The first Venney lab manuscript was accepted this morning, led by MSc student Tia Attfield! π₯³
@clarevenney
Assistant professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Alberta. Molecular ecologist. Evolutionary epigenomics, phenotypic plasticity, multi-omics. She/her. π 𧬠https://clarevenney.weebly.com/
The first Venney lab manuscript was accepted this morning, led by MSc student Tia Attfield! π₯³
Today is the last day to register to IAGLR/SCAS 2026!!
iaglr.org/iaglr-scas26/
Excited to recruit a new PhD student for Fall 2026 in my lab at Cornell! Looking for someone interested in evolutionary genomics + fisheries/conservation applications. Quick timeline this yearβreach out soon. More details: www.therkildsenlab.org/join-us.html
Do you teach #rstats? Do your students complain about how lame and old-fashioned dplyr is? Don't worry: I have the solution for you: github.com/hadley/genzp....
genzplyr is dplyr, but bussin fr fr no cap.
We should be paying more attention to this situation. An online letter has been put together and is being circulated to stop this data from being disclosed. Please sign the online letter here, if you are comfortable: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
First team costume: Gandalf and the hobbits (minus a hobbit who left campus)
Gandalf in front of a light rail train
Just Gandalf taking the Mines of Moria (the light rain train tunnels) to do his grey wizard business on campus today
Adding to my extreme dislike of AI: Google AI suggests testing just how explosive a combustible substance is before trying to weigh it in the lab
The Venney lab gathered for a fall photo today, and to share a spiced honey cake (made with Rueppell lab honey) to celebrate Tia's first manuscript submission!
We've started the tradition of "paper pastries" (manuscript morsels?) where we all share a treat for manuscript submission π°
First manuscript of the lab submitted this morning! π₯³ super proud PI moment, and right before the long weekend!
I can't solve all the problems of the world
But I can treat some students to dinner every once in a while, and maybe some days, it's enough to solve the problems of just a few folks
3 DAYS LEFT! Propose a session for the 2026 joint conference of the International Association for Great Lakes Research and the Society of Canadian Aquatic Sciences. The conference will be held May 25β29, 2026, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, as a hybrid event. https://bit.ly/4lpMJNK
First time at Mill Street in YYZ since I flew back from my U of A interview. Today Iβm proud to be flying back to QuΓ©bec to give a presentation at UniversitΓ© Lavalβs JournΓ©e Γtudiante de lβIBIS (my postdoc department). What a whirlwind 19 months!
YES horror movies too! Iβm glad Iβm not the only one π
There is a strong positive correlation between my stress levels and my urge to watch true crime documentaries.
Thanks! I'm excited to be back in QuΓ©bec and see everyone πβοΈ
We're hiring! Technician position in Juneau, AK to support fisheries genetic work at NOAA. The technician will assist with various projects including eDNA, GBS, epigenetic aging. We are looking for someone with a strong background in molecular biology. Apply here by August 10: shorturl.at/4JgPV
Kombucha girl frowning in digust with text: "going through my email inbox" Kombucha girl intrigued with text: "sanding the living room walls"
I took a week and a half off to tackle some minor repairs and painting of our new (first!) house.
Today is my first day back to work and the living room walls are looking particularly inspiring compared to my overflowing inbox
Billboard beside road with text that reads: WHEN DID FIRING PARK RANGERS, SCIENTISTS, AND AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS BECOME A BETTER IDEA THAN SIMPLY TAXING BILLIONAIRES?
We seriously need a crowdfunding campaign to put a billboard up like this everywhere
Part of a garden with dark blue Delphinium flowers
Sometimes a slow morning and a bit of exercise does wonders. I went on a much-needed 6 km run this morning to touch grass and admire the flowers. βοΈ πΊ now to get to work and finish that grant proposal!
Save the date for next year's 2026 IAGLR-SCAS Joint Conference to be held in Winnipeg, Manitoba from May 25-26. Stay tuned for information about session proposals, presentations, and registration as we begin the countdown for a week of terrific aquatic science and more.
A little teaser of some collaborative network graphs
Iβll be at #CSEE2025 talking about patterns of collaboration in the Canadian eco/evo research community π¨π¦
If youβre a eco/evo prof in Canada, odds are you were one of my data pointsβ¦ so come check it out! Wednesday - 4:30 - Science in action
@csee-sceemtgs.bsky.social
Excerpt of an email: βTo our wonderful community! Today, on June 27, 2025, Egale Canada and Skipping Stone are thrilled to share that the Court of Kingβs Bench of Alberta has granted our injunction request to block the Government of Albertaβs denial of gender-affirming care for gender diverse young people in the province from coming into effect. This is an historic win, affirming that young people in Alberta and across Canada deserve to live authentically in safety and freedom. On the basis of expert evidence, the Court concluded that Bill 26 would cause irreparable harm to gender diverse young people in Alberta.β
Bill 26, a UCP effort to deny lifesaving gender affirming care to young Albertans, has been blocked by the courts! One piece of good news amidst all the bad in the world these days. π
So much nature! The skunks were rolling around playing, rerouting traffic near Assiniboia Hall
I thought this was going to be a picture of the baby skunks that were near CCIS this afternoon!
I am excited to announce that the last paper from my PhD is now out!
In this paper, we tested how early-life predation stress shapes adult behaviour in Trinidadian guppies and whether DNA methylation in the brain plays a role.
Read all about it here: doi.org/10.1111/mec....
Edmontonβs magpies are fearless. We just watched 15-20 magpies (and a few crows) chase a skunk down the street. Nature!
A fish tank with gravel, a fake plant, and PVC pipe tunnels
Two women checking fish tanks
Trout alevin with rocks in a bowl
A rack of tanks with some barren and some enriched
The last of the trout alevin were moved to their new homes today! The epigenetic inheritance experiment continues
@britneyfirth.bsky.social
Dear fish people: is there a way to differentiate fin clips based on the type of fin (e.g., through microscopy)?
A horizontal bar chart titled "Percentage of Global fossil fuel emissions (since 1751) occurring in my lifetime." The chart shows how much of the total historical global fossil fuel emissions have occurred within the lifetime of individuals of different ages, from 5 to 100 years old. The vertical axis on the left lists ages in increments of 5 years, from age 5 at the top to age 100 at the bottom. The horizontal axis represents the percentage of fossil fuel emissions, marked in 10% increments from 10% to 90%. The black bars represent the proportion of fossil fuel emissions that have occurred during each age group's lifetime. The bars increase in length as the age increases, meaning older individuals have lived through a larger percentage of the cumulative emissions since 1751. Three specific age groups are highlighted with red bars and white text annotations: Age 30: "if you are 30 it is more than 50%" Age 50: "if you are 50 it is about 75%" Age 85: "if you are 85 it is about 90%" The source of the data is cited at the bottom: "CDIAC and globalcarbonproject.org." The graphic is credited to "@neilrkaye."
If you think climate change has gotten worse during your lifetime, you're right and there's a good reason.
If you're Gen X like me, more than 3/4 of fossil fuel COβ emissions have occurred in your lifetime. Even if you're a Millennial, it's at least half.
π: @neilrkaye.bsky.social