ACME Family
HUMANS ARE DIVERSE; SO SCIENCE MUST BE
The ACME Lab is a family. Our scientific lives depend on one another. Our successes are shared, our failures shouldered by all.
We lift each other up, so we can all do better for this world.
We welcome ALL who share this philosophy. We cherish and defend diversity: where you come from, and whom you love.
We lift each other up, so we can all do better for this world.
We welcome ALL who share this philosophy. We cherish and defend diversity: where you come from, and whom you love.
The Captain
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Dr. Jason FisherI am the Head of the ACME team. I am a wildlife ecology research scientist with en eye for the big picture. I trained at Universities across Canada, worked for the governments of Newfoundland & Labrador and Alberta for 20 years, and then settled here at UVIC's School of Environmental Studies, where I am an Adjunct Professor.
I built ACME lab from partnerships across western Canada with UVIC, industry, government, eNGOs, and First Nations. We could not do what we do without these dedicated colleagues and friends. I am incredibly proud of what we have achieved together, and what we will do in the future. For more about me, click the obligatory glory biology pic "Fisher with fisher". |
ACME Researchers
Andrew BarnasPostdoctoral Fellow, UVIC ACME Lab. Andrew is working with the urban deer project in Esquimalt (BC), as well as Oil Sand Monitoring in Northern Alberta, using camera trap data to estimate wildlife population densities. Andrew is interested in how individual behaviour in response to disturbance can translate to population level impacts. Andrew joined the lab in 2022 after completing a Postdoc working on common eiders and polar bears at the University of Windsor and receiving his PhD from the University of North Dakota working on lesser snow geese. Outside of research, Andrew is typically busy either woodworking, kayaking, or backpacking.
Check out Andrew's website here, or shoot him an email at andrew.f.barnas@gmail.com |
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Karina Lamy Karina is a Research Associate at UVIC ACME Lab, and is helping with project management on the Esquimalt Urban Deer project. She is a wildlife biologist, RPBiol, with a BSc. from the University of Ottawa and a Master's from the University of Calgary. The majority of her work experiences are from projects working with carnivores and ungulates. Her specialty is in corridor ecology and she's fond of spatial modelling. Karina really enjoys mountain biking, hiking, and backcountry skiing.
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Nicole BoucherPh.D. student, NSERC Canada Graduate Scholar. Nicole studies moose calf survival and population dynamics in central British Columbia. Previously, she conducted her M.Sc. research on spatial and temporal variation of stable isotopes in polar bears and ringed seals. She has diverse ecological interests, and has researched stress in elk, urban connectivity, bioacoustics (if you ever need a bird identified by song, she's your person) and more! In her spare time, she enjoys reading, drawing, hiking, board games and keeping up with her two energetic dogs.
Check out Nicole's website here. |
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Katie Baillie-DavidKatie Baillie-David, M.Sc. student, UVic Graduate Fellow. Using camera traps, Katie is researching carnivore behavioural responses to predator control in the boreal forest of northeastern Alberta. Katie is from Ottawa, Ontario, where she received a B.Sc. Hons. in Biology from the University of Ottawa in 2017. She has previously conducted pollinator research in Ontario agroecosystems and carnivore research in Malawi. In her spare time, Katie enjoys hiking, embroidering, and keeping up with the latest memes.
Check out Katie's website for more info here. |
Laura Eliuk
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M.Sc. student, NSERC Scholar. Laura uses camera traps to assess human activity and mammal distributions in the Eastern Slopes of Alberta's Rocky Mountains, and is interested in how landscape change, human activity, and management decisions affect large mammal distributions. She has a broad interest in field ecology, and has worked two seasons on the Kluane Red Squirrel Project in the Yukon studying behavioural ecology and ecological physiology in red squirrels. Laura has also worked in resource conservation with Parks Canada, with wolves in Minnesota, and has banded songbirds in Manitoba and the Yukon. She is from Winnipeg, MB, where she did her BSc. Hons. in ecology and conducted thesis research on trematode parasites and how they alter the behaviour of their snail hosts. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, picking wild edibles, and photographing critters and plants.
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Publications:
Parasite-modified behaviour in non-trophic transmission: trematode parasitism increases the attraction between snail intermediate hosts (link).
Parasite-modified behaviour in non-trophic transmission: trematode parasitism increases the attraction between snail intermediate hosts (link).
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Macgregor Aubertin-YoungM.Sc student, NSERC Scholar. Macgregor is investigating the environmental determinants of local mammal species richness and the role of traits in mediating species responses to landscape change. He previously described new species of mites while researching hummingbird–mite interactions in Peru, studied grass hybridization along the Fraser River and worked as a bird banding technician in the South Okanagan.
Beyond research, Macgregor enjoys running, birding and photographing biodiversity. He also really likes R. |
Brianna BrandonM.Sc. student. Brianna is using biotelemetry to study muskoxen movement and habitat selection in response to changing environmental conditions in the Yukon Territory. She is keenly interested in wildlife ecology and has previously collected grizzly bear hair samples for a population inventory in central Alberta, monitored Olympia oyster settlement rates in the Gorge waterway, and assisted with bird banding on southern Vancouver Island. Brianna spends her spare time trail running, hiking, riding bikes, and taking photos of critters and landscapes along the way.
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Sydney GowardSydney Goward, MSc Student, Weston Family Northern Scientist. Partnered with the Arctic Landscape Ecology lab and the Gwich’in Renewable Resources Board, Sydney is studying Divii (Dall’s Sheep) in the Northern Richardson Mountains, NT. Her research focuses on the use of camera traps and engagement with Gwich’in communities to investigate Divii population demography and mammal community interactions. In 2018, she graduated from Thompson Rivers University with an Honours degree in Natural Resource Science, where she conducted research studying spatial and temporal characteristics of raptor nesting habitat in a managed forest in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. Sydney is a Registered Professional Forester (non-practicing) and has a working background in wildlife and habitat management in both BC and AB. Outside her studies, she is an overall backcountry enthusiast, dedicated fly fisher, and amateur wildlife photographer.
Check out Sydney's website for more info here. |
Rebecca SmithRebecca Smith, M.Sc. student and B.C. Graduate Scholar, is using camera traps to study the functionality of protected areas in the western Canadian landscape, in the context of supporting mammalian biodiversity. Rebecca graduated from the University of Guelph with a B.Sc. in Wildlife Biology and Conservation in 2018. She has contributed to research on insect diversity in Costa Rica and post-construction monitoring of amphibian/reptile populations in Ontario. Most recently Rebecca has worked with Parks Canada in Banff, Yoho and Kootenay National Parks conducting ecological monitoring. This work included monitoring winter wildlife corridors, maintaining large wildlife camera arrays, and reporting on the ecological integrity of the parks. Rebecca enjoys skiing, trail running, climbing, and drinking large cups of tea in her spare time
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admiral of the fleet
Alina helping collar deer as part of the Oak Bay deer study
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Alina C. FisherAlina C. Fisher, M.A. (Comm), Ph.D. Cand., is Research Manager for UVIC'S School of Environmental Studies. She makes the wheels turn and the music play. An unsung hero if ever there was one. She's an ecologist, a Master of Communications, does all our social media, is a Project Management Professional, and is an ex-pro bellydancer to top it all off. Alina is also a Ph.D. candidate with Dr. Eric Higgs in the School of Environmental Studies, examining how landscape change in mountain environments over the last century has affected mammalian communities.
She also suffers the unenviable task of keeping Jason alive. Not sure how, but so far it's worked. Check out Alina's website here. |
Tech Team
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sean murraySean Murray, B.Sc., is our Chief Data Management and Analysis Technician. Sean has a passion for wildlife and land conservation. He's worked as a technician performing caribou habitat assessment in Chinchaga Alberta, observing foraging and vigilance behaviour of grizzly bears in Bella Coola, B.C, and assessed the effectiveness of invasive species control and passive restoration techniques in Garry Oak ecosystems throughout southern Vancouver Island. He has recently made the shift to data management and mapping having completed his undergraduate degree in Geography with a focus in Geomatics.
Outside of work he's interested in running/cycling/climbing and futzing about building things out of wood. |
Beth LucierBeth is from Kamloops BC, where she completed her Bachelor of Natural Resource Science at Thompson Rivers University. Recently, Beth has worked in fisheries conducting trout and salmon stock assessment in the BC Interior. She also has experience with ecological monitoring for Parks Canada in both Jasper and Waterton Lakes National Park. In her spare time, Beth likes fly fishing, camping, and curling up with a good book.
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alumni
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Nicole Heim,
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Dr. Frances Stewart,
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Siobhan Darlington,
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Gillian Chow-Fraser,
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Dr. Joanna Burgar,
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Alexandra Francis,
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Sandra Frey, NSERC SCHOLAR, MASTER OF SCIENCE (2018).Sandra studied carnivore community ecology, investigating how landscape development alters species' spatiotemporal activity patterns. Her 1st MSC paper was one of RSEC's Top 20 most downloaded papers in 2018, and her 2nd won the MITACS Award for Outstanding Innovation. Sandra is the UWSS's Project manager for the Urban Boreal Deer Research Project, providing logistics and deftly capturing deer wandering the wilds of Oak Bay, Victoria.
See more about Sandra here. |
Wylie Fuller
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Wylie Fuller, B.SC. was the previous ACME Lab Chief Spatial Data and Statistics Technician. Wylie is researching mammal communities in Alberta with the Oil Sands Monitoring program, and is modelling black-tailed deer habitat use in Oak Bay with the UWSS Urban Deer team. Wylie began research with the ACME Lab on an undergraduate thesis, and has enjoyed diving into the world of landscape-scale ecological modelling. Wylie has experience conducting ecological restoration and habitat management with Parks Canada and BC land conservancies, and is at his happiest when looking closely at plants to assess habitat health. He enjoys ocean paddling, running, and playing jazz.
Check out Wylie's website here. |
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Dr. Andrew LadlePostdoctoral Fellow, UVIC ACME Lab. Andrew worked with the Oil Sands Monitoring program, where he used spatially-explicit methods of estimating animal density for multiple species using camera trap data to understand species' response to apex predator removal and landscape disturbance. Andrew received his PhD (2017) from University of Alberta researching grizzly bears in the Canadian Rockies, and returned to Canada after finishing a post-doc position on wolverine ecology at SLU- Grimsö, Sweden. Andrew is an avid whitewater kayaker and keeper of ferrets and border collies.
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Dr. Cat SunPostdoctoral Fellow, UBC WildCo Lab. Cat is a collaborator of ACME's, studying the spatial patterns of wildlife population density, distribution, and dynamics, using noninvasive survey methods and hierarchical models. She is researching multi-species density estimation across a range of altered landscapes in BC and Alberta using camera trap data. Cat received her M.S. (2014) and PhD (2019) from Cornell University.
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undergraduate alumni
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Daniel Tejero,
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Persia KhanPersia Khan, is a B.Sc. Honours student investigating mammal activity patterns in the Bighorn Country of Alberta using camera trap data. During her undergraduate degree at UVic, Persia has worked on several projects with an ecological focus including recreation ecology studies with the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative, research on dietary preferences of coastal bears, and aquatics and vegetation field work with Parks Canada. Beyond her research interests, Persia enjoys riding her bike and drinking coffee in the mountains.
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Hannah BoczulakHannah Boczulak, is a B.Sc. Directed Studies student investigating mammals response to disturbance - specifics TBA, During her undergraduate degree at UVic, Hannah has focused on physical geography and ecology, including research on qualitative risk assessments of boreal woodland caribou with Natural Resources Canada, investigating lichen and tree dating techniques in BC’s Coast Mountains and assisting in the creation of a Marine Reference Guide with the Pacific Salmon Foundation. Outside of her studies, Hannah enjoys hiking, running, backpacking, and traveling.
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