Our Team.
The Northern EDGE Lab is led by Carissa Brown in the Department of Geography at Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador. All email addresses below are followed by <at> mun.ca. Email for missing contact info!
Carissa Brown
Professor and Fearless Leader
she/her
email: carissa.brown
Post-doc, 2011-2013, Université de Sherbrooke
PhD, 2011, University of Saskatchewan
MSc, 2005, Carleton University
BSc (Honours), 2003, Lakehead University
Carissa is originally from Thunder Bay, Ontario, on the north shore of Lake Superior and the heart of the boreal forest. Not surprisingly, her research background has emphasized boreal forest systems, particularly at the northern and southern edges of its distribution. She is broadly interested in plant species and communities at the edge of their range, focusing on the direct and indirect effects of climate change on species' distributions.
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Simone Cominelli
PhD Candidate he/him
Co-supervised by Dr. Jack Lawson, DFO
email: sc2835
MSc (2018) Memorial University
MSc (2013) University of Parma
BSc (2010) University of Parma
Born and raised in the urban landscapes of Brescia (Northern Italy), Simone soon decided to leave the pollution (and allergies) of the city behind and study the oceans. He holds a BSc in Biology and Freshwater Ecology, an advanced degree in Ecology and Nature Conservation from Parma University (Italy), and a MSc from Memorial University. As researcher Simone is interested in exploring new approaches to better understand and mitigate the impacts of human activities on marine mammals. His PhD research focuses on the effects of marine noise pollution on the whales, dolphins, and porpoises in Placentia Bay (Newfoundland).
Marina Cuselli
PhD Candidate she/her
Co-Supervised by Dr. Joe Daraio
email: mcuselli
MSc (2021) Università degli studi di Milano-Bicocca
BSc (2018) Università degli studi di Trento
Marina is from Verona, the city of love, in Northern Italy. She completed her BSc in Environmental Engineering at the University of Trento (near the beautiful Italian Alps) and then changed environment with an MSc in Marine Sciences (Italy). Her thesis work concentrated on coastal zone management practices in Barbados and the Maldives. For her Ph.D., she will be carrying out multidisciplinary work applying nature-based approaches to enhance coastal resilience and mitigate coastal erosion in the Avalon Peninsula of Newfoundland
Ian Petty
PhD Candidate he/him
Co-Supervised by Dr. Sean Cadigan and Dr. Shannon Lewis-Simpson
email: icp141
BA History and Anthropology (2012) University of Connecticut
MA Archaeology (2020) Memorial University of Newfoundland
Ian grew up in Connecticut though has made the switch to Canadian living in 2015 and has no plans to leave as he's pursuing an Interdisciplinary PhD. A historic archaeologist by trade, he's worked both on historic and Indigenous sites and on excavations across North America over the last decade. For his PhD, Ian is tackling Newfoundland's historic logging industry and is utilizing ecological methodologies in conjunction with the historical background and a material culture analysis in order to explore not only the people and equipment involved in logging, but also to involve the environment as an active player in the industry's history.
Lena Dietz Chiasson
MSc Student she/her
Nature Conservancy Canada NL Mitacs Intern
email: ldietzchiass
BSc (2018) University of Victoria
Lena grew up in rural New Brunswick and moved to Vancouver Island to complete a BSc in Geography at the University of Victoria. She has since worked on a variety of projects both in BC and the Maritimes, acquiring skills in biodiversity surveys, ecological monitoring and citizen science. She spent three field seasons travelling across BC to collect biodiversity data for the BC Parks iNaturalist Project. While exploring BC’s biodiversity through photography, she developed an interest in a wide range of taxa and is now an avid “iNatter” (iNaturalist.ca). With scattered interests, she had a hard time trying to decide what to do next, so studying biodiversity in Newfoundland’s protected areas and publicly nominated protected areas seemed the perfect fit!
Pierrette Janes-Bourque
MSc Student she/her
Co-Supervised by Dr. Joel Finnis
email: ajanesbourqu
BPhil (2020) University of New Brunswick
Pierrette is a settler who grew up along the Wolastoq river in the unceded and unsurrendered territory of the Wolastoqiyik, Mi'kmaq and Peskotomuhkati (New Brunswick). Pierrette completed a Bachelor of Philosophy in Interdisciplinary Leadership at the University of New Brunswick, with her studies mainly focused on sociology, social justice, and environmental science. After completing her degree, Pierrette's love of nature motivated her to join the Nature Trust of New Brunswick as a Stewardship Coordinator, where she led several volunteer programs and helped monitor and restore protected areas across the province. After spending several summers in the woods Pierrette discovered the Northern EDGE Lab, which seemed like the perfect fit! Pierrette will be conducting research on climate smart trees in Ktaqmkuk (Newfoundland).
Amy Frost-Wicks
MSc Student she/her
Email: amfw81
BSc Co-op (Honours; 2020) Dalhousie University
Amy grew up in Epekwitk (Prince Edward Island), where she enjoyed spending a lot of her time in forests or by the ocean. She completed her BSc in Environmental Science at Dalhousie University, also earning a Certificate in Geographic Information Systems, and creating a model of Blanding’s turtle habitat fragmentation in Rouge National Urban Park for her Honours thesis. While living in Halifax, she spent multiple summers working as an intern with the Nature Conservancy of Canada. This is what sparked her love for biology, conservation and field work! After graduation, Amy found herself back home in PEI working as a Stewardship Manager for Island Nature Trust. Here, she was fortunate to be able to explore, protect, and help restore natural landscapes all across the Island. For her master’s, it seemed natural to move to another island! She is so excited to be working with the Northern EDGE lab, where her research will focus on modeling the distribution & characterizing environmental niches of wisqoq (black ash) in Ktaqmkuk (Newfoundland).
Graydon Gillies
PhD Student he/him
email: gjgillies
MSc, 2024, Queen’s University
BSc (Honours), 2022, University of British Columbia
Graydon grew up in Calgary, Alberta. He completed his BSc in Environmental Sciences at the University of British Columbia and his MSc in Biology at Queen’s University. Broadly, he’s interested in species’ distributions, range limits, and range expansion. With climate change, it’s expected that many species will shift their distributions, often poleward or to higher elevations, to track temperature – but many species aren’t moving how we’d expect from climate changes alone. Through his PhD at MUNL, he’s investigating the processes that inhibit boreal forest treeline expansion as well as the ecological processes that may facilitate range expansion. Outside the lab, Graydon enjoys running, hiking, camping, climbing, strategy games, and baking.
Past EDGErs.
Madeline Hart
Honours BSc Student she/her (2024)
NSERC USRA (2023, 2024)
Currently: MSc Candidate at Queens University
email: lhart
Madeline is originally from St. John's, Newfoundland - a townie through and through! She is currently completing a BSc (Honours) in Geography at Memorial University. She was also a past NSERC-USRA student with the lab where she assisted graduate students with field work, endured a lot of bug bites, and did data collection and data entry for various projects. Currently, she is a MUCEP student with the lab and is actively brainstorming for a topic for her honours thesis. She is also a certified smarty pants™. Madeline loves doing field work and being outdoors. Broadly, her research interests lie in the connections between species distribution, particularly endangered and at-risk species, and conservation policy and efforts. Finally, she is also a (very) proud bird mom!
Meghan Power, MSc
MSc Student (2022-2024), she/her/they/them
Honours and NSERC-USRA Student
Currently: soon starting a PhD program at University of Aukland, NZ
email: map680
BSc (Honours; 2022) Memorial University
Meghan is a settler from Conception Bay South on the island of Ktaqmkuk (Newfoundland). Her research interests are broadly situated within the field of applied geomorphology. Specifically, she is interested in understanding the complex relationships between human activities, natural hazards, and distinct physical environments. As part of their undergraduate Honours work with the lab, Meghan investigated the anthropogenic and ecological factors contributing to flooding risk at urban and peri-urban riparian sites across the Northeast Avalon Peninsula. For their MSc, Meghan studying the cumulative effects of anthropogenic activities and natural hazard events on vegetated sand dune coastlines across Newfoundland. She hopes that this work will inform future coastal management initiatives and contribute to the protection of endangered beach-nesting bird species, like the Piping Plover. Outside of the lab, Meghan enjoys learning new languages and participating in a variety of physical activities, including running, hiking, and weightlifting. Her initials are MAP, which she thinks is fitting given her choice of career path.
Hannah Kosick, MSc
MSc Student (2021-2023), she/her
Currently: Terrestrial Ecological Monitoring Intern, ACAP Cape Breton
email: hakosick
BASE (Bachelor of Arts and Science in Env. 2021) Cape Breton University
Hannah grew up in a small fishing village called Port Morien in rural Unama’ki (Cape Breton) in northern Nova Scotia. An island girl at heart, choosing MUN for grad school was second nature for this proud Caper! With the ocean in her backyard (literally!) and the boreal and mixed Acadian forests of Cape Breton Highlands National Park just a few hours away, there were always insects to inspect, plants to observe, and new things to learn on little Cape Breton Island. Hannah is an inaugural graduate of Cape Breton University’s newly established Bachelor of Arts and Science in Environment program (try saying that five times fast!) where she completed an un-bee-lievably fun undergrad honours thesis on bumble bees. During her time at CBU, Hannah discovered a passion for ecology and environmental activism. This inspired her to island-hop over to Newfoundland for grad school so she could work with the Northern EDGE Lab, looking at Acadian forest range expansion in the Cape Breton Highlands!
Ellise Proctor, MSc
MSc Student (2021-2023), she/her
email: ellisep
BSc Envs. Co-op (Honours; 2020) University of Guelph
From a small town in southern Ontario, Ellise made her way to the University of Guelph to receive her degree in Environmental Science with a major in Ecology. In her final year, and after taking numerous plant and forest courses, she decided to pursue her Master's with a focus on boreal forest management. After lots of 'what graduate school should I go to?' research, Ellise decided finally on MUN solely for the Geography program and, of course, her supervisor Carissa. She researched alternative forest management and restoration options for regeneration of black spruce in Terra Nova National Park.
Carissa Wasyliw, MSc
MSc Student (2020-2023), she/her
Currently: Resource Conservation Officer, Wood Buffalo National Park
email: cwasyliw
BSc (2015) University of Alberta
Carissa was born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta. With a different landscape in every direction, it was the perfect place to foster a love of the outdoors. She completed her BSc in Environmental and Conservation Sciences, majoring in Conservation Biology, from the University of Alberta. This program furthered her curiosity and love of nature and the environment. Following her degree, she volunteered and worked with various conservation related initiatives. At Memorial University, Carissa researched new plant communities that are emerging as a result of climate-induced changes in fire pattern in the boreal-tundra ecotonal region of northern Yukon. When Carissa isn’t engrossed in the plants around her, she’s probably fixated on the birds chirping nearby. Don’t tell the others in the lab, but she is also an avid bird enthusiast!
Dr. Kirsten Reid
PhD Candidate (2018-2023), she/her
Currently: Senior Planner, Dawson Regional Planning Commission · Yukon Land Use Planning Council
email: kirsten.reid
MSc (2017) Wilfrid Laurier University
BSc (2015) University of Ottawa
Kirsten was born in England and raised in Aurora, Ontario. The summer after her second year of undergrad, she participated in a field course based in Yellowknife. This fuelled her interest of northern ecosystems and led her to a summer research position and a Masters. Her MSc focused on changing patterns of dominance after wildfires in the boreal forest of the Northwest Territories. With the Northern EDGE lab, Kirsten looked at biodiversity under ongoing global change in the Yukon.
Erin Pearson, MSc
Role in lab: MSc Student (2020-2023)
Co-supervised by Dr. Joel Finnis
Currently: Resource Conservation Officer, Kejimkujik National Park, Parks Canada
email: erin.pearson
BSc (Honours; 2020) University of New Brunswick
Forest Resources Technician Diploma (2018) College of the North Atlantic
Erin grew up on the west coast of Newfoundland, where her curiosity and love of nature inspired her to complete the Forest Resources Technician diploma at the College of the North Atlantic. She then went on to pursue her BSc in Forestry at the University of New Brunswick, and started her MSc quickly (we’re talking like 17 days here, people) after submitting her honours thesis. Both her desire to return to studying in Newfoundland and interest in forest- and tree-level responses to climate change lead her to the Northern EDGE Lab. Her focus shifted to urban forestry for her MSc, exploring how the varying climate regimes of urban centres in Newfoundland influence the ecological integrity of urban forests.
Heather Baehre, MSc
Role in lab: MES to MSc Student (2018-2022)
Currently: Conservation Coordinator, Nature Conservancy Canada NL
email: hbaehre
BSc (Honours; 2018) University of Guelph
Heather hails from Highland Grove, Ontario, a small village in the heart of Haliburton County. She is fortunate enough to have grown up on 135 acres of mixed conifer-hardwood forest, cedar swamp, and wetland where she fostered her love for all things “neature”. Heather is in a constant state of decision-making regarding her education. She began her BSc at the University of Ottawa in Biomedical Science in 2013, transferred to the University of Guelph to complete her BSc. Agr in Crop, Horticulture & Turfgrass Science in 2018, and all the while continued to take ecology, environmental science and conservation related courses. Heather found the Northern EDGE Lab and Carissa (with whom she shared too many coincidences) in 2017. Excited by the unique study areas and species, she started her MES in 2018 and converted to an MSc in 2019. Heather investigated the distribution of a rare arctic-alpine species at Hawke Hills Ecological Reserve.
Jessie Foest
PhD Research Intern, Mitacs UKRI Globalinks Program
PhD Candidate University of Liverpool
MSc (2019) Wageningen University
BSc (2016) Leiden University
Jessie grew up exploring plant life in the sand dunes near Haarlem in The Netherlands. Fascinated by global-scale challenges, she majored in Sustainability during her BSc Liberal Arts and Sciences at Leiden University College The Hague. A MSc in Forest and Nature Conservation followed, as Jessie was driven to better understand the natural systems around us. Currently, she pursues a PhD at the University of Liverpool. As a researcher she is interested in plant defences, particularly temporal behaviours such as “masting”. She researches which factors drive (the development of) these behaviours in some plants, how variable such behaviours are within and between species, and how these reproductive patterns may change in a changing climate. She is joining the Northern Edge lab for a UKRI-Mitacs Globalink doctoral exchange, and will investigate the effects of squirrel introductions on seed cone traits in conifers.
Dr. Lucas Brehaut
Role in lab: PhD Candidate (2017-2021)
Currently: Research Scientist, Climate Change and Forest Ecosystems with Natural Resources Canada
email: ldbrehaut
MSc (2015) Queen's University
BEd (2013) Queen's University
BSc (2012) Queen's University
Lucas is from Kentville, Nova Scotia, a small town located in the heart of the Annapolis Valley. While completing his BSc at Queen’s University he was hired as an alpine ecology research assistant that ultimately fuelled his passion for northern field research. Lucas’ MSc research examined trends in vegetation production across southwest Yukon at multiple scales (satellite data and tree ring-widths). For his PhD research, he turned his focus to exploring concepts related to species range edge distribution with a keen interest in how large-scale disturbances, such as boreal-tundra wildfires, influence distribution patterns across the North American latitudinal treeline.
Leah Walker, MSc
Role in lab: MSc Student (2017-2020)
Currently: Aquatic Science Biologist II, DFO, BC
email: lcwalker
BSc (2016) Simon Fraser University
Leah is another Vancouverite that came all the way from the other coast to complete her MSc on “The Rock”. Leah completed her BSc in Environmental Sciences, with a concentration in Applied Biology, at Simon Fraser University. During her undergrad she had the fortune of working in a variety of lab groups, from catching salmon to chasing bumble bees to mapping wildfire, the most recent of which made her realize that biogeography was where her passion lies. Leah's MSc contributing to resolving the long-term (Holocene) fire regime of Terra Nova National Park by identifying and carbon dating soil charcoal. The oldest piece: a 7600 year old balsam fir! What the what!
Jennifer Sullivan, MSc
Role in lab: MSc Student (2018-2020)
Currently: Stewardship Coordinator, Nature Conservancy Canada NL
email: p75jvs
BSc (2017) Memorial University
Jennifer was born and raised in St. John’s, Newfoundland where she attended Memorial University, obtaining a BSc in biology with a minor in geography. It was here that she was introduced to the wonderful world of biogeography and decided to pursue a MSc in this field. With her deep-rooted love for the landscape and ecology of Newfoundland, it made sense to continue her studies here with the EDGE Lab. Jen’s research focused on the factors that influence the presence of non-native plant species within the boreal forest region on the Avalon Peninsula of the island. She hopes that her research will contribute to the growing pool of knowledge surrounding non-native species and what influences their establishment in natural areas.
Samantha Branstrom, MES
Role in lab: MES Student (2018-2019)
BSc (2018) University of Prince Edward Island
Sam decided to size-up her islands, moving from PEI to Newfoundland to complete her Master's of Environmental Science. Sam used tree rings from across central Labrador to assess the forest structure and past fire history of the region.
Katie Goodwin, MSc
Role in lab: MSc Student (2017-2019)
Currently: PhD Student at UBC with Dr. Amy Angert
email: kjagoodwin
BSc (2015) Simon Fraser University
Originally from Vancouver, BC, Katie completed her undergrad in Biological Sciences at Simon Fraser University. During her studies, she had the opportunity to conduct research in the Ecuadorian Andes, which sparked a fascination with plant ecology. She is now directing her interests northward to analyze treeline dynamics at the boreal-tundra ecotone in the Yukon. Katie investigated how demographic niche shifts may constrain northern movement of the latitudinal treeline. Despite being very passionate about plant ecology, she is known to be a serial house plant killer.
Jean Granger, MSc
Role in lab: MSc Student (2016-2019), co-supervised by Dr. Bahram Salehi
Since then: GIS analyst at C-CORE
email: r34jeg
BSc (2014) Memorial University
Jean was born and raised in St.John’s, Newfoundland where she attended Memorial University and obtained a bachelor of science in biology and a diploma in geographic information sciences. She was co-supervised by Dr. Bahram Salehi, an engineer with C-CORE. Jean researched the effects of adjacent land use on bog wetlands of the Avalon Peninsula, Newfoundland.
Anna Crofts, MSc
Role in lab: MSc Student (2016-2018)
Currently: PhD Student at Université de Sherbrooke with Mark Vellend
email: alcrofts
BSc (2015) University of British Columbia
Anna made the cross country move from Vancouver, British Columbia to undertake her Master's investigating species range dynamics at alpine treeline in Newfoundland. She completed her BSc at the University of British Columbia in biology with a minor in geography. Anna loves mountains and field work, and even though our mountains are smaller and she was a bit apprehensive about Newfoundland weather, she left loving this rocky island.
Jessica Hogan, MSc
Role in lab: MSc Student (2016-2018), co-supervised by Dr. Alistair Bath
Currently: PhD student at University of St. Andrews, Scotland
BA (2016) Memorial University
Originally from Carleton Place, ON, Jessica moved to Newfoundland in 2012 to begin her undergrad in Geography and French at Memorial University. For her MSc, she was co-supervised by Dr. Alistair Bath who studies conservation conflicts and public involvement in decision-making. Her thesis examined the impacts of all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) on coastal sand dunes from both a social and natural science perspective in New Brunswick.
Dr. Robert Way
Role in lab: W. Garfield Weston Postdoctoral Fellow
Currently: Assistant Professor, Queen's University
Ph.D, 2013-2017, University of Ottawa
M.Sc., 2010-2013, Memorial University
B.A., 2007-2010, University of Ottawa
Robert was born and raised in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Labrador and is of Inuit descent (Nunatsiavut). He is a physical geographer whose research has explored changes in northern environments with a focus on cryospheric systems including permafrost, glaciers and snow. His overall research program uses a combination of field observations and spatio-temporal modelling to describe the characteristics of permafrost across Labrador. The main topic of his current research is the linkages between permafrost, snow and shrub growth in northern Labrador.
Piers Evans, MSc
Role: MSc Student (2016-2018)
Currently: Program Director, Nature Conservancy Canada NL
email: pe7572
BSc (2015) Memorial University
Piers is originally from southern Ontario and moved to St. John’s in 2012 to work on his BSc at Memorial University, and also to enjoy living in a place that felt a little less crowded. He apparently liked it enough to stay on at Memorial and started his masters in 2016. Piers investigated the non-climatic factors that constrain northward range expansion of northern temperate tree species. Through experimental manipulation, he looked at which factors, besides climate and dispersal, are keeping four northern temperate tree species from successfully germinating and surviving their infancy beyond where they normally would in Newfoundland. His fieldwork combined hiking, carpentry and gardening - sounds pretty good, right?
Emily Wells
Role: NSERC USRA Research Student (2017-2018)
Since then: Master's of Environmental Studies student, Dalhousie University
BSc (2017) Memorial University
Emily is from Conception Bay South – a community near St. John’s where she grew up exploring the neighboring forests and coastlines. She has just finished her Bachelor’s degree in science with a biology major and French minor. Her passion for biological research stems from experiences in genetic, behavioral ecology, and feminist marine technology laboratories. Emily worked with Masters’ students, Anna and Piers, during her summer position, assisting with field work and data entry. She also conducted an independent alpine insect survey at Anna’s site. Emily has a few possible options post-undergrad, but is remarkably indecisive and procrastinates [her words!] searching for grad school supervisors by going on bike rides and knitting.
Willem Peters
Role: Honour's Student (2015-2016)
Since then: MES student at Simon Fraser University, Project Manager, Conservation Corp, Research Technician, Gros Morne National Park
Willem is a Newfoundlander born and bred and loves the rugged landscapes of the province. He is completing his final year of his Bachelor of Science degree in Geography at Memorial University. He collaborated with Piers in comparing and contrasting boreal forest ecosystems with the mixed boreal and temperate ecosystems found in small pockets throughout the province. His research helped to reveal patterns of environmental characteristics that can indicate whether the boreal forest or temperate forest will grow in a given location. In his spare time he likes to play sports, go outdoors, and learn how to play complicated board games. Dark Seas is the latest board game under his belt and he highly recommends it to any board game enthusiasts out there. Seriously, the goal of the game is to become the most infamous pirate of the high seas. How does it get any better than that?
Stephen Parmiter
Role: Honour's Student (2014-2015)
Since then: Park's Canada research technician at Terra Nova National Park; Teacher, Nunavut
Steve completed the final year of his Bachelor of Science Honours degree in Geography at Memorial University in 2015. He collaborated with Joel Bowman by using methods of dendrochronology to compare and contrast black spruce recruitment and growth in recently burned maritime versus continental forest stands in central and western Labrador. Here at the Northern EDGE Lab, we had hoped Steve's time in the lab would end with not only a stellar Honour's thesis (check!), but also a rock anthem about the awesomeness that is the boreal forest. Still waiting, Steve.
Joel Bowman
Role: MSc student (2014-2015; withdrawn)
Currently: following his dream to become a Canadian Coast Guard Officer
BSc (Honours), 2014, Mount Allison University
Joel came to Memorial from Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia where he grew up loving the outdoors. He completed his Undergraduate at Mount Allison University in Sackville, New Brunswick, receiving a Bachelor of Science with Honours in Environmental Science with minors in Geography and Chemistry. Joel is researching fire patterns in Labrador and how they may be altered due to climate change. When he's not counting tree rings he can be found somewhere on a boat doing Coast Guard-y things, or making his own beer.