Deepa’s research program addresses the causes and consequences of climate change and international trade on the ecology of forest insects. Understanding ecological processes enables development and implementation of effective pest management strategies. Deepa supervises graduate students at the University of New Brunswick.

In her spare time, she likes hiking, gardening and spending time with her family.

Cory grew up in Jemseg, NB, a small community along the banks of the Saint John River and Grand Lake. His love for forestry began at an early age as he spent most of his time outdoors and working on local farms.

Cory joined Deepa’s group in 2022. He manages lab and team operations and liaises with collaborators and stakeholders. Cory enjoys working on his property, growing fruits and vegetables, raising three children and camping.

Rylee analyzes data from the field and lab to better understand interactions between forest insects, host plants, and climate change. His current work includes studies of pheromone variation in bark beetles, and the northern range expansion and population dynamics of the spruce budworm. In his free time, Rylee enjoys video games, insect macrophotography, and electronics repair.

Luca recently graduated with a M.Sc. in Biology from the Hillier lab at Acadia University, where he studied the effects imidacloprid basal-bark sprays for hemlock woolly adelgid management have on pollinator communities. He is especially interested in learning more about the impacts of our changing environment on the community ecology of insects. In his free time, you will find him outdoors: camping, hiking, birding, and photographing wildlife.

Mischa Giasson, Technician

Mischa specializes in forest insect taxonomy. With over a decade of experience identifying insects, their primary focus has been bark beetles, weevils and other Coleoptera. In addition to processing insect samples, she is involved in the organization of the AFC insect collection and assists with various field research projects. When they aren’t behind a microscope or in the field, Mischa enjoys camping, hiking, lifting weights, reading, and spending time with her dog.

Mugdha is studying the red pine scale, an emerging threat to red pine in North America. Her work involves testing different trap types to capture adult and crawler specimens for DNA barcoding. She aims to use eDNA to develop an assay for early detection of red pine scale to allow for successful pest management.

Paige is a recent graduate of Acadia University with a BScH. Her research focuses on the regional variation in pheromone production in bark beetles. Understanding the chemical ecology of bark beetles can help with the development of region-specific lures for population monitoring. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, crafting, swimming and taking photos of insects and animals.

Maddie is a proud Charlotte County, New Brunswicker who recently completed her B.ScENR (with honors) in Water Resource Management at UNB. Her primary research interest (and first love) is forest entomology, but also enjoys other aspects of forest ecology. Her research focuses on how elevated temperatures and spruce budworm presence impact chemical defense compounds in white spruce and balsam fir. Outside of work, she enjoys cycling, fishing, playing her switch, and paddling.

Ilesha’s research focuses on two exotic ambrosia beetles, Xylosandrus germanus and Xylosandrus crassiusculus, in Canada. These two species of Southeast Asian origin could potentially threaten Canadian forests and nurseries in the face of global warming. Her work explores their ecology, strengths, and limitations, with a special focus on their beetle-fungal mutualisms, interactions with tree hosts, and temperature tolerance.

In her free time, she enjoys reading, writing poetry, trying new recipes from various cultural traditions, and spending time with her family.

Liam is working with red pine scale, a looming detriment to red pine in Canada. His research explores methodologies to successfully establish a colony of red pine scale on red pine saplings in a high-security quarantine lab. Rearing methodologies will be used in future thermal ecology studies. In his spare time, he can be found cycling, hiking, camping, cooking, and reading.