Erika Myler

I'm an MSc student co-advised by Robert Hanner in the department of Integrative Biology at the University of Guelph and Gerald Tetreault at Environment and Climate Change Canada. I completed a BSc in Zoology, minoring in Microbiology, at the University of Guelph in June 2021. As an undergrad, I gained research experience in molecular biology and bacteriology labs at the Ontario Veterinary College. I joined the Hanner lab in September 2020 for my undergrad thesis project. I was intrigued by the potential of molecular biology techniques to transform how we monitor species and communities in the environment. My work in the lab centers around developing and validating a metabarcoding approach to improve fish and mussel community detection efforts. My research interests include molecular biology and genomics as tools to support environmental conservation efforts and to investigate interspecies interactions, including hosts and their pathogens, parasites, and symbionts. In my free time, I enjoy biking, playing soccer, and relaxing with my two cats.