Cassandra Bruce: Lab Technician
Cassandra ensures the lab runs smoothly day to day and provides training and assistance to students when needed. Additionally, Cassandra works on some experimental projects for Miranda.
Email: Cassandra.bruce@ubc.ca
Pronouns: She/her
Brontë Shelton: PhD Candidate
Brontë’s work is focused on grassland microbiomes and the impact that cattle grazing may have on these communities. Her exploratory project uses metagenomics and metatranscriptomics to investigate differences in the structure and function of soil microbial communities between grazed and protected areas. These meta’omic data, coupled with a series of soil carbon analyses, will provide insight into how cattle have altered the landscape over the past century, and what this may mean for the climate and for British Columbia’s endangered grasslands moving forward.
Email: bronte.shelton@ubc.ca
Pronouns: she/they
Joana Larrere: PhD Student
Joana’s work focuses on cover cropping and its impact on vineyards above ground microbiome, with a particular focus on powdery mildew (Erysiphe necator). Using spore trapping and a molecular detection system, this research aims to understand how cover crops influence the vineyard microenvironment and shape its microbiome.
Email: jlarrere@student.ubc.ca
Pronouns: she/they
Joyalea Carson-Austin: MSc Student
As commercial production of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) expands, it is overwhelmingly represented by one genetic isolate of a single AMF species. Within AMF species, however, is substantial genetic and trait variability, and isolates of the same species can induce opposite host effects. Joyalea’s research aims to assess if conspecific AMF isolates differ in ecological consequence, with a focus on the potential ecological risks associated with AMF introduction events.
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Email: joyalea@mail.ubc.ca
Camille Rothkop: MSc Student
Camille’s research focuses on the effects of wildfire burn severity on soil microbial community recolonization three-, nine-, and twelve-months post-wildfire. She hopes this project will encourage future research in this area and enhance forest management and rehabilitation practices.
Email: crothkop@student.ubc.ca
Pronouns: she/her
Selina Spence: MSc Student
Selina is researching whether introducing commercial arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) as bioinoculants poses an ecological risk of invasion through anastomosis (fusion) of hyphae with closely related native counterparts. More specifically, she is investigating whether nuclear competition of native vs. commercial nuclei occurs in hyphae post-fusion. This research will help determine whether anastomosis and competition of nuclei between isolates are potential mechanisms of invasion for non-native AMF through competitive exclusion of native nuclei.
Email: selina.spence@ubc.ca
Pronouns: she/her
Diego Yusta Belsham: MSc Student
Diego’s research interests lie belowground with microbes and how they impact agricultural environments, or agro-ecosystems. There is increasing emphasis on the importance of microbial biodiversity in agro-ecosystems within recent literature. Diego hopes to identify how belowgrownd microbial communities will be impacted by elemental sulfur input in a commercial vineyard in Oliver, B.C.
Email: dayusta@mail.ubc.ca
Pronouns: He/him
Olivia Regush: BSc Honours Student
Olivia is researching how large-scale cattle grazing has impacted soil virus diversity and distribution in British Columbia grasslands. Working under Brontë Shelton, Olivia’s focus is on comparing two historical Reference Areas that were established at different times to explore how time since establishment has further impacted these viruses. This research will help inform grassland conservation.
Email: olivia.regushhh@gmail.com
Pronouns: she/her
Miranda Hart 