Connie (Constance) O'Connor Dr.

Connie studies behavioural and physiological ecology. Her integrative research at McMaster University combined genomic, physiological, and behavioural tools to understand the evolution of social behaviour in cichlid fishes, and to understand how social behaviour is influenced by environmental perturbations. Connie received her B.Sc. from McGill University, where she studied cichlid gill morphology in hypoxic environments. She completed her Ph.D. at Carleton University, with Dr. Steve Cooke, and was co-supervised by Dr. Katie Gilmour.  She investigated how individual variation in physiology and behaviour relates to fitness and population-level processes in centrarchid fishes. Connie joined the Balshine lab as an E.B. Eastburn postdoctoral fellow in 2011, and has been an NSERC postdoctoral fellow since 2013.  Connie is co-mentored by Dr. Nadia Aubin-Horth.

Member: 2011-2014

Current Position: Connie now works for the Wildlife Conservation Society of Canada in Thunder Bay, Ontario, where she is an Associate Conservation Scientist. Connie leads the Ontario's Northern Boreal Landscape Freshwater Program and her research has greatly contributed to the developing field of ‘conservation physiology’, and she was awarded the prestigious Alice Wilson Medal from the Royal Society of Canada in 2013. In addition to a successful research career, Connie is a leader in science communication, outreach, and student mentorship.

For more information, please visit Connie's website.