I’m a veterinarian by training, but for over a decade now, I’ve swapped clinics for coastlines, stethoscopes for drones, and four-legged patients for the largest (and most elusive) mammals on the planet. What hasn’t changed? My passion for animal health, and my daily need for strong coffee.

My work sits at the intersection of marine mammal health, microbiomes, and environmental change. I use my veterinary background to understand how wild animals respond to disease, environmental stressors, and climate-driven disruptions. I’ve studied the gut microbiome of Guadalupe fur seals with alopecia; the skin, gut, and respiratory microbiota of whales and seals; the genital bacteriome of sea lions; and even the fungal communities (fungome!) living on the epithelial surfaces of marine mammals. I’ve also worked on habitat suitability models for baleen whales under climate change and supported community-based research with small-scale fishers in Mexico to explore how ocean change affects health and nutrition.

I currently collaborate with Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) and the Mingan Island Cetacean Study (MICS), and have chosen to work with initiatives such as OneBlueHealth and the Fishers, Nutrition, Health and Climate Change (FiNHCC) project, alongside colleagues from the University of Alberta. These projects allow me to explore ocean change as part of a larger, interconnected system, not just how it affects marine mammals, but also the people whose lives, health, and culture depend on the sea. As researchers, it’s our mission to recognize and act on these vital connections because understanding them is essential for the survival of both ocean life and human communities.

I’m passionate about bridging fieldwork and microbiome research with conservation science, and I especially enjoy mentoring students and using visual tools—like photography—to tell compelling, accessible stories about ocean health.

When I’m not analyzing microbiome data or modelling whale distributions, you’ll probably find me underwater with my camera, diving somewhere cold and beautiful. I’ve been diving since 2012, and it’s become more than a hobby—it’s how I reconnect with the ocean I study. Photography keeps me creative, and coffee keeps me upright.

In short, I’m a veterinarian who thinks in microbes, dives in kelp forests, tells stories through images, and never says no to a good black coffee.