Departmental Seminars Archive

The 2020-2021 seminars were held via Zoom on Wednesdays at 3:30 pm. Several seminars were cancelled in spring 2020 due to COVID-19. When in person, seminars are normally held in the Presentation Studo at SFU's Big Data Hub. 

Spring 2024

Jan-8-2024 Tom Martin Bangor University, UK Improving the conservation value of zoos
Jan-15-2024 Richard Lenski Michigan State University Dynamics and Repeatability of Evolution in a Long-Term Experiement with Bacteria
Jan-22-2024 Sara Cannon University of British Columbia Towards Justice-Centred Stewardship of Ecosystems: Lessons from a Decade of Aquatic Ecological Research
Jan-29-2024 Sharp Ideas on Teaching & Learning, 4th Annual Speaker, Bridgette Clarkston University of British Columbia Algae in every classroom: The case for greater organismal diversity in general education settings and why this matters
Feb-5-2024 Jane Fowler Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University Mitigating methane emissions using aeromicrobiology
Feb-12-2024 Grad hosted speaker, Alexandra CD Davis university of California, Los Angeles Marine conservation, invasive species management, and belonging
Feb-26-2024 Finlayson Biodiversity Speaker, Elizabeth Clare York University A chance to measure life on land - the promise and challenge of airborne eDNA
Mar-4-2024 Sara Smith Mount Royal University Using marine ectotherms to understand species distributions in the face of climate change
Mar-11-2024 Benjamin Kerr University of Washington Genes on the move: Measuring the rate and evolutionary impact of horizontal gene transfer in simple bacterial communities
Mar-18, 2024 Olena Zhulyn SickKids Rapid remodeling of the translatome underlies tissue development and regeneration
Mar-25-2024 Sophie Wilkinson School of Resource and Environmental Management Degradation, wildfire, and climate change: A triple threat for northern carbon stocks
Apr-8-2024 Lynne Quarmby Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, SFU Watermelon Snow: The View from Inner and Outer Space

Fall 2023

Sept-11-2023 Shannon Bennett California Academy of Sciences The  evolutionary  ecology  of  emerging  infectious  diseases:  Dengue  virus  and  other  mosquito-borne  pathogens
Sept-18-2023 Chelsey Geralda-Armstrong Indigenous Studies, SFU Historical-Ecological  Perspectives  of Land-Use in  the  Pacific  Northwest:  Ts’msyen,  Coast  Salish,  and  Nuu-chah-nulth  Forest  Gardens
Sept-25-2023 Celeste Leander and Tessa Blanchard UBC Botany Ungrading:  What  happens  when  we  take  away  points  and  focus  on  learning?
Oct-23-2023 Lucy Lee Biological Sciences, SFU
Fish  cell  lines  and  Cellular  Aquaculture
Oct-30-2023 Rolf Mathewes Biological Sciences, SFU Time  travels  of  a  Paleoecologist  -  with  focus  on  fire  history  and  climate  change
Nov-27-2023 Craig Orr and Joel Heath
Beyond Profits Speakers Non-profits  and  indigenous  groups:  Enhancing  science  and  conservation  outcomes

Spring 2023

11-Jan-2023 Noah  Ashley  Western  Kentucky  University Cool  rhythms:  investigating  activity  cycles,  hormones,  and  sleep  in  arctic-breeding  songbirds
18-Jan- 2023 Jeffrey  Joy  University  of  British  Columbia  (BC  Centre  of  Excellence) The  evolution  of  emerging  infectious  diseases:  a  phylogenomic  perspective
25-Jan-2023 Keith  Bowers  University  of  Memphis Silver  spoons,  sexy  sons,  and  the  evolution  of  parental  care
1-Feb-2023 Katie  Marshall  University  of  British  Columbia Causes  and  consequences  of  invertebrate  low  temperature  thresholds
22-Feb-2023 Reading  Break    
1-Mar-2023 Daniel  Promislow   Omics  of  dogs
8-Mar-2023 Ruth  Hufbauer  Colorado  State  University The  application  of  evolutionary  theory  to  invasions  and  biological  control
15-Mar- 2023 Tony  Williams  Simon  Fraser  University Avian  reproduction:  back  to  the  future
22-Mar-2023 TBA    
29-Mar-2023 SEMINAR  CANCELLED    
5-Apr-2023 SEMINAR  CANCELLED  University  of  British  Columbia The  neurobiology  of  electroreception  and  related  aquatic  senses

Fall 2022

21-Sept-2022 Carl  Lowenberger  Biological Sciences, SFU In  the  belly  of  the  Beast:  What  factors  determine  which  insect  vectors  transmit  which  parasites...the  never-ending  saga
28-Sept-2022 Nicholas  Dulvy  Biological  Sciences,  SFU A  shark’s  eye  view  of  ocean  conservation
5-Oct-2022 Julia  Kreiner  University  of  British  Columbia Population  genomics  of  agricultural  adaptation  over  two  centuries  in  a  weedy  Amaranth
12-Oct- 2022 18th  Distinguished  Alumni  Speaker,  Kelly  Ablard  Airmid  Institute Working  Alongside  Indigenous  Communities  Worldwide  to  Protect  Medicinal  and  Aromatic  Plants  for  Future  Generations
19-Oct- 2022 Juli  Carillo  University  of  British  Columbia Science  on  the  fly:  Testing  ecological  theory  using  opportunistic  pests  and  predators
26-Oct- 2022 Colin  Garroway  University  of  Manitoba Exploring  biogeographic  patterns  in  genetic  diversity
2-Nov- 2022 Chelsea  Little  Environmental  Science;  REM,  SFU Spatial  patterns  and  processes  of  ecosystem  functioning
9-Nov- 2022 Maydianne  Andrade  University  of  Toronto  Scarborough Control,  context,  and  choosiness:  Flipping  the  lens  to  see  female  plasticity  in  widow  spiders
16-Nov-2022 Ailene  MacPherson  Mathematics;  Statistics  and  Actuarial  Science,  SFU Revisiting  the  geographic  mosaic:  The  role  of  spatial  structure  in  maintaining  diversity  in  coevolving  systems
23-Nov- 2022 Sharp  Ideas  on  Teaching  &  Learning,  3rd  Annual  Speaker,  Mary  Pat  Wenderoth  University  of  Washington The  end  of  lecture  -  now  what?
30-Nov-2022 Finlayson  Biodiversity  Speaker,  Jessica  Ware  American  Museum  of  Natural  History Insect  biodiversity:  dragonfly  and  damselfly  evolutionary  history
7-Dec- 2022 Christy  Morrissey  University  of  Saskatchewan Disrupting  Migration  –    Potential  Role  of  Environmental  Contaminants  in  Migratory  Bird  Declines

SPRING 2022

12-Jan-2022 Lori O'Brien University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill Kidney progenitur programs: from maintenance to disease
19-Jan-2022 Bernard Crespi Simon Fraser University The Natural and Sexual Selection of Endometriosis
26-Jan-2022 Judy Myers University of British Columbia The only woman in the room: a journey in ecology
2-Feb-2022 Elizabeth Gow Environment and Climate Change Canada Free-roaming domestic cats in Canada: reducing conflict and complexities through interdisciplinary collaboration and research
9-Feb-2022 Jean Bernard Caron Royal Ontario Museum Darwin's dilemma: The origin of animals explained
16-Feb-2022 Josh Drew The State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry Oceans of Future Past: How Historical Ecology Can Inform Conservation 
2-Mar-2022 Rashid Sumaila University of British Columbia Fish is more valuable than diamond: Economics and the future of fish and fisheries
9-Mar-2022 2022 Thelma Finlayson Biodiversity Speaker, Derek Tittensor Dalhousie University Marine ecosystems and biodiversity under climate change
16-Mar-2022 Sharp Ideas on Teaching & Learning, 2nd Annual Speaker, Brian Couch University of Nebraska-Lincoln Formative assessments: What can instructors do to increase student buy-in and utilization?
23-Mar-2022 Evolutionary and Behavioural Ecology Research (eBERG) Speaker, Megan Sabal Oregon State University Predator effects on migratory animals: incorporating prey behavior into conservation
30-Mar-2022 17th Distinguished Alumni Speakers: Rob Butler, Christine Rock, and Erin Udal Pacific WildLife Foundation (Rob), WildResearch (Christine), Native Bee Society of British Columbia (Erin) Government, NGO, or 'build your own' career options
6-Apr-2022 Megan Frederickson University of Toronto How mutualism affects ecological and evolutionary success

FALL 2021

22-Sep-2021 Ivona Mladenovic Biological Sciences, SFU Science teaching that matters: Conceptions and expriences of first year SFU science students
29-Sep-2021 Kayla King University of Oxford Microbial protection against infection: an eco-evolutionary perspective
6-Oct-2021 Paul Sunnucks Monash University Genetic management of wildlife in a changing world
13-Oct-2021 Caroline Colijn, Canada 150 Chair Dept. of Mathematics, SFU Genomic epidemiology in COVID-19
20-Oct-2021 Marina Elliott Simon Fraser University Homo naledi and the Rising Star Cave
27-Oct-2021 Jennie R. McLaren University of Texas at El Paso Top-down and bottom-up effects on arctic plant communities and ecosystem functioning
3-Nov-2021 Caitlin Proctor Purdue University The Bacteria You Bathe With
10-Nov-2021 Nikita Saha Turner British Columbia Centre for Disease Control Co-exposure of aflatoxin and fumonisin in Nigerian maize and the non-carcinogenic risk of aflatoxin in Nigerian children and adults
17-Nov-2021 Wendy Palen Biological Sciences, SFU From dehydration to disappearing wetlands: the importance of water for species persistence in rapidly changing landscapes
24-Nov-2021 Grad Hosted Speaker Andrea Reid University of British Columbia Conservation "In A Good Way": Equitably Bridging Knowledge Types Towards a Better World
1-Dec-2021 Mireille Khacho University of Ottawa Impact of mitochondrial dynamics on stem cell function: from physiological regulations to pathological disruptions

Spring 2021

13-Jan-2021 Jonathan Moore Biological Sciences and REM, SFU Science, stressors, and stewardship of samon watersheds
20-Jan-2021 16th Distinguished Alumni Speaker, Oliver Love University of Windsor Physiology of reproductive decisions in an Arctic-breeding seabird
27-Jan-2021 Sharp Ideas on Teaching & Learning, Inaugural Speaker, Elli Theobald University of Washington Mind the gap: Active learning as one tool to achieve equity in STEM classrooms
10-Feb-2021 2021 Finlayson Biodiversity Speaker, Tara Martin University of British Columbia Transforming ecological data into conservation decisions
3-Mar-2021 Pamela Ronald University of California, Davis Enhancing Food Security through Rice Genetic Improvement
10-Mar-2021 Fourth Annual Webster Visiting Scholar in Symbiosis, Zakee Sabree Ohio State University Deciphering Phenotypes of Symbiosis
17-Mar-2021 Jenny Cory Biological Sciences, SFU Population cycles and pathogens in a forest insect
24-Mar-2021 MacCarthy Lecture, Mark Hoddle University of California, Riverside Crushing the Curve: Amplification of Biocontrol of Asian Citrus Psyllid in California
7-Apr-2021 Marty Leonard Dalhousie University Ambient Noise and Parent-Offspring Communication in Birds
       

Fall 2020

23-Sep-2020 Gordon Rintoul Biological Sciences, SFU The alien within: mitochondria in your brain
30-Sep-2020 Graham Diering University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill The stuff dreams are made of: Remodeling synapses during sleep
7-Oct-2020 Richard Wassersug University of British Columbia Communicating as a Scientist in a World Confounded by COVID
21-Oct-2020 Simon Levin Princeton University Mathematical ecology: A century of progress, and challenges for the next century
28-Oct-2020 Rindy Anderson Florida Atlantic University Bird songs and bird brains: the evolution of elaborate and reliable animal communication signals
4-Nov-2020 Sherryl Bisgrove Biological Sciences, SFU Kelp Forests in B.C. – looking to the future
18-Nov-2020 2020 Finlayson Biodiversity Speaker, Kai Chan University of British Columbia System Change for Sustainability: Relational values may unlock incentives, certification, regulations, and more
25-Nov-2020 Thomas Therriault Fisheries and Oceans Canada European Green Crab in British Columbia: Understanding a High-Risk Invader
2-Dec-2020 Scott Wilson Carleton University Identifying priority areas in Latin America for the joint conservation of migratory Species-at-Risk and threatened Neotropical fauna

Spring 2020

8-Jan-2020 Grad Hosted Speaker, Christine Bishop Pacific Wildlife Research Centre, Delta Neonicotinoids in your neighbourhood: Hummingbirds and Bees in the Fraser Valley
29-Jan-2020 Lotta Kvarnemo University of Gothenburg The many mysteries of monogamy
5-Feb-2020 Ben Freeman University of British Columbia From the Alps to the Andes: How gloabl warming is changing where montane species live
12-Feb-2020 Greg Bole and Angie O'Neill (aka Charles and Emma Darwin) University of British Columbia Charles and Emma: The evolution of a marriage
26-Feb-2020 Third Annual Webster Visiting Scholar in Symbiosis, Claire Kremen University of British Columbia Can we reassemble pollinator communities and functions through restoration within intensive agricultural landscapes?
11-Mar-2020 Sarah Cohen UNC Chapel Hill Advanced imaging approaches to study lipid trafficking within and between cells

Fall 2019

18-Sep-2019 R. Alexander Pyron George Washington University Spatial Distribution of Evolutionary Diversification and Extinction Risk in Reptiles and Amphibians
25-Sep-2019 Anu Singh-Cundy Western Washington University Models and manipulatives in the Biology classroom: Engaging visual and kinesthetic learners
2-Oct-2019 Anne Salomon REM, Simon Fraser University Tipping points and time travel through North America's undersea forests
9-Oct-2019 Darcy Visscher The King's University, Edmonton Scared to death: the ecology of fear
16-Oct-2019 Julian Christians Biological Sciences, SFU A Womb with a View: How the placenta responds to its environment
23-Oct-2019 Distinguished Alumni Speaker, Nello Angerilli Academics Without Borders Curiosity driven active dissatisfaction - Making things better
30-Oct-2019 Harald Hutter Biological Sciences, SFU How to build neuronal circuits: a tale of pioneers and followers
6-Nov-2019 Colleen Farmer University of Utah Fluidic Devices in Reptile Lungs
13-Nov-2019 Michael Wiebe Green Party, Vancouver City Councillor Reconnecting through Water: the ability to reconnect urban populations with land, water, and culture
20-Nov-2019 Grad hosted speaker, Elena Bennett McGill University Using ecosystem services to guide management in Canadian working landscapes