Research
My research focus lies at the interface between pollinator conservation and sustainable food production. Using a combination of fieldwork and semi-field and lab experiments, I investigate the far-reaching consequences of human activities on wild pollinators, including agricultural intensification, pesticide use, and climate change.
Through my research, I collaborate closely with farmers, community scientists, and experts from across the globe to find sustainable solutions to safeguard wild pollinators.
Over the past several years, my research has centered on wild solitary ground-nesting bees and bumblebees, serving as agriculturally relevant study organisms.
Current Research
My current projects include:
Nesting in agricultural soils under warming climate: the direct and interacting effects of global warming and farming practices on ground-nesting bee communities
Postdoctoral Research | University of Ottawa
At the University of Ottawa, I am documenting the responses of ground-nesting bee communities to tillage and pesticide exposure from agricultural soils in field crops. I am also investigating the dual effects of warmer winter temperatures and exposure to pesticide residues in soil on hibernating bumblebee queens.
This research is funded by the Weston Family Foundation and fellowships from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and the Fonds de Recherche du Québec Nature et technologies (FRQNT).
Exploring advanced ecological and physiological aspects of hibernating bumblebee queens
Postdoctoral Research | University of Guelph
Building upon my Ph.D. research, I extended my inquiries into the complex realm of bumblebee queen ecology and physiology during my postdoctoral appointment at the University of Guelph. Collaborating with researchers from Cornell University and the University of California, Riverside, my research focused on the following areas:
• Pesticide bioaccumulation: I assessed the bioaccumulation of pesticides in hibernating bumblebee queens from residues in the surrounding soil.
• Ecology and mating status: I delved into the intricate ecology and mating status (virgin or mated) of bumblebee queens undertaking diapause in the wild.
• Resilience to environmental stressors: I investigated the resilience of hibernating bumblebee queens to environmental challenges, particularly their ability to endure flooding events while in underground hibernation.
This research is funded by the Weston Family Foundation.
Abeilles citoyennes: large-scale monitoring of insect pollinators through community science
Project Co-founder and Coordinator | Université Laval
Abeilles citoyennes is a community science project dedicated to the monitoring of insect pollinators across the province of Quebec.
This research is funded by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food of Quebec (MAPAQ).
Past Research
Some of my past research projects include:
Assessing exposure and impacts of combined pesticide residues in soil for ground-nesting bees and bumblebee (Bombus spp.) queens
Ph.D. Research | University of Guelph
Full thesis here.
The use of the predatory mite Stratiolaelaps scimitus to control Varroa mite infestations in honey bees
M.Sc. Research | Université Laval
Full thesis here.
