Areas of Expertise

Bacteria-mineral interactions; microbial biosignatures; polar and desert environments; cyanobacteria; electron microscopy; synchrotron radiation.


Research Locations



Current Research Programs & Projects

Cryptoendolithic microorganisms of the Antarctic Dry Valleys: identification of and processes controlling biosignature preservation and fossilization of microorganisms

The geochemical ecology of cryptoendolithic microorganisms: relationships between cyanobacteria and sandstone weathering in the Canadian high Arctic


Biosedimentology, Bacterial Taphonomy, Astrobiology, and Polar Analogue Exploration, International Society for Environmental Biogeochemistry, Rivera Maya, Yucatan, Mexico (2012)

High Arctic perennial spring activity and associated minerals: their value to Mars analogue studies, 22nd Goldschmidt Conference, Montreal, Quebec, Canada (2012)

Hydrology, geology, and life associated with perennial spring discharge in the Canadian high Arctic, Department of Geology, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, USA (2012)

Microbial Biominerals: Structure, Formation and Applications, 20th Goldschmidt Conference, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA (2010)

Biosignatures: Understanding the Process Behind the Form, Department of Earth Sciences, The University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada (2009)