Shay holding a Common Eider, Credit: Daniel Giesbrecht
Shayla (Shay) Kroeze is a Ph.D. student at Queen’s University, co-supervised by Dr. Vicki Friesen and Dr. Grant Gilchrist. She completed her B.Sc. (Honours) and her M.Sc. at the University of Western Ontario. Her research focuses on using cutting-edge genomic and computational techniques to gain insight into the population genetics of disease resistance in Common Eider, and the vulnerability of eiders and other Arctic species to emerging diseases.
Shay grew up in Long Sault, a small town in Ontario. She enjoyed biology and chemistry classes, leading her to pursue biology in her undergraduate studies. She loved nature and spending time outdoors, and after learning about the risks the planet was facing, began to pursue conservation biology. Her M.Sc. focused on butterfly genetics and afterward began pursuing a Ph.D. with a focus on conservation genomics.
Her current research focuses on avian cholera in Common Eiders on Mitivik Island (also known as East Bay Island) in Nunavut. The colony here experienced an avian cholera outbreak between 2006-2011, with the initial outbreak in 2006 killing over 30% of the female eiders breeding at the colony. The research team was curious why some of the birds were infected and survived and some were seemingly not infected at all, despite being exposed to the disease. Thankfully, the program has been running since 1996, so they have data from the birds before, during, and after known cholera outbreaks.
Shay’s research will use these samples and innovative genomic techniques to help identify genes that could provide resistance to cholera in eiders, as well as determine how the genes have changed before, during, and after the epidemic. She is also looking to characterize the distribution of genes related to cholera in eider populations across the North American range, including those that have not experienced outbreaks, to assess the potential for disease resistance or vulnerability.
During the last two field seasons, Shay was able to visit the colony to take samples and get a better idea of what the colony is like. She shared that many factors can influence the ability of the bird to survive a disease like cholera, including their previous health, the number of eggs they lay, the level of exposure, and more. She is hoping that her research will help uncover specific gene identities that strengthen their immune response to the disease, a trend that has been observed in other species.
Shay with a female Common Eider. Credit: Rebecca Jardine
This research will provide valuable information about the likelihood of the species surviving additional outbreaks, and reveal if there is existing immunity to the disease or not, both of which have implications for the health of the colony at Mitivik and other colonies.
She’s currently in the third year of her Ph.D. and hopes to graduate by August 2026. One of her co-supervisors introduced her to SDJV. Outside of being awarded a fellowship, Shay has forged meaningful friendships and collaborations with other SDJV student fellowship awardees through time shared in the field camps together and by sharing resources.
She loves studying sea ducks and working in the Arctic, and would love to keep her research focused on them, but is trying to keep an open mind for post-grad work, including opportunities within conservation genetics.
Outside of her graduate studies, she enjoys antiquing, thrifting, vintage shopping, and crafting. When the weather permits, she enjoys playing sports, bird watching, cross-country skiing, and generally getting out in nature.
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