Keynote Speakers

Dr. Heather Kharouba is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biology at the University of Ottawa and holds a University Research Chair in Global Change Biology. She leads The Meadow Mosaic Lab which focuses on the conservation of meadow ecosystems in a changing climate. They study how plants and insects respond to climate change and land-use change, how these responses can be anticipated, and how meadow habitats can be more effectively managed under ongoing environmental change. The lab’s work spans multiple spatial and biological scales, integrating field surveys and experiments with data synthesis and modelling approaches. A central goal of their research is to understand the factors that structure species’ distributions, phenology (the timing of life-history events), and interactions between plants and insects. 

Her research program emphasizes interdisciplinary collaboration, bringing together ecological science with social sciences and the arts to address ethical, cultural, and decision-making dimensions of conservation in human-modified landscapes. By linking ecological theory with applied conservation questions through these collaborations, the lab's research seeks to improve predictions of biological responses to climate change and to inform evidence-based strategies for meadow conservation and restoration.

Dr. Christina Davy is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biology at Carleton University, where she and her students study conservation science. Their research integrates disease ecology, behavioural ecology, and conservation genomics to inform the recovery of species at risk, especially bats and reptiles. Christina previously worked as a Research Scientist with the Government of Ontario, and served as on the Board of Directors for the Canadian Herpetological Society from 2017-2024. She serves on the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC), and is happiest when wandering around in wetlands looking for turtles.

 I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology, and cross-appointed in the Department of Cellular & Molecular Medicine, at the University of Ottawa. I received my PhD at McGill University working with ants with Dr. Ehab Abouheif in the areas of developmental genetics & epigenetics within the emerging field of Ecological Evolutionary Developmental Biology (Eco-Evo-Devo). I next did an NSERC postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Florida with Dr. Martin Cohn, expanding my expertise to include vertebrate developmental genetics and Evo-Devo. Finally I did a CIHR postdoctoral fellowship and a Charles A. King Trust Postdoctoral Research Fellowship with Dr. Norbert Perrimon where I trained with the classic genetics model Drosophila melanogaster. During this time I also did a Visiting Fellowship at the Konrad Lorenz Institute (KLI) in Austria.

Dr. Matt Muzzatti is a Mitacs Postdoctoral Research Fellow split between Cornell University and Carleton University. He is an applied entomologist, and cares deeply about leveraging insect physiology, nutrition, and ecology to transform global food systems. 

Matt's academic journey has taken him from studying how to control insect pests in agricultural systems to optimizing how we grow insects at scale. His current research now focuses on understanding how environmental conditions shape insect feeding, metabolism, and growth in mass-rearing systems. 

Outside the lab, Matt is usually chasing plastic on an ultimate frisbee field or portaging through the Canadian wilderness with his wife and dog. 

Dr. Kristin Eccles is a computational toxicologist whose research focuses on understanding the health impacts of complex environmental chemical mixtures. She currently leads the Computational Toxicology Research Group at Health Canada, where they use methodologies, including high-content imaging and mixture modelling, to support human and risk assessment. In August, Dr. Eccles is transitioning to an Assistant Professor and Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in One Health & Toxicology at the University of Ottawa, where she will continue her research program linking mechanistic toxicology to real-world environmental exposures. Her work aims to generate actionable science that informs regulatory decision-making and protects population health.

Alex Wong is an Associate Professor of Biology at Carleton University. He holds a BA in Biology and Philosophy, as well as an MA in Philosophy, from Carleton, and a PhD in Genetics and Development from Cornell University. He studies the evolution and genomics of microbes, with particular interests in the impact of genetic background on evolutionary processes, the genetics of antimicrobial resistance, and genomics-enabled pathogen surveillance. In addition to his research, Dr. Wong participates in international policy and science efforts around antimicrobial resistance and infectious disease.

Jane is a conservation physiologist and toxicologist studying how abiotic stressors, like pollution, influence invertebrate health. For her current postdoctoral fellowship with Dr. Heath MacMillan, she investigates the impacts of microplastic form and additives on insects, using an integrative approach spanning whole animal to subcellular responses. This is her second time attending OCIB and she is looking forward to connecting with students exploring future academic pathways.