My lab studies lung disease in horses, cats, and dogs. We look for relationships between air pollution and the incidence of asthma. As well, we are developing more detailed ways of understanding how lung diseases arise, and finding more accurate methods for diagnosing them.
We are interested in structure-function relationships of enzymes and enzyme evolution. We are studying steroid degrading enzymes from the pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis and other related bacteria. We are also interested in enzymes that can be used to detoxify environmental pollutants.
The central research goal of my research is to examine the concept of resiliency and sustainability within the context of resource-based communities to address the often problematic relationship(s) between resource reliance, community well-being, and adaptive capacity.
Graduate students joining my team at Guelph get unrivalled opportunities to work in the lab and field answering research questions at the cutting edge of science with direct environmental and societal relevance. This important research is exciting, challenging and rewarding for the student, for me as the supervisor and for everyone else in the team.
Immigrant families settling the land, quilting bees, and ploughing matches are examples of some of the social and economic topics of early Ontario that link my work to the larger expertise of this University concerning agriculture and rural communities.
