Current Members
Dr. Erin Cameron
Erin is an associate professor in the Department of Biology at Saint Mary’s University. She holds a Canada Research Chair (Tier II) in Global Change Biology and works on the effects of global change, such as climate change and invasive species, on soil biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. She uses field observations, lab experiments, and models in her research, which is mostly conducted in Nova Scotia and western Canada.
Email: erin.cameron[at]smu.ca
Twitter: @erin_cameron
Hannah Lazaris-Decken
Hannah is an MSc student in Applied Sciences studying the impact of grazing mammals on microbial ecology. During her BSc (Honours in Biology-Chemistry), she examined multiple microbial parasites, which fostered an interest in environmental microorganisms and their interactions. In her MSc, she is investigating how the iconic Sable Island horses are influencing the island’s soil microbiome and how this may have an indirect effect on other aspects of the environment.
Email: Hannah.Lazaris-Decken [at] smu.ca.
Dr. Helen Phillips
Helen was a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Research Fellow with Erin at Saint Mary’s University and Prof. Wim van der Putten at NIOO-KNAW. She is now an assistant professor at the University of Helsinki and continues to collaborate with the lab.
Claire Singer
Claire is a PhD student in the Applied Sciences program at Saint Mary’s University. Her research focuses on changes in the spread and impact of non-native plants in the Northwest Territories (NWT), Canada and includes methods grounded in science and Indigenous knowledges of the region. This research builds on approximately 15 years of previous work experience in the NWT focusing on species at risk, climate change, and invasive species.
Email: claire.singer[at]smu.ca
Stephen Paterson
Stephen is a PhD student studying biogeography of soil organisms in response to global change. After spending many years supporting research on aquatic ecosystems, from Canada’s Arctic to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, he unexpectedly became fascinated with earthworms. Stephen is now working to understand the spread of non-native earthworms into northern Canada so the impacts of these species can be better quantified and mitigated.
Email: Stephen.Paterson[at]smu.ca
Maheshi Dharmasiri
Maheshi is a PhD in Applied Science student at Saint Mary’s University. Her research investigates soil biodiversity in Canada. She graduated with a Master of Science in Applied Science degree from Saint Mary’s University in 2021, where she studied European Starlings, and whether song parameters signal age. After completing her MSc, she joined the lab to help compile a global earthworm dataset (GloWorm), before starting her PhD.
Email: Maheshi.Dharmasiri[at]smu.ca
Twitter: @maeisdha
Mary-Grace Legorburu
Mary (she/they) is a MSc in Applied Sciences student at Saint Mary's University. Her research investigates the effects of forestry management practices on the spread of non-native earthworms and native ground beetle communities in Wabanaki-Acadian forests in Mi'kma'ki (Nova Scotia).
Email: mary-grace.legorburu[at]smu.ca
LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/mary-legorburu
Noah Martin
Noah is an undergraduate honours student in the BSc Environmental Science program. His research is on the effects of Sable Island horses on the microbial biomass and enzyme activity. The data was collected in collaboration with the Fences in the Sand (FitS) Parks Canada project. Noah is co-supervised by Rhea Lumactud from the agricultural campus of Dalhousie.
Email: noah.martin[at]smu.ca
Daniel Wilson
Daniel is a BSc. (Hons.) Biology and Geography student at SMU. His research looks at the factors affecting invasive earthworm presence and dispersal across Finland. This includes environmental factors, such as precipitation and soil pH, as well as anthropogenic factors, such as human population density and the road network.
Madison Silver
Madison began in the lab in 2020 as an Honours student studying habitat fragmentation, and completed her MSc (co-supervised with Dr. Andrew Medeiros) on road salt effects in 2023.
Samantha Bennett
Samantha worked with the lab throughout her undergraduate degree and completed her honours thesis on spread of jumping worms in New Brunswick in 2023.
Lindsay Scott - BSc honours student (transport of earthworm cocoons)
Jenacy Samways - SMUworks summer student, technician, BSc honours student (earthworm diversity on islands)
Sahana Kanabar - BSc honours student (road salt effects on soil and water)
Rowan Murphy - Technician
Heather Chow - BSc honours student (Sable Island invertebrate communities)
Larissa Sweeney - SMUworks summer student
Mairi-Jo Musgrave - Soil Biodiversity Science Communication Intern and website design
Aisling Dunn – Field technician (non-native plant spread)
Giannina Karki - SMUworks summer student, co-op student (earthworms in the Yukon)