with my co-supervisors, Russell Wyeth and Jim Williams, over the next 2 years.

Ella has been supported by the Province of Nova Scotia boat harbour remediation project and Nova Scotia Fisheries & Aquaculture

I am originally from Sherbrooke, NS. After two years at Dalhousie, I transferred to StFX and completed my BSc in Biology with a minor in Development Studies in 2017. I joined the Wyeth Lab after graduation and worked primarily researching antifouling options, both commercially available products for aquaculture and UV technology with AML Oceanographic. I am currently a student in the accelerated nursing program here at X, but my love of biology and biofouling has kept me working part-time in the lab during my studies.

Amelia is supported by the StFX University Council for Research and Nova Scotia Fisheries & Aquaculture

I am a fourth year honours biology student at StFX, originally from Sydney, NS. This summer I am working on a project with Alex researching gene expression in the nervous system of Lymnaea. I am excited to get some research experience and learn from everyone in the Wyeth lab. After my undergrad, I’m hoping to take some time to travel and continue my education in hopes of pursuing a career in healthcare.

Carmen is supported by an NSHRF Scotia Scholars grant

I completed my BScH at Acadia University where I started as a Co-op student. I began my research career with an 8-month term at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada where I found my interest in molecular biology. I explored this interest during my Honours at Acadia, developing a DNA barcoding protocol for preserved fungal specimens with a side project that involved annotating the mitochondrial genome of the fungus Phialocephala scopiformis. I am excited to now be at StFX solidifying my love for molecular biology in a whole new system – the gastropod nervous system! In the future, I hope to begin a career in private research or continue my graduate studies.

Alex is supported by an NSERC CGS-M and a Nova Scotia Graduate Scholarship

I am a fourth year student taking a Joint Advanced Major in Biology and Mathematics. Working in lab this summer will be my first time doing research and I am very excited about it! Areej and I are studying Lymnaea snails and how they find food in still water and flowing water environments. I’m originally from Halifax and I’m looking forward to experiencing an Antigonish summer for the first time! After my undergrad degree I’m hoping to continue on to either a Master’s degree or medicine or both.

Hannah is supported in part by a NSHRF Scotia Scholars award and NSERC