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.
I and my lab study animal welfare. We're interested in how to create good living conditions for animals kept in labs, zoos and farms; in how scientists can assess well-being objectively; and in what happens to brain and behaviour when animals are raised and kept lifelong in confining, barren enclosures.
My research program studies the effects of agricultural management practices (tillage and cropping systems) on the nature and dynamics of soil organic matter (SOM).
Jennifer's research is concerned with the roles of institutions, markets, and technologies in environmental governance. Topically, many of her projects have centered on oceans, marine resource management, and coastal and Indigenous communities.
The problems I have worked on in animal science have direct implications for genetic selection, food quality (e.g. cow milk), and animal health. On the other hand, my work in understanding the structure and driving mechanisms of ecological (e.g. plant-pollinator) networks have indirect implications for ecosystem conservation, management, and restoration.
