Schedule

Our team will be ready to assist with your registration, provide conference materials, and answer any queries. Coffee will be available upon your arrival.

"I don’t think of you as Black” and other Misconceptions about Equity, Merit & Systems Change Assessment of achievement, innovation and impact affects hiring, compensation, granting success, and promotion. Systematic biases in the assessment of women, racialized persons, and others from marginalized groups occurs in STEM as in other fields. An evidence-informed approach would start from the assumption that bias exists and create practices that mitigate negative effects. Such changes could be broadly beneficial. Nevertheless, a (predictable) backlash against such inclusive practices has grown, predicated on the denial of the evidence. In this talk, I discuss typical arguments against equity programs, and provide practical advice for ways to mitigate the effects of bias in STEM.

Take a breather and mingle with peers during our coffee break. It's the perfect opportunity to discuss the morning's insights, refresh, and energize yourself for the upcoming sessions.

Moderator: Andrew Hendry

Avian ecology

Moderator: Julie Messier

Evolutionary ecology

Moderator: Carissa Brown

Forest ecology

Moderator: Graham raby

Limnology

Moderator: Nicola Smith

Marine ecology

Moderator: Menilek Beyene

Urban ecology

Microbial communities play fundamental roles in ecosystem function and resilience, driving nutrient cycles, influencing host health, and responding dynamically to environmental changes. This symposium will explore cutting-edge research in microbial ecology and evolution across diverse ecosystems, including terrestrial, aquatic, and host-associated environments. By uniting perspectives from different ecological domains, we aim to highlight the shared principles and unique adaptations shaping microbial dynamics. Speakers will present advances in microbial biogeography, host-microbe interactions, and the evolution of microbial traits under environmental pressures. Topics include the role of microbes in shaping ecosystem services, adaptation to extreme environments, and cross-ecosystem comparisons of microbial diversity and function. The symposium emphasizes the application of novel approaches such as meta-omics, experimental evolution, and computational modeling to explore microbial complexity. Discussions will focus on unifying concepts in microbial ecology and the translational potential of microbial insights for ecosystem management and conservation. This event aims to inspire collaboration and foster interdisciplinary perspectives, advancing our understanding of microbes as integral drivers of ecological and evolutionary processes.

Ecological studies have slowly moved from seeing habitat as an extrinsic set of factors imposing constrains and pressures on individual animals to an integrative part of these individual features. With the development of concepts such as genotype-environment covariance, matching habitat choice, habitat-dependent phenotypic plasticity, niche construction, or individual niche specialization, it is now clear that considering habitat as an individual’s extended phenotype will help shed new light on the interactions between individual animals and their environment, and thereby provide a deeper and broader vision of the evolutionary ecology of behaviours and other traits. With this symposium, we would like to bring together researchers who are interested in how to integrate individual habitat features to study and explain the maintenance of individual (co)variation in behaviour and other traits, and their ecological and evolutionary consequences. We also want to encourage discussions around how to incorporate habitat features at different scales in their behavioural ecology studies.

The Computational Biodiversity Science and Services (BIOS²) training program is part of an NSERC-CREATE Program, and is concluding its activities as such in this Symposium. BIOS² aimed to widen opportunities and skill sets among students and postdoctoral fellows and have fostered a new culture in ecoinformatics that made technologies and methods accessible to the new generation of stakeholders and decision-makers. As we transition into a new format hosted by the Québec Centre for Biodiversity Sciences, we want to celebrate the accomplishments of our current and past fellows and glimpse at what’s to come in the next years. We will share research results, experiences, ambitions and reflections on Computational Biodiversity Sciences, and explore the historical developments in the area while daydreaming about what will be done in the future. A diverse panel of experts will offer perspectives on how computational tools can tackle pressing global issues, and how is the Canadian research ecosystem equipped for that, offering a forward-looking vision of a data-driven future for biodiversity science.

This is an excellent opportunity to network, reflect on the morning's work, and prepare for the afternoon sessions. You may also enjoy your meal on the outdoor terrace! Please note that bringing outside food into the Delta is prohibited. Those who did not select meals during registration must consume their meals outside the conference center.

Budget 2024 announced some significant and exciting changes to NSERC’s program suite. This presentation will introduce the new Canada Research Training Awards Suite (CRTAS) and highlight changes and budget increases, as well as identify other programs and supplements offered in the Scholarships and Fellowships portfolio, and answer the most common questions regarding application eligibility and process.

Moderator: Julia Baum

Marine ecology

Moderator: John Fryxell

Mammalogy

Moderator: Brandon Schamp

Plant ecology

Moderator: Matt Barbour

Trophic Network

This symposium will explore vegetation response to climate change in Arctic and Alpine ecosystems. It is intended as a forum to foster knowledge exchange and strengthen collaborations among Canadian researchers working in remote field sites across Canada. Standardized methodologies and international syntheses have brought together plant ecologists working in these ecosystems, but such an organized network is currently lacking at the national level. With this symposium, we aim to create a space for early career and established researchers to discuss recent results and methodological advances with peers. It will include research on a range of species across scale and sites which should appeal to a broad audience.

Microbial communities play fundamental roles in ecosystem function and resilience, driving nutrient cycles, influencing host health, and responding dynamically to environmental changes. This symposium will explore cutting-edge research in microbial ecology and evolution across diverse ecosystems, including terrestrial, aquatic, and host-associated environments. By uniting perspectives from different ecological domains, we aim to highlight the shared principles and unique adaptations shaping microbial dynamics. Speakers will present advances in microbial biogeography, host-microbe interactions, and the evolution of microbial traits under environmental pressures. Topics include the role of microbes in shaping ecosystem services, adaptation to extreme environments, and cross-ecosystem comparisons of microbial diversity and function. The symposium emphasizes the application of novel approaches such as meta-omics, experimental evolution, and computational modeling to explore microbial complexity. Discussions will focus on unifying concepts in microbial ecology and the translational potential of microbial insights for ecosystem management and conservation. This event aims to inspire collaboration and foster interdisciplinary perspectives, advancing our understanding of microbes as integral drivers of ecological and evolutionary processes.

Ecological studies have slowly moved from seeing habitat as an extrinsic set of factors imposing constrains and pressures on individual animals to an integrative part of these individual features. With the development of concepts such as genotype-environment covariance, matching habitat choice, habitat-dependent phenotypic plasticity, niche construction, or individual niche specialization, it is now clear that considering habitat as an individual’s extended phenotype will help shed new light on the interactions between individual animals and their environment, and thereby provide a deeper and broader vision of the evolutionary ecology of behaviours and other traits. With this symposium, we would like to bring together researchers who are interested in how to integrate individual habitat features to study and explain the maintenance of individual (co)variation in behaviour and other traits, and their ecological and evolutionary consequences. We also want to encourage discussions around how to incorporate habitat features at different scales in their behavioural ecology studies.

The Computational Biodiversity Science and Services (BIOS²) training program is part of an NSERC-CREATE Program, and is concluding its activities as such in this Symposium. BIOS² aimed to widen opportunities and skill sets among students and postdoctoral fellows and have fostered a new culture in ecoinformatics that made technologies and methods accessible to the new generation of stakeholders and decision-makers. As we transition into a new format hosted by the Québec Centre for Biodiversity Sciences, we want to celebrate the accomplishments of our current and past fellows and glimpse at what’s to come in the next years. We will share research results, experiences, ambitions and reflections on Computational Biodiversity Sciences, and explore the historical developments in the area while daydreaming about what will be done in the future. A diverse panel of experts will offer perspectives on how computational tools can tackle pressing global issues, and how is the Canadian research ecosystem equipped for that, offering a forward-looking vision of a data-driven future for biodiversity science.

Take a breather and mingle with peers during our coffee break. It's the perfect opportunity to discuss the morning's insights, refresh, and energize yourself for the upcoming sessions.

Moderator: Robert Buchkowski

Community complexity

Moderator: Peter Soroye

Conservation biology

Moderator: Elena Bennet

Ecosystem function

Moderator: André-Phillippe Drapeau-Picard

Insect ecology

Moderator: Rebekah Oomen

Macroevolution

Moderator: Kevin MacColl

Microbial ecology

Moderator: Jennifer Doubt

Plant ecology

Moderator: Erik Etzler

Urban ecology

Please install your poster during the designated poster setup time.

Explore a dynamic display of research findings during our poster session. Presenters will be on-hand to explain their work, answer questions, and engage in enlightening discussions. Perfect for broadening your perspective on current scientific advancements.

Not going to the mixer? Join us for a casual evening of drinks and good food at Le Refuge des Brasseurs! It's a perfect chance to unwind and connect with colleagues in a relaxed setting.

Join us for a networking evening specially dedicated to students and postdocs! On July 8, from 7 to 10 PM, the Atrium of the Science faculty at Université de Sherbrooke will transform into a space for connection and discovery. On the agenda: enriching discussions, interactive activities, and a friendly atmosphere. Food and drinks will be served on-site (alcoholic beverages available for purchase).