PEOPLE
Paul Martin
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GRADUATE STUDENTS
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Kamea Bellows
Erin Bolger
Brendan Sheppard
Marlena Warren (co-advised with Fran Bonier)
UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS
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Madeline Crozzoli
Maxwell Hammer
Madison McPherson
Dylan Uppal
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COLLABORATORS
Paul Martin
Professor
I grew up as a birder in Ottawa, Canada, where my fascination with the origins and maintenance of diversity began. In our lab, we use a broad array of approaches (field- and lab-based, comparative analyses) to address questions of interest, and collaborate with many scientists in areas outside of our main research foci. All of our research is based on a deep appreciation of natural history. Much of our current work takes place at the Queen’s University Biological Station (Ontario, Canada).
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email: pm45@queensu.ca
My full contact Information is at the bottom of this page.
GRADUATE STUDENTS
Kamea Bellows
MSc student
I am from Newfoundland, and growing up on the North Atlantic instilled in me a deep appreciation for the natural world. My research interests include scientific communication, and encouraging involvement in research through citizen science, using platforms such as eBird. These platforms allow for unprecedented volumes of biological data, which I intend on using to better understand bird biodiversity and distribution, particularly in a rapidly changing world.
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Contact: Department of Biology, Queen’s University,
Biosciences Complex, 4320
Kingston, Ontario, Canada K7L 3N6
email: k.bellows@queensu.ca
Erin Bolger
MSc student
I used to be scared of bugs. Then, I joined the Martin lab. Now I work with bugs every single day and love it! My MSc project involves the fundamental question: why do burying beetles bury? I am investigating the fitness benefits of burial for Nicrophorus burying beetles, and I am also interested in the factors that affect burial depth.
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Contact: Department of Biology, Queen’s University,
Biosciences Complex, 4320
Kingston, Ontario, Canada K7L 3N6
email: 18eekb2@queensu.ca
Brendan Sheppard
MSc student
My research focuses on how closely related species coexist and why they diversify. I'm currently working with compiled datasets on behavioural dominance in birds to investigate how the costs of novel adaptation can influence competitive ability. My other work includes hunting for evidence of directional hybridization in birds, and surveying the activity and distribution of Nicrophorus burying beetles at QUBS.
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Contact: Department of Biology, Queen’s University,
Biosciences Complex, 4320
Kingston, Ontario, Canada K7L 3N6
email: 18bras@queensu.ca
Marlena Warren
PhD student (co-advised with Fran Bonier)
I am interested in factors that influence biodiversity in human-modified landscapes and am particularly interested in exploring these factors in urban areas. As one of the most visible groups of wildlife in cities, birds represent an ideal group for studying the effects of urbanization on biodiversity. My research will investigate how habitat availability and human influences impact avian composition in cities.​
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Contact: Department of Biology, Queen’s University,
Biosciences Complex, 4320
Kingston, Ontario, Canada K7L 3N6
UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS
Madeline Crozzoli
BSc honours thesis student
My interest in animal biology was shaped by a deep rooted connection to nature cultivated through both camper and leadership roles at wilderness-based summer camps. These experiences instilled in me a deep appreciation and curiosity about wildlife and the ecological systems that support it. As an honours thesis student, I am conducting research on bird behaviour by exploring how specified bird species interact with their environments and each other. In doing so, I am eager to contribute meaningful academic insight to the field of animal behaviour and adaptations as well as facilitate practical ecological stewardship.​
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Contact: Department of Biology, Queen’s University,
Biosciences Complex, 4320
Kingston, Ontario, Canada K7L 3N6
email: madeline.crozzoli@queensu.ca
Maxwell Hammer
BSc honours thesis student
What excites me most about biology are ecological relationships and the factors that influence them.
My undergraduate thesis research examines the role of height and substrate in predicting which Nicrophorus species will attempt to use a breeding resource.​
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Contact: Department of Biology, Queen’s University,
Biosciences Complex, 4320
Kingston, Ontario, Canada K7L 3N6
email: 20mbh3@queensu.ca
Madison McPherson
BSc honours thesis student
Observing how small details play a significant role in the bigger, interconnected picture of species-to-ecosystem interactions is something I have always been passionate about. Staying true to that, my undergraduate thesis project examines how resource size and ecological partitioning work together in Nicrophorus beetles. Among other related questions, I am investigating whether Nicrophorus defodiens persists in southeastern Ontario on small mice, with the aim of finding evidence to support carcass size being its ecological niche.
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Contact: Department of Biology, Queen’s University,
Biosciences Complex, 4320
Kingston, Ontario, Canada K7L 3N6
email: 21mkm12@queensu.ca
Dylan Uppal
Field research assistant
I am currently working on a project that investigates if nest site characteristics predict reproductive success in urban birds such as Song Sparrows. My interest in ecology began early in life, and over time, has grown into a passion to learn more about the complex relationships and behaviours in nature. I am especially interested in the ecology of birds and Nicrophorus burying beetles, and the questions they can answer.​
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Contact: Department of Biology, Queen’s University,
Biosciences Complex, 4320
Kingston, Ontario, Canada K7L 3N6
email: dylan.uppal@queensu.ca
