Theora Holden

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.

Alexa Nicholson

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. 


Publication! Congrats to Marissa Webber & Jimmy Thomson

cne24286-toc-0001This one was more than 5 years in the making before publication in the Journal of Comparative Neurology.  Jimmy Thomson got us started, labelling neurotransmitters in the central nervous system of Hermissenda, and then Marissa Webber followed up with tons more labelling and then an amazing effort in cataloging all the labelled neurons.  Highlights were establishing that some neurotransmitters are considerably more variable between animals than others, and that one specific neurotransmitter (GABA) was not where it was supposed to be (it was missing from the statocysts – the balance organs).  You can read the (free) reprint to get our full explanation of that crazy result.  Thanks also to Roger Croll and Johnny Buckland-Nicks for help along the way.
DOI: 10.1002/cne.24286

 

Graduate Student Position Available

M.Sc. Position in Toxicology of Lobster Behaviour

IMPORTANT:  THIS POSITION HAS BEEN FILLED

Interested in aquatic animal behaviour or applied research in toxicology or estuarine restoration?  Interested in building expertise in a range of techniques, including field work with SCUBA, semi-automated video analysis of behavioural experiments, and contaminant tissue analyses?

Dr. Russell Wyeth and Dr. Jim Williams in Biology at St. Francis Xavier University (StFX) are accepting applications for an MSc student position to start Jan 1, 2018.  This position is fully funded ($18,000 x 2 years), and tuition support is also possible.

(more…)

Russell Wyeth

2017-07-07 21.05.25

My interests encompass much of the diversity of animals, but my research has focused primarily on aquatic invertebrates, particularly their behaviours and nervous systems.  I’m especially intrigued by how nervous systems control adaptive behaviours – responses appropriate to the cues animals encounter in their natural habitat.  That makes me a neuroethologist, but my students and I follow new questions into many other areas of invertebrate zoology.  I’m also keenly interested in helping students think like biologists, applying sound analytical skills to understanding organisms, and this pervades both my teaching and approach to mentoring student in research.

My professional info (CV, etc.) is here and contact details are here.

Areej Alansari

Image2I graduated in 2010 from the Faculty of Applied Science at Umm Al Qura University, Saudi Arabia, where I earned a bachelor`s degree in biology. Throughout my studies, I consistently earned honours. I received a scholarship from the Ministry of Higher Education in Saudi Arabia, which fully sponsored me to pursue my studies in the field of biology. Getting such a scholarship is difficult, as they are highly competitive. All these accomplishments have encouraged me and motivated me to continue my studies at St. Francis Xavier University. Now, I am studying animal behavior and how Lymnaea Stagnalis finds food. After my masters degree, I hope to have a job in Saudi Arabia or continue on to a PhD.