Abstract Submissions are OPEN for the 2025 Grad Conference!
The LFS Grad Council is happy to announce that abstract submissions for the 2025 Graduate Student Conference are now OPEN! Whether you’re presenting your latest research results or sharing your project proposal, we’d love to hear from you! To submit your abstract: Review the abstract guidelines Submit your abstract by January 24th, 2025 at 11:59 pm Make sure to register […]
Meet the team: Elizabeth Russell
Elizabeth Russell PhD student, Applied Animal Biology. Council role: President. What is your research focus? My research focuses on dairy cattle welfare, specifically on calves and weaning. I work with dairy farmers to understand how best practices for calf rearing are implemented on farms. What inspired you to pursue this field of study? […]
Meet the team: Sasha Pollet
Sasha Pollet PhD student, Soil Science. Council role: Social Event Coordinator and Soil Science Representative. What is your research focus? I’m interested in soil-plant interactions, specifically focusing on how soil type influence microscale processes taking place around the roots. I’m a soil scientist with a portion of my heart in plants. What inspired […]
Meet the team: Jessica Marques
Jessica Marques PhD student, Applied Animal Biology. Council role: Communications Director. What is your research focus? My primary research interest is in developing sustainable reproductive strategies that reduce hormone use in reproductive programs and improve farm practices. My PhD combines reproductive physiology, molecular biology, and automated monitoring technologies to better understand dairy herd […]
Meet the team: Maya Bodnar
Maya Bodnar PhD student, Applied Animal Biology. Council role: Treasurer. What is your research focus? My work focuses on improving the welfare of animals used in science. My thesis explores refinements to standard laboratory mouse handling procedures. What inspired you to pursue this field of study? Rodents are the most used animals in […]
Meet the team: Lara Sirovica
Lara Sirovica PhD student, Applied Animal Biology. Council role: LFS Program Representative for Applied Animal Biology. What is your research focus? My research is focused on investigating how people perceive and balance different trade-offs in sustainability values, with a focus on situations involving decisions around animal care and welfare. With this work I hope […]
Meet the team: Chantelle Twynstra
Chantelle Twynstra MSc student, Nutrition and Dietetics. Council role: Secretary and MND Program Representative. What is your research focus? I am most interested in clinical nutrition such as different nutrition support options, GI diseases and how GI physiology impacts nutrition. What inspired you to pursue this field of study? I have always had a […]
Meet the team: Danielle Schultze
Danielle Schultze PhD student, Food Science. Council role: Food Science Program Representative. What is your research focus? I am investigating the use of bacteriophages (viral predators of bacteria) to control nontyphoidal Salmonella in poultry production environments. I am also exploring the genetic mechanisms of phage-resistance in Salmonella. What inspired you to pursue this field […]
Meet the team: Celeste Bouchaud
Celeste Bouchaud PhD student, Human Nutrition. Council role: Academic Event Coordinator and Program Representative for Human Nutrition. What is your research focus? My main field of interest lies in the study of eating behaviours in adults and children. The focus of my PhD is observing how parenting practices during family meals are affected by […]
Mark Your Calendars for the 2025 LFS Grad Student Conference!
The Land and Food Systems Graduate Student Council is excited to share the date for the 2025 Graduate Student Conference. Save the date—March 13th—for an inspiring showcase of the innovative research happening across our faculty. Don’t forget, the deadline to submit your abstract is January 24th. More details coming soon!