Biology

Two researchers in the Faculty of Science have been awarded funding through the New Frontiers in Research Fund (NFRF) 2025 Exploration Competition. Dr. Travis Craddock and Dr. Will Percival have both been awarded grants for their cutting-edge research. Learn more about their innovative projects.

Biology and Chemistry are pleased to welcome two cross-appointed faculty members, Duong Bui and Kirsten Meyer.

As more viruses are being discovered and studied, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to determine what distinguishes them from cells. New research conducted by Dr. Jozef Nissimov and his team has uncovered a genome of a cyanophage (a virus that infects cyanobacteria) that defies conventional distinctions between viruses and cells.

Biology student Bethany Duford immersed herself in hands-on learning, including bird banding, collecting biological data, and spending time at the Queen’s University Biological Station. 

Biology Sciences alum Thomas Pianta (BSc '25) shares his current research on bat migration and sustainability, and reflects on his undergraduate experiences that led him towards research on the world around him.

The path to medical school begins long before an application is submitted. For science alumnus Ahmed Abdelkader (BSc ’23), that journey took shape at the University of Waterloo.   

To better understand the protein ESRP1, researchers first need to understand how this protein behaves under normal conditions. That became the purpose of Jordan Francis’s (MSc ’26) thesis: studying ESRP1’s role in maintaining intestinal homeostasis—essentially, how it helps the intestine do its job.

Congratulations to Jen Parks and Josh Neufeld on receiving the 2025 Excellence in Science Teaching Award (ESTA) from the Faculty of Science. 

A Master of Science in Biology student is researching the Blackstripe Topminnow, which could directly inform conservation efforts and support future SARA management plans to maintain and enhance existing populations.