Wildlife Ethology & Canine Olfaction Lab

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Team and lab

• Supervisor / Principal Investigator: Simon Gadbois
• Research associate and consultant (dogs, birds, reptiles): Jessica Rock, DVM
• Collaborators (current only, historical below)
  • Wildlife conservation research: Dr. Jessica Rock (DVM), Dr. Amy Mui.
  • Biomedical alert research: Dr. Sue Budge (chemist; co-PI), Dr. Sherry Stewart (clinical psychologist), Dr. Laura Kiiroja (biosemiotician).

Volunteers:

• Many undergraduate students (hundreds) that can’t be thanked enough for their dedication since 2005.
• Wildlife Conservation Dogs resident team: Ivy (in pre-retirement) and Tache
• All the former resident conservation dogs: RIP to Flynn, 202?–2021 (“turtle boy”); Zyla, 1999–2014 (the queen of hearts); Kafka, 1989–2005 (the precursor of it all).
• Hundreds of canine trainees and assistants from 2008 onward!
• For information on volunteering in the lab, click here

Collaborators:

• Dr. Laura Kiiroja
• Dr. Sherry Stewart
• Dr. Sue Budge (co-PI)
• Dr. Amy Mui

Research assistants:

• Laura Elliott (lab manager; part time)
• Mya Chidiac (part time)
• Noah Glenen (part time)

Honours candidates for 2026–2027:

Canine olfaction for biomedical applications:

• Chloe Boutin (Honours candidate; Psychology)
• Brenna Crowe (Honours candidate; Neuroscience)
• Katie Klein (Honours candidate; Neuroscience)
• Tyger Smolar (Honours candidate; Psychology)
• Joyce Yu (Honours candidate; Psychology)

Wildlife conservation canines and turtles:

• Emma Fox (Honours candidate; Biology)

Independent and directed research students for 2026–2027:

• Kian Amiree (Psychology)
• Elliotte Back (Psychology)
• Sarah Mackill (Neuroscience)
• Alexanne Turbide (Psychology)
• Kailey Wolkins (Psychology)

Summer 2026 r.a. team:

• Mya Chidiac (part time)
• Noah Glenen (part time)
• Heather Carr (part time)
• Katie Crawford (part time)

Summer 2025 r.a. team:

• Brenna Crowe (USRA, full time)
• Akuabata Okanya (USRA, full time)
• Mya Chidiac (part time)
• Noah Glenen (part time)

Summer 2024 r.a. team:

• Ewa Adedeji (USRA, full time)

Former students: Mostly from Biology, Marine Biology, Psychology, and Neuroscience, Environmental Sciences, and the Interdisciplinary PhD.

1. Katherine Crawford (Honours, Biology, 2025–2026)
2. Charlotte Beveridge (Honours, Psychology, 2025–2026)
3. Heather Carr (Honours, Psychology/Biology, 2025–2026)
4. Ryan MacArthur (Honours, Neuroscience, 2025–2026)
5. Avery Nadalini (Independent Research Project, Psychology, Winter 2026)
6. Joyce Yu (Independent Research Project, Psychology, Winter 2026)
7. Tyger Smolar (Independent Research Project, Psychology, 2025–2026)
8. Katie Klein (Independent Research Project, Neuroscience, 2025–2026)
9. Brenna Crowe (Independent Research Project, Neuroscience, Fall 2025)
10. Mya Chidiac (Honours, Neuroscience, 2024–2025)
11. Noah Glenen (Honours, Psychology, 2024–2025)
12. Minah Baek (Independent project, Neuroscience, Winter 2025)
13. Katelynn McQuaid (Independent project, Psychology, 2024–2025)
14. Ewa Adedeji (Independent project, Neuroscience, 2024–2025)
15. Katherine Crawford (Experiential learning, Biology, Winter 2025)
16. Laura Kiiroja (IDPhD, 2018–2024)
17. Katie Smith (Independent Research Project, Fall 2023 and Winter 2024)
18. Claire Logue (Independent Research Project, Winter 2024)
19. Robyn Delaney (Psychology, Honours, 2022–2023)
20. Laura Elliot (Independent Project, 2021–2022)
21. Samantha Pratt (Independent Project, Winter 2022)
22. Tessa Cosman (Independent Project, 2020–2021)
23. Ashley Keary (Independent Project, 2020–2021)
24. Amy Byers (MSc Agriculture - co-supervised with Dr. Miriam Gordon, 2018–2021)
25. Deanne Balas (Neuroscience, Honours, 2020)
26. Josh Dort (Psychology, Honours, 2020)
27. Zeina Lawen (Psychology, Honours, 2020)
28. Brad Gillis (Independent Project, Fall 2019)
29. Jacqueline Gädtke (Maastricht exchange student, 2019)
30. Kadie MacDonald (Neuroscience, Independent Project, 2020)
31. Julia Townsend (Neuroscience, Independent Project, 2020)
32. Aria Fallah (Neuroscience, Independent Project, 2020)
33. Andréa Artus (Master 1 intern from France, 2020)
34. Lindsay Colyn (Neuroscience, Honours student, Neuroscience, 2018–2019)
35. Josh Dort (Psychology, Independent Project, 2018–2019)
36. Michael Klasz (Psychology, Independent Project, 2018–2019)
37. Catherine Reeve (Ph.D, Experimental Psychology): canine hypoglycemia detection in youth with Type I diabetes (primary; thesis)
38. Ella Macquisten: Biology, Independent Project: Wood turtles in the Musquodoboit River watershed
39. Kelly Forrester (Biology, Honours student, 2017): Stress detection dogs
40. Mariah Ward (Psychology, Independent Project, 2017): Stress detection dogs
41. Rebecca Grestoni (Psychology, Independent Project, 2017): Stress detection dogs
42. Sonia Smith (Honours, Psychology, 2015–2016): HDDs
43. Chloe Blackman (Independent project, Neuroscience, 2015–2016): HDDs
44. Danielle Rasetti (Honours, Biology, 2014–2015): Pulmonate vs. canines in remote scenting applications for pest detection.
45. Paige Crowell (Honours, Biology, 2014–2105): Pulmonate temperament profiles in relation to pavlovian conditioning for olfactory learning.
46. Larissa Darc (Independent Project, Biology, 2014–2015): Sexing sexually monomorphic hatchlings (Storm Petrels) with scent dogs.
47. Cortney Jones (Independent Project, Psychology, 2014–2105): HDDs
48. Kim Stehouwer (Independent Project, Psychology, 2014–2105): HDDs
49. Jennifer Crawford (Independent Project, Psychology, 2014–2105): HDDs
50. Emma Hoffman (Honours, Environmental Science): BSLB detection; lab experiments. 2014.
51. Megan Thompson (Honours, Biology): ribbonsnakes in Kejimkujik National Park. 2014.
52. Fielding Montgomery (Honours, Biology): BSLB detection; field experiments. 2014.
53. Olivia Sievert (Honours, Marine Biology): action sequences of food caching red foxes. 2014.
54. Kristy Wallace (Honours, Biology/Psychology): hypoglycemia detection. 2014.
55. Hailey Richardson (Honours, Psychology): methodological questions to test the olfactomotor theory. 2014.
56. Yasmeen Ghebari (Independent project, Psychology): methodological questions to test the advantage of the box system over the line-up. 2014.
57. Lauren Westhaver (experiential course; Biology). 2014.
58. Kate Porter (MES, School for Resource and Environmental Studies, Dalhousie U.). 2013.
59. Kristen Sora (experiential course, Marine Biology). 2013
60. Julia Delle Cave, Veterinary student intern, Toulouse, France, 2013.
61. Julia Fitzgerald (BA Honours, SMU). 2013.
62. Shantel Sparkes (BSc Honours, Psychology). 2013.
63. David Adams (BSc Honours, Biology). 2013.
64. Meghan MacDonald (BSc Honours, Psychology). 2013.
65. Surina Anstey (BSc Honours, Biology). 2013.
66. Amy Silver (BSc Psychology, independent project). 2012.
67. Liz Campbell (BSc Honours, Biology, independent project). 2012–2013.
68. Florence Lemarié, Veterinary student intern, Nantes, France. 2012.
69. Elsa Louvet, Veterinary student intern, Nantes, France. 2012.
70. Kirsti Jangaard (BSc Honours candidate; neuroscience). 2012.
71. Leisha Seymour, BA (Concordia), Honours Equivalency SMU. 2012.
72. Karina Schell (Masters candidate, Biology, Göttingen, Germany). 2012.
73. Kate Thompson, MSc, PhD candidate, for a comprehensive project. 2012.
74. Cindy Hamon-Hill (PhD): Comprehensive project. Empathy and play in canids. 2011–2012.
75. Stephanie Collins Zwicker, MSc, PhD candidate for a comprehensive project.
76. Brittany Hilton (Honours candidate, SMU). Not completed.
77. Kayla Cruickshank (3000 project level).
78. Christine Riordan, BSc (biology), (Honours student, psychology, 2009–2010)
79. Alisa Miller, (Honours student, biology, 2009–2010)
80. Delphine Mousse (graduate student, biology, Université Jean Monnet; research internship)
81. Stephanie Collins (MSc candidate, psychology); PSYO 5002 project
82. Michael Demontfaucon (graduate student, biology, Université de Paris XIII, 2009; research internship)
83. Tom Howells (Honours student, psychology, 2008–2009)
84. Kavita Raju (undergraduate student, psychology, 2008–2009); PSYO 3000 project
85. Meredith Flannery (MSc candidate, psychology, 2007–2008); PSYO 5001 project
86. Rachael Craig (undergraduate student, neuroscience; co-supervised with Roger Croll); NESC 3000 project
87. Aris Lavranos (Honours student, neuroscience, 2007–2008; co-supervised with Leslie Phillmore [primary])
88. Alison Green (Honours student, biology, 2007)
89. Peter Smith (Honours student, biology, 2007; co-supervised with Roger Croll)
90. Jacob Lingley (undergraduate student, neuroscience; NESC 3001 project)
91. Kim Bourque (Honours student, neuroscience, 2006)
92. Beth Campbell (Honours student, biology, 2006; co-supervised with Shannon Bard [primary])
93. Heather-Dawn Wood (MSc student, neuroscience, 2005–2007; co-supervised with Roger Croll)
94. Barbara Molnar (MSc biology, Université de Neufchâtel, 2005)
95. Mitsue Fujita (BSc; Acadia U., 2000)
96. Sophie LeBlois (“Applied Ecology”, C.E.G.E.P. de La Pocatière, La Pocatière, QC, 1996); internship at the Canadian Centre for Wolf Research)

Partners / collaborators from former projects:

NS Power, Emera, DNR, Oxford Frozen Foods (land owner): Using wildlife conservation canines to assess bat and bird fatalities at the South Canoe Windfarm. Biologists: Stephanie Walsh and Jennifer LeBlanc.

Forestry project (Invasive Insects Detection)

• Forest Protection Limited: David Davies
• Sylvar Technologies: Stefan Richard / Dr. Renée Lapointe
• Natural Resources Canada / Canadian Forest Service: Dr. Jon Sweeney, Kate Van Rooyen
• Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA): Troy Kimoto

Parks Canada: (ribbon snakes, Blanding’s turtles, coyotes)

• Halifax Service: Dr. Deborah Austin, Dan Kehler
• Cape Breton Highlands National Park: Erich Muntz, Derek Quann
• Kejimkujik National Park: Duncan Smith

Acadia University:

• Reptiles: Dr. Stephen Mockford, Dr. Tom Herman

Dalhousie University:

• Dogs and olfactory learning: Dr. Vincent LoLordo (animal learning)
• Coyotes: Dr. Tara Perrot (endocrinology)
• Elephant nose fish: Dr. Leslie Philmore (neuroscience)
• Zebra fish olfactory learning: Drs Roger Croll and Alan Fine

MFFP (Ministère de la Faune, des Forêts et des Parcs): Wood turtles

• Walter Bertacchi, Rimouski
• Mélyssa Vachon, Québec

MTRI (Mersey-Tobeatic Research Institute)

• Reptiles: Jeffie McNeill

CARP (Clean Annapolis River Projects)

• Wood turtles: Carolyn Hann

IWK Health Centre

• Hypoglycemia detection and alert dogs:
  • Dr. Elizabeth Cummings (Pediatric Endocrinology)
  • Dr. Elizabeth McLaughlin (Pediatric Health Psychology)