Science Menu
Faculty

Lyn Baldwin, PhD
Department Co-Chairperson and Professor
lybaldwin@tru.ca
250-377-6167
Office: S248
Courses: Principles of Biology 2, Evolution & Ecology of Land Plants, Systematics of Flowering Plants, Plant Ecology, Field Methods in Terrestrial Ecology
Research Interests: Plant ecology

Eric Bottos, PhD
Assistant Professor
ebottos@tru.ca
250-377-6065
Office: S310
Courses: Principles of Biology 1, Microbial Ecology, Advanced Microbiology Laboratory, From DNA to Ecosystems: Reading and Writing Great Biology
Research Interests: Microbial ecology, with a focus on understanding controls on microbial community dynamics in changing Arctic and Antarctic ecosystems

Naowarat (Ann) Cheeptham, PhD
Professor
ncheeptham@tru.ca
250-371-5891
Office: S354
Courses: Introductory Microbiology 1 & 2, Molecular Evolution, Advanced Microbiology Laboratory, Advanced Seminar (Bioremediation and Industrial Microbiology)
Research Interests: Microbial diversity: searching for potential bioactive compounds from microorganisms in different unique habitats (particularly volcanic caves and alkaline ponds)

Stephanie Chaput, BSc
schaput@tru.ca
250-852-6897
Office: S217
Labs: Biology of Humans, Principles of Biology 1 & 2, Human Biology: Anatomy and Physiology 1 & 2

Don Ferguson, BSc
Assistant Teaching Professor
dferguson@tru.ca
250-371-5545
Office: S348
Labs: Human Biology: Anatomy and Physiology 1, Introductory Microbiology, Cell Biology, Introductory Genetics, Introductory Ecology

Nancy Flood, PhD
Teaching Professor
nflood@tru.ca
250-828-5436
Office: S318
Courses: Principles of Biology 2, Biometrics, Population Biology, Field Methods in Terrestrial Ecology
Research Interests: Ecology and evolution of orioles; bird communities in high elevation forests
Louis A. Gosselin, PhD
Professor (Full)
lgosselin@tru.ca
250-828-5423
Office: RC203
Courses: Evolution of Animal Body Plans, Introduction to Ecology Community & Ecosystem Ecology, Population Biology, Introduction to Research, Field Methods in Marine Ecology
Research Interests: Ecology of early juvenile marine invertebrates: life history, mortality factors, adaptations, behaviour; invasive and threatened species. Ecology of invertebrates inhabiting saline ponds (alkaline ponds) of the BC interior

Rob Higgins, PhD
Department Co-Chairperson and Associate Professor
rhiggins@tru.ca
250-828-5452
Office: S316
Courses: Natural Resource Entomology (NRSC 4020), Population Biology (BIOL 3030), Directed Studies Coordinator(BIOL 4480)
Research Interests: Ants (Myrmecology), Entomology, Invasive Species, Pacific Northwest Ant Biodiversity, Ticks

Stephen Joly, BSc
Assistant Teaching Professor
sjoly@tru.ca
250-371-5572
Office: S207
Labs: Principles of Biology 1 & 2, Biology of the Environment, Evolution of Animal Body Plans, Terrestrial Vertebrate Zoology

Don Nelson, PhD
Associate Professor
dnelson@tru.ca
250-828-5425
Office S346
Courses: Molecular Genetics, Biochemical Techniques 2, Advanced Seminar in Selected Topics in Biology, Chemical Biology Laboratory
Research Interests: Application of molecular techniques to the study of embryonic development and neuroscience

Christine Petersen, MSc
Associate Teaching Professor
cpetersen@tru.ca
250-371-5746
Office S338
Labs: Principles of Biology 1 & 2, Human Biology: Anatomy and Physiology 1 & 2, Introduction to Ecology, Evolution & Ecology of Land Plants

Susan Purdy, MSc
Associate Teaching Professor and BSc Advisor
spurdy@tru.ca
250-828-5166
Office S229
Labs: Principles of Biology 1 & 2, Evolution of Animal Body Plans, Animal Behaviour
Lectures: Biology of the Environment

Mark Rakobowchuk, PhD
Department Co-Chairperson and Associate Professor
mrakobowchuk@tru.ca
250-371-5544
Office: S328
Courses: Human Physiology I and II, Cell Physiology
Research interests: Human vascular adaptations to physiological perturbations, the interplay between platelets and vascular health, microvesicles and progenitor cells and their role in exercise induced adaptations.

Natasha Ramroop Singh, PhD
Assistant Teaching Professor
nramroopsingh@tru.ca
250-371-5587
Office S322
Courses: Introduction to Biology I, Introduction to Biochemistry, Biochemical Techniques I, Introduction to Genetics, Biochemistry, Regulation of Gene Expression
Field of Research: Primary research involves identification of genes and genetic markers (in specific populations) which increase susceptibility to cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and cancers and investigating single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) which may be predictive of disease as well as an individual's response to certain nutrients. Such information can be applied to clinical settings to reduce the incidence and mortality of CVDs and cancer.

Matthew Reudink, PhD
Associate Professor
mreudink@tru.ca
250-828-5428
Office S326
Courses: Principles of Conservation Biology, Evolution
Research Interests: Behavioural ecology, sexual selection and ornithology; use of genetic and biogeochemical tools to track the year-round ecology of migratory animals

Karen Ross, MSc
Associate Teaching Professor
kross@tru.ca
250-371-5535
Office S110
Lectures: Biology of Humans, Human Biology: Anatomy and Physiology 1 & 2
Research Interests: Exercise induced changes in the diabetic heart

Joanna Urban, RT, MSc, PhD
Associate Teaching Professor
jurban@tru.ca
250-371-5542
Office: S352
Labs: Introductory Microbiology coordinator, Cell Physiology, Human Physiology
Lectures: Veterinary Microbiology, Medical Microbiology, Advanced Microbiology
Research Interests: Medical Microbiology, Molecular genetics and applications

Jonathan D. Van Hamme, PhD
Professor
jvanhamme@tru.ca
250-377-6064
Office: S240
Courses: Introductory Microbiology, Microbial Physiology, Microbial Ecology, Advanced Microbiology Laboratory
Research Interests: Environmental microbiology and biotechnology
Science Laboratory Coordinator

Margaret Sonnenfeld, Ph.D
Biology Lab Coordinator
msonnenfeld@tru.ca
Adjunct faculty

Julian Davies, PhD
Research interests: The biology of small molecules, especially antibiotics from microorganisms

Simon Shamoun, PhD
http://nofc.cfs.nrcan.gc.ca/employees/read/sshamoun
Research interests: Biotechnology and bioproducts; indigenous and invasive alien forest diseases; biological control agents; population biology and molecular diversity of forest pathogens

Ken Wagner, MD, FRCP
Research interests: Microbiology; antibiotic resistance; emerging pathogens.

Ken Otter, PhD
Adjunct Professor
ken.otter@unbc.ca
250-960-5019
Research Interests: Animal behaviour, particularly in avian reproductive behaviour and communication.
Professor Emeriti


Tom Dickinson, PhD
Research Interests: Bird communities in high elevation forests, energy utilization by nuthatches