I’m a postdoctoral researcher at the Biodiversity Institute of Ontario in Guelph, Canada and research associate at the Royal British Columbia Museum in Victoria, Canada. Prior to commencing my PhD dissertation, I completed my MSc in the laboratory of Dr. Paul Hebert at the University of Guelph in Guelph, Canada exploring the molecular evolution of animal lifestyle transitions. I remained at the Biodiversity Institute of Ontario for two years as laboratory manager, where I helped facilitate the transition to a high-throughput DNA barcoding facility. From January 2007 until December 2010, I completed my PhD research in the Forest Sciences Department of the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, exploring genetics-based approaches to invasive species detection and surveillance, biodiversity monitoring and conservation prioritization. Specifically, my dissertation concentrated on developing regional barcode libraries for forest Lepidoptera, employing them to develop native and non-indigenous species inventories, and comparing diversity estimates across disturbance gradients. In September 2011 I returned to the University of Guelph, where I am presently working on the systematics of Nearctic looper moths (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) and the acceleration of their taxonomic discovery and biodiversity assessment through the integration of molecular data and cybertaxonomic tools.
