Here are some of the exciting research areas for Honours Thesis Projects. If something catches your interest, the next step is to contact individual faculty members to see what projects are available this year, then complete the application.
Maria Aristizabal
Office
2516
Telephone
The Aristizabal laboratory is interested in fundamental aspects of genome function. We specifically focus on mechanisms of transcription and epigenetic regulation, how these processes are modulated by external signals, and why they lead to disease when altered. We use a combination of high-throughput and targeted approaches from the fields of genetic, molecular biology, biochemistry, and bioinformatics and leverage the budding yeast and fruit fly model systems to examine these processes. Current projects in the lab explore the following topics: fundamental aspects of transcription regulation; chromatin biology and cancer mutations on histone genes; and genetic and epigenetic effects of wildfire smoke exposure. To learn more about our lab visit our website https://aristizabal.weebly.com/research.html. To learn more about potential honors thesis projects please attend the Aristizabal lab project information session on Jan 15th from 5:30-7PM in room 3110.
Shelley Arnott
Office
4230A
Telephone
Email
Despite the importance of freshwater ecosystems and the services they provide, lakes are experiencing multiple environmental stressors associated with human activities. We study zooplankton communities to understand how environmental change impacts freshwater organisms and aquatic food webs.
Our research is conducted at multiple scales. We use field mesocosm experiments to isolate the effects of individual and combined stressors on community structure and function. Population-level lab experiments are used to understand direct effects of stressors on life-history attributes. Regional lake surveys allow us to identify how species distributions are influenced by changing environments.
Much of our recent research has focused on understanding the impact of road salt on aquatic organisms. We have used laboratory and field experiments to show that current water quality guidelines do not protect organisms in all lakes and are now conducting experiments to understand what factors make some lakes and populations more susceptible to salt that others. Some potential projects include experiments to quantify variation in salt tolerance within and among populations, the impact of water hardness on salt toxicity, comparisons of ‘eco-friendly’ salt alternatives, and the influence of additional environmental stressors on salt toxicity. I welcome ideas for other related projects.
Paul J. Blanchfield
Office
3120
Telephone
We study freshwater fish and their habitat. Research in my lab examines how human activities - such as climate, noise, or pollution - can alter fish habitat and how animals respond to a changing aquatic environment. We collect biotelemetry or behavioural observation data to understand the potential consequences of environmental change to fish populations. These detailed data sets on fish movement and habitat use provide excellent opportunities to develop a BIOL 537 project.
Fran Bonier
Office
3523
Telephone
(613) 533-6000 ext. 77024
extension 77024
Email
Our research explores how organisms cope with diverse challenges like changing temperatures, disease, and urbanization. We approach this broad aim from a number of perspectives, often investigating plastic changes in behaviour, physiology, and life history to better understand adaptations to challenges. BIOL537 projects possibly available for the upcoming year include field studies on urban birds, community science research on urban birds, and/or captive experiments on parental care and behaviour in burying beetles. 537 students work closely with graduate students and have the opportunity to develop field, lab, data analysis (in R), and communication skills.
Ian Chin-Sang
Office
2422A
Telephone
Email
We use the genetic model organism Caenorhabditis elegans to study how animals develop. In our lab, we leverage the unique characteristics of C. elegans—its transparency and distinct anatomy—to study animal development at an extraordinary level of detail: the single cell. We use genetic, molecular biology, biochemistry, and state of the art video microscopy techniques to elucidate the molecular mechanisms that control cell shape, cell movement, cell division and cell fate. Recent projects include how insulin-like peptides control cell divisions and how a kinesin motor protein controls epidermal shape.
Adam Chippindale
Office
2420
Telephone
Email
We use experiments with the mighty fruit fly Drosophila to address questions about evolution. Our two main lines of research at the present time are related to the impact of sexual conflict on the genome and the evolution of ageing.
Fruit flies are an awesome system for a thesis student because they are easy to rear with short generations, meaning that we can get new personnel up to speed quickly and produce high-quality experiments over a relatively short time line. We are using experimental evolution, genetic manipulations and large scale surveys of survival and reproductive success to unravel the genetic basis of sexual conflict and ageing.
The Chippindale Lab seeks hard-working, enthusiastic and diligent thesis students to join our collegial team.
Robert Colautti
Office
4325A
Telephone
Human activity is rapid changing all of the earth’s major ecosystems, benefitting some species with adverse effects on others. The Colautti lab investigates how human activity is changing genes, genomes and phenotypes of species in nature, and how these changes affect species persistence in a changing world.
We work at the interface of ecology, evolution and genetics; our research combines greenhouse and field work (primarily at QUBS) with cutting-edge methods in genomics (e.g. Next-Generation Sequencing) and computational biology (in R, Python, Unix). We think knowledge from these experiments will lead to innovative solutions for the conservation and management of natural resources and ecosystem services increasingly threatened by global change.
For a list of current research projects and personnel, visit http://ecoevogeno.org
Brian Cumming
Office
3108 (Head's Office), 3134A
Telephone
Email
My research focuses on the development of techniques and approaches to assess environmental change in lakes over decades to millennia from both natural (e.g., climate, fire) and anthropogenic stressors. This research involves understanding the modern-day relationships between freshwater organisms and their environment, and how these relationships can be used to better understand past environmental conditions by examining the assemblages of algae and invertebrates in well-dated sediment cores from lakes. An active area of research in my lab involves studies that are designed to understand the role of climate and anthropogenic activities on lakes in boreal and the Great Lakes-St Lawrence Forest regions of Ontario, and the Adirondack region (NY, USA), and how this information can be used in the conservation and management of lakes. Currently, we are working on lakes from the central interior of British Columbia, Cape Breton Island National Park, the Adirondacks, and local lakes that are adjacent to and within Frontenac Provincial Park (just north of Kingston). I strive to provide student-based projects that are possible within the constraints of a fourth-year thesis and the interests of the student.
George diCenzo
Office
2517
Telephone
(613) 533-6000 ext. 78529
extension 78529
Our research spans fundamental to applied microbiology, with a focus on using diverse methods spanning wet-lab molecular genetics to dry-lab comparative genomics to understand complex bacterial phenotypes and develop new microbial biotechnologies. Our research is largely divided across two main topics: nitrogen fixation and plastic biodegradation.
Rhizobia are soil bacteria capable of entering a symbiotic interaction with legume plants, during which they convert atmospheric nitrogen gas to ammonia that is provided to the plant as a source of nitrogen. This interaction allows legume plants to thrive even in nitrogen-deficient soils, reducing the need for nitrogen-based fertilizers in agricultural settings. We are isolating rhizobia from Ontario soils able to interact with common bean plants, and characterizing them phenotypically and with whole genome sequencing, with the goal of developing new inoculants for use in Canadian agriculture. In parallel, we use diverse tools to develop a comprehensive understanding of the metabolism, genomics, and taxonomy of these rhizobia to support future attempts at engineering these bacteria.
Canadians use over 4.5 million tonnes of plastic per year, or which only 9% is recycled. To tackle this problem, we are interested in identifying enzymes and microbes capable of degrading plastics and converting them either back to their monomers or into other valuable chemicals. To accomplish this, we are using diverse metagenomic and functional genomics approaches, as well as culturing novel environmental bacteria and fungi and screening them for an ability to degrade plastics. By doing so, we hope to contribute to a foundation supporting the development of novel plastic biochemical recycling technologies.
For more information, please refer to dicenzolab.weebly.com, queensu.ca/microbes-for-agriculture, and openplastic.com.
Jannice Friedman
Office
4420A
Telephone
Our research investigates how genetic mechanisms interact with environmental conditions to determine the evolution of traits. We mostly study the evolution of reproductive strategies in plants and aim to understand the influence of ecological factors like climate, abiotic conditions, pollinators and demography. We are interested in how these ecological and evolutionary patterns are shaped by their underlying genetics. Plants are a useful system because they stay still, they can be grown in large numbers, and often have very varied and interesting adaptations. Research in the lab uses an integrative approach, including field work or greenhouse/growth chamber experiments, genomics, and comparative biology.
Vicki Friesen
Office
4443A
Telephone
Email
My lab studies genetic variation in relation to conservation and management, mostly in birds. Genetic variation is critical to both short- and long-term survival of natural populations, especially under rapid anthropogenic change. New genomic methods, especially when combined with studies of behaviour and life history, provide powerful opportunities to determine the potential for populations to adapt to climate change, disease and other stressors. Three projects are available in 2024-2025. All students will obtain training in population genetics, avian ecology, project design and execution, and science communication. The second two projects also involve genomics, and bioinformatics.
1. Demography of common eiders: Common eiders are important sources of protein and feathers in Northern communities. While much is known about eider ecology, gaps remain in the research; for example, little is known about how frequently a pair remains together for multiple breeding seasons, or how often male common eiders return to the same breeding grounds. An extensive dataset exists from a 20+ year mark-recapture program at the largest common eider colony in the Eastern Arctic (Mitivik Island, Nunavut) including information about mate choice, body size, age, etc. We have a project for a summer student to investigate these metrics to explore how they have changed over time and answer questions that fill important gaps related to eider breeding ecology and population demographics.
2. Effective population size of the Mitivik Island common eider colony: A well-studied common eider colony in the Canadian Arctic (Mitivik Island, Nunavut) has faced multiple detrimental population pressures over recent years: an outbreak of avian cholera, predation by polar bears, and a rapidly changing climate. While aspects of each of these pressures have been explored, currently no information exists on how these pressures may differentially impact the effective population size of the colony (number of breeding individuals in a population). We have a project for a summer student to investigate a time-series of low coverage whole genome sequences to calculate effective population size over time in the Mitivik Island common eider colony, and to explore if changes may correlate with significant events. This work will inform the conservation of Arctic species by exploring how growing threats in the Arctic such as emerging infectious diseases and climate change may impact population size.
3. Are thick-billed murres mating assortative according to genetics? Thick-billed murres are Arctic-breeding seabirds that are top predators in Arctic marine ecosystems and also provide fresh protein to Indigenous communities. We have access to blood samples of ~100 breeding pairs and the project will look at immune genes (such as MHC) to test if murres mate with individuals that are similar or dissimilar on a genetic aspect.
Monica Garvie
Email
“I use paleolimnological techniques coupled with Indigenous protocols specific to the communities in which I work to track environmental changes over time. My work in my home region of treaty #9 territory focuses on tracking centennial scale changes in Long Lake in response to mining, logging, settlement, and the Long Lake Diversion of 1939 in ways that are appropriate to Anishinaabe culture. My work with Kionywarihwaen (Crawford Lake) in Treaty #19 (Ajetance Purchase) focuses on millennial scale changes of the region in response to changing climate and settlement activities in ways that are appropriate to Wyandot and Anishinaabe cultures. My research specializes in isotope dating, diatom and chrysophyte identification and interpretation, and geochemical techniques as well as integration of Indigenous cultural practices and protocols around knowledge seeking and sharing.”
Paul Grogan
Office
2508
Telephone
Email
I am interested in carbon and nutrient cycling and how it affects the structure and functioning of arctic tundra as well as temperate forest and grassland ecosystems. One of the contexts for these studies is to understand how such ecosystems are likely to be affected by perturbations such as climate change, land use change, and atmospheric pollution. For further details, including a listing of specific research projects in which we are currently engaged, please see https://www.queensu.ca/terrestrial-ecosystem-ecology/. Thesis students in my lab are strongly encouraged to develop their own research hypotheses within or outside the general areas outlined above.
Daniel Lefebvre
Office
3517
Telephone
Email
Our research investigates i) the ‘green’ synthetic biology of nanoparticles composed of inorganic elements such as industrially valuable quantum dots, and ii) bioremediation of cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms that pollute water bodies globally. Synthetic biology is touted to be the science of the future, and cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms are a persistent threat to potable water on a global scale. Our studies involve environmental assessment and sampling; microbial culturing techniques; in lab, greenhouse and reservoir experiments; chemical, biochemical, genetic and molecular analyses; microscopy and spectroscopy; among others. **Not accepting students in 2024-2025**
Steve Lougheed
Office
4428
Telephone
We are interested in understanding the origins of biodiversity from the level of local adaptation and limiting gene flow in single landscapes, through the genomics of entire species' ranges, to understanding the processes that produce new, reproductively isolated species. Our research uses the perspectives of landscape genetics, phylogeography and phylogenetics of select vertebrates (frogs, snakes, lizards, fish, bears, and birds) to understand species origins and the impacts that human activities have on species distributions and genetic diversity. We combine molecular tools, radiotelemetry and GIS, habitat characterization, and ecological experiments to study species of conservation concern in Canada and provide direct inputs into conservation planning and habitat stewardship.
Paul Martin
Office
4320A
Telephone
Email
Our work focuses on interactions among closely related species and the factors that determine their distributions along environmental gradients (community ecology). Possible honours thesis projects available for this coming year are listed here: https://www.paulmartinlab.com/honours-thesis-projects
Our work for the upcoming year will include both field studies of burying beetles and comparative work on birds. Field-based projects would require basing out of the Queen's University Biological Station, likely from mid-May to mid-July. Our comparative work relies on existing phylogenetic, genetic, abundance, range, and trait data taken from the literature, museums, or other sources (including community science), and can be completed during the summer and/or fall.
Jacqueline Monaghan
Office
3420
Telephone
We are interested in the molecular and cellular mechanisms that underpin host-microbe interactions. Just like understanding our own immune system is necessary for the development of effective drugs and vaccines, understanding the plant immune system is necessary for the development of sustainable and environmentally-friendly strategies to fight diseases that affect our crops. Our lab focuses on understanding the regulatory mechanisms that allow plants to defend against a vast array of potential pathogens while maintaining normal growth and development. We use a variety of approaches, but rely heavily on genetics, molecular biology, biochemistry, proteomics, and cell biology in the model organism Arabidopsis thaliana. For more information on what we do please see our lab website http://monaghanlab.ca and get in touch to discuss your interest. **Not accepting students in 2025-26**
William Nelson
Office
3506
Telephone
Email
The Nelson lab is interested in understanding how the lifecycle of an organism impacts its population dynamics. We work in three experimental systems: Freshwater zooplankton, tortrix moths, and bean weevils. The systems are great for studying ecological and evolutionary processes because they have short generation times and are easy to work with the lab. I typically take on two or three motivated students each year and am happy to supervise projects that involve either mathematical modeling or laboratory experimentation in any of these systems. I encourage students to propose their own research questions, but I also have several projects that could be used a starting point.
Diane Orihel
Office
3127
Telephone
(613) 533-6000 ext. 79052
extension 79052
Email
In the Queen’s Experimental Ecology and Ecotoxicology (QE3) lab, directed by Dr. Diane Orihel, we study the fate and effects of chemical contaminants in freshwater ecosystems. In 2024, our lab is conducting a field experiment at the Queen’s University Biological Station to better understand how microplastic pollution affects wetland food webs, which will form the basis of several student theses. Honours projects could focus on the effects of microplastics on invertebrates (project 1) or amphibians (project 2), or on the fate/movement of microplastics in model wetland ecosystems (project 3). There are opportunities for students to participate in fieldwork this summer (optional), otherwise students can analyze archived samples during the fall/winter terms. Because Dr. Orihel is presently on sabbatical, interested students may wish to speak with the PhD student leading this microplastic study, Sam Gene (s.gene@queensu.ca). To apply for an Honours position, please contact Dr. Orihel (diane.orihel@queensu.ca) with a cover letter, resume, transcript, using the subject line “BIOL537 Microplastics”. In the cover letter, please indicate which Honours project (1, 2, 3) interests you and why.
William Plaxton
Office
3513
Telephone
Email
Our long-term research goal is to characterize the?molecular, regulatory, and functional properties of key enzymes of plant phosphate and carbohydrate metabolism. The current focus is on understanding the functions, regulation, post-translational modifications (especially reversible phosphorylation), protein:protein interactions, and subcellular targeting of key enzyme proteins that help the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana acclimate to nutritional phosphorus starvation. BIOL537 projects may involve growing Arabidopsis suspension cell cultures and/or plants, enzyme purification and characterization, advanced (phospho)proteomic studies using LC-MS/MS, immunological tools (western blotting and co-immunoprecipitation using specific antibodies), and/or molecular/genomic approaches such as mRNA profiling, recombinant enzyme expression and characterization, or analyses of transgenic plants in which enzymes we are studying in have either been knocked out or overexpressed. All of these techniques are relevant to a wide variety of careers in the biological and life sciences, and biotech industry. Our overall research has significant long-term applications to problems in Canadian and worldwide agriculture, particularly the development of phosphorus-efficient crops, urgently needed to reduce mankind’s rampant overuse of non-renewable, unsustainable, and polluting phosphate fertilizers. Preference is usually given to ‘cell and molecular’ oriented students who have completed and/or are planning to take advanced lab courses in physiology, biochemistry, and molecular biology (e.g.,?BIOL401-404).?Previous lab volunteer or summer research experience in the biological/life sciences would be an asset, but is not essential. For more info please visit: https://www.queensu.ca/plaxtonlab/.
Sharon Regan
Office
3422
Telephone
Email
Our research is focused on understanding the molecular regulation of plant growth and development, especially trees such as poplars (Populus) and hazelnut (Corylus) but we also work in the model system Arabidopsis, and sometimes potato, Senna, and other crop plants. We take a functional genomics approach, and we typically screen a population of mutant plants (Arabidopsis and Poplar) or screen breeding populations (Hazelnut) to identify genes controlling important traits. Projects that we are currently working on impact flower development and disease resistance in hazelnut, wood development and disease resistance in poplar and bioremediation strategies in Senna and poplar. To the best of our abilities we try to match the project to the students interests, while still providing the opportunity for you to contribute to a larger project ongoing in the lab.
Jim Rusak
Email
Lakes are currently experiencing multiple threats (e.g., climate warming, nutrient additions and algal blooms, salinization, etc.) and such disturbances have the potential to affect all aspects of ecosystems, from species diversity to structure and function and cause systems to cross thresholds from which subsequent recovery is problematic.
Our research seeks an overall mechanistic understanding of the patterns and processes that govern aquatic ecosystem function and the ability to apply this knowledge to manage inland waters in a changing world. It consists of three main elements 1) characterizing long-term change (via environmental monitoring programs) to investigate the environmental drivers of aquatic ecosystem dynamics, 2) developing indicators of aquatic ecosystem function that can be used predict changes in abundance, biomass and size structure of various trophic levels in aquatic ecosystems, and 3) modelling these predictions between drivers and response variables to develop future scenarios of change that can proactively inform mitigation and remediation strategies.
Laurent Seroude
Office
2512
Telephone
Email
The research in our group uses genetics to dissect the molecular changes associated with aging and identify genes influencing how we age. The general strategy is to use Drosophila as a model system in which to identify and isolate genes homologous to humans, using the fly for experimental analysis of their basic functions. The laboratory is the sole in Canada entirely dedicated to understand how and why we age using a model organism whose genes can easily be manipulated. Understanding aging is the only hope to develop interventions to prevent the impairments (such as locomotion or mental impairments) and diseases (such as cancer or Alzheimer's disease) associated with aging.
John Smol OC, OOnt, FRSC, FRS
Office
4307A
Telephone
Email
Our lab’s research focuses on using long-term environmental and ecological approaches to study how lake and river ecosystems have been affected by both human and natural stressors. We work on projects from around the world (e.g. environmental change in the South American Andes, a large program on lakes from polar regions, the ecological effects of oil sands operations, studying the effects of mining activities, to name just a few). Many projects are also based on Ontario and other Canadian lakes. Much of our work deals with using biology to track environmental changes using records preserved in lake sediments. For example, we attempt to resolve questions such as: How are lakes changing and why? How has recent climatic change affected lakes in different ecozones? Can we decipher the relative roles of human impacts versus natural processes? Once lakes have been altered by human activities, can they recover? And if so, how fast? Such information provides critical data for other scientists, policy makers, politicians, and the public-at-large to make evidence-based management decisions.
Wayne Snedden
Office
3509
Telephone
Email
Research projects can be suited to individual student interests but will encompass the theme of calcium-mediated signal transduction in plants. Plant cells respond to stimuli such as pathogen attack, drought, salinity, and cold stress through signal transduction pathways regulated at some level by the secondary messenger calcium. Cells interpret the information encoded in calcium signals through calcium-binding proteins such as calmodulin. Using the tools of molecular biology, bioinformatics, biochemistry, and cell biology, students will address questions formulated to help unravel some of the signaling events between stimulus perception and cellular response. Depending upon the project selected, students will develop familiarity with methodologies involved in cDNA cloning, PCR, gene expression studies, recombinant protein expression, enzyme assays, protein-protein interaction (yeast two-hybrid screening, interactive cloning), cell and tissue culturing. These projects provide marketable skills in biotechnology and a solid foundation for future lab research. A background in plant biology is an asset, but by no means essential.
Bruce Tufts
Office
3115
Telephone
Email
The vast majority of the research carried out in my laboratory falls under the general heading of Fisheries Biology. More specifically, this research can be grouped into studies in either i) conservation of wild fisheries or ii) aquaculture. Students in my lab have often used physiological techniques to understand what is happening in fish under different conditions, but this is not always the case. In recent years, we have incorporated a broad range of approaches to different fisheries issues. Studies may be carried out in the lab, or in the field, or both. I do not have a list of projects ahead of time. The specific details of the 537 projects will normally be decided after students have been accepted.
Dr. Virginia Walker
Office
2522
Telephone
Email
Molecular genetics/ environmental microbiology/ stress tolerance/ low temperature resistance/ astrobiology / with model systems from microbes to fish to insects to plants to mammals and beyond!
Note: As Professor Emerita, I am no longer accepting new students or staff.
Our research interests concern stress genes and the molecular basis of resistance. This is a central question for scientific goals as diverse as predicting the impact of nanoparticle-containing food on our gut microbiota, the consequence of climate change on Arctic organisms, the impact of microgravity, or the production of ice-binding proteins in environmentally-stressed overwintering plants, insects, fish or microbes.
Yuxiang Wang
Office
3508
Telephone
Email
My current research focuses on the physiological and biochemical adaptation of aquatic vertebrates under various environmental conditions and physiological states. Using fish as a comparative model, my lab studies the regulatory mechanisms of various metabolic processes, especially the transmembrane movement of metabolites, the functional links among metabolite distribution, acid-base balance, ionic and osmotic equilibrium, metabolic fuel shift, and energy partition under normal and extreme environmental conditions. We are currently developing a suite of cellular and molecular tools, which allows us to better understand the evolution of the fine-tuned metabolic control system in fish. Several potential undergraduate thesis projects can be derived from this research theme involving a wide range of research techniques in analytical biochemistry, physiology, and molecular biology.
