On the left there is a picture of Hillary Quinn-Austin, Nivetha Srikanthan and Erika Burton electrofishing. On the right there is a picture of Jen Kormos, Mark Servos, and Heather Loomer.

Graduate Student Recruitment

Join our research group to study contaminants in aquatic environments, with a focus on wastewater and fish health.

We are currently recruiting several graduate students (PhD and MSc) and postdoctoral fellows in areas of environmental toxicology and remediation. Our research focuses on understanding the fate and effects of contaminants in aquatic environments, with an emphasis on wastewater, runoff, and emerging stressors in freshwater systems. Projects integrate field studies, controlled laboratory experiments, and advanced analytical and molecular approaches, often in collaboration with government agencies and community partners.

Research opportunities include, but are not limited to:

Environmental Effects of Emerging Contaminants

  • Mechanistic studies on specific chemicals of interest, from molecular to whole-organism responses, with emphasis on chemical interactions and reproductive effects in fish

  • Responses of wild fish to major stressors (e.g., effluent, urban runoff) and evaluation of remediation actions such as wastewater treatment upgrades

Environmental Fate and Analysis

  • Fate and transport of emerging contaminants in municipal wastewater, urban and agricultural runoff, and aquatic environments
  • Development and application of analytical methods (e.g., LC-MS/MS) for contaminants in fish, wastewater, and runoff
  • Detection, characterization, and environmental fate of drugs of abuse and their metabolites (e.g., fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine), including their occurrence in wastewater and downstream environments

Emerging Monitoring Technologies

  • Validation and application of environmental DNA (eDNA) approaches (barcoding and metabarcoding) for assessing fish populations
  • Use of novel DNA-based nanoparticles as environmental tracers

Cumulative Effects and Watershed-Scale Research

  • Assessing cumulative effects of multiple stressors across watersheds
  • Ecology and responses of small-bodied fish in river systems
  • Role of natural variability in shaping population responses

Nanoparticles and Nanomedicines

  • Environmental toxicology and risk assessment of nanoparticles and nanomedicinal products
  • Design and application of nanoparticles for biosensing, nanomedicine, and water treatment

Prospective students interested in joining the lab are encouraged to contact Prof. Servos and include a brief letter of interest, resume, and transcripts (unofficial copies are acceptable initially).

Information on graduate programs, admission deadlines, requirements, and the application process is available through the University of Waterloo Department of Biology.