Lab Members

Dr. John R. Post

Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Calgary

Chair, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Department of Biological Sciences

Associate Editor, Proceedings of the Royal Society B

Member, Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada, COSEWIC

Co-Chair, Freshwater Fishes Species Specialist Committee of COSEWIC

Professor, Biogeosciences Institute of the Canadian Rockies and Foothills

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John Post

Dr. Nilo Sinnatamby (Post Doctoral)

I am broadly interested in how anthropogenic activities alter the ecology and sustainability of aquatic ecosystems and freshwater fish populations. In particular I am interested in temporal and spatial variation in river systems under climate change and various land-use pressures. As well, I am intrigued by how ecological processes in freshwater ecosystems are altered by anthropogenic stressors.

Ariane Cantin (Post Doctoral and Undergraduate Instructor)

I am broadly interested in conservation science in freshwater ecosystems. I want to understand how ecosystems function to better tailor resource management and conservation. For my PhD project I’m investigating the impact of environmental variability on biological processes underlying wild fish population dynamics using the British Columbia rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) fishery. My main hypothesis is that spawning and rearing habitat availability influence population recruitment through density-dependent processes that determine growth and survival of young fish. The results of my project will be useful in identifying fish populations at risk of overfishing, supporting the development of sustainable management approaches and, ultimately, conserving wild fish populations.

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Chris Cahill (PhD Student)

I am an applied ecologist interested in developing scientifically defensible approaches for sustainable resource management. My work uses a combination of modeling and whole-system manipulation to develop rational management approaches. Currently, I am focusing on developing an active adaptive management program for Alberta’s high effort inland recreational fisheries.

Steph Mogensen (PhD Student)

My main interest lies at the interface of life history and physiology, and their population-level consequences. In particular, I seek to understand how individual variation scales up to structure populations. My current research uses a combination of experimentation and modeling to understand how behaviour and metabolism impact key processes such as growth and survival.

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Kyle Wilson (PhD Student)

My research aims to understand the dynamics of social-ecological systems from a landscape-perspective, with applications geared towards fisheries management and conservation. I use a variety of quantitative approaches to behaviour), and use theoretical models to link these processes to explore how different social-ecological scenarios may influence whole-system outcomes. My PhD research currently focuses on the spatially-structured Lake Trout fishery of British Columbia and Yukon Territory. draw inference on social-ecological processes (e.g., fish life-history, fish population dynamics, and angler site-choice

Anne Farineau (Visiting GIS & Mapping Wizard)

I use GIS, remote sensing, python scripting and cartography to add spatial dimension to research of all kinds. This has included spectral analysis of surficial geology in the Canadian arctic, adding spatial variables to climate prediction models, and mapping the human footprint across Alberta. At the Post Lab, I am involved in complex network modelling for fish passage, establishing morphological metrics for river profiles, and deriving lake surface temperatures from satellite imagery. In general my job is to acquire, process, and disseminate geospatial data related to fish in meaningful ways and through engaging, informative maps.

Dylan Glaser (MSc Student)

I research the dynamics of over-exploited populations of Brook Trout in alpine lakes in the Canadian Rockies. I focus primarily on population productivity, and also collaborate with other researchers to relate the harvest of fish to genetic and aquatic community structure.

Dr. Jon Mee (Visiting Professor, Mount Royal University)

Jon’s work in the Post lab focuses on the diversity and distribution of fishes in the South Saskatchewan River Basin. Using climate and species distribution models, we are predicting how fish communities will change throughout the basin as climate warming trends continue. Jon’s research also addresses the evolutionary mechanisms that influence divergence and adaptation among populations linked by dispersal.

Dr. Fiona Johnston (Post Doctoral Fellow)

I am interested in the ecology and evolution of freshwater fish populations and their resilience to human disturbances, in particular fishing. My current research focuses on improving our understanding of the dynamic interactions and feedbacks between the fish populations and anglers, to inform fisheries management and conservation. I use a holistic, system-oriented approach that considers recreational fisheries to be complex social-ecological systems. Specifically, my research investigates how anglers redistribute themselves within the landscape in response to management changes, using adaptive management experiments and theoretical modelling approaches.