Andy leads the Comparative Conservation Physiology Lab at the University of Guelph. He is broadly interested in understanding how physiology and behaviour interact to determine how animals cope with environmental change. He approaches this from both fundamental and applied perspectives - e.g. How have amphibious fishes have evolved to survive in terrestrial environments? How will endangered fishes fare in a changing world?

Liz is broadly interested in understanding the causes and consequences of interspecific varation in the ability of fishes to remodel their cardiorespiratory system in response to environmental change. She began her PhD in the Turko lab in Jan 2025.

Co-supervised by Dr. Fred Laberge, Erin is interested in assessing fish brain plasticity and thermal habitat choice in hopes of understanding how endangered and non-endangered species may differ. She is also broadly interested in exploring effects on fish cognition and potential pattern similarities among amphibians.

My PhD research focuses on understanding how fishes are physiologically impacted by suspended sediments – a prevalent environmental challenge - and investigating why some species can protect themselves against suspended sediments while others are very vulnerable. I am particularly keen on pinpointing the physiological differences between tolerant and vulnerable fishes so that this information can be used in conservation to effectively protect species at risk.

Ben started his MSc in the lab in September 2024 after completing a BSc at McMaster University where he did an honours thesis with Dr. Karen Kidd. His project is examining the adaptations of fish gills to naturally occurring suspended sediment.

My MSc research primarily focuses on studying the interspecific variation in thermal habitat choice for many species of local Ontario stream fish. My main objective will be to determine why some fish species can tolerate large fluctuations in temperature and other species cannot, which could be important knowledge for conservation practitioners to understand due to the increasing threat of climate change.

Speranza is an MSc student who joined the lab in September 2025. Her research examines the diet of Redside Dace to inform future reintroduction efforts. Co-supervised by Dr. Andrew Young, Speranza has a strong background in aquatic entomology and benthic invertebrate sampling, and is broadly interested in fish diet, behaviour, and habitat restoration.

I am currently in my undergraduate studies in Marine and Freshwater Biology at the University of Guelph. I am the co-president of the Marine and Freshwater biology club, and actively pursuing a career in research marine biology. I am studying the gill morphology of amphibious killifishes.

Anya is a fourth-year student in the Honours Marine and Freshwater Biology program. She first joined the lab in her second year as a volunteer, continued in her third year through an internship, and is now completing her undergraduate thesis. Her project investigates interspecific variation in behavioral strategies and physiological mechanisms underlying amphibiousness in killifish from the Rio de Janeiro watershed in collaboration with Waldir Miron.

Emily is a fifth-year undergraduate student majoring in Environmental Biology. She joined the Turko Lab in summer 2024, where she helped identify field sites for ongoing fish sampling efforts. Currently, she is pursuing her thesis in collaboration with Olivia Stanton, focusing on testing the thermal tolerances of various Ontario stream fish species.

Olivia is in her third year of undergraduate studies in Honours Marine and Freshwater Biology and is working as a volunteer in the Turko Lab. She will be investigating seasonal changes in structural morphology of different fish species. Some of her responsibilities include preparing gill samples for histology and conducting microscopic imaging of gill filaments for measurement. 

Haley is currently in her third year of undergraduate studies in Honours One Health, with a minor in Zoology and is working as a volunteer in the Turko Lab. Her primary interests lie in aquatic species and how they interact with the environment.

Olivia is in her fourth year of studying Marine and Freshwater Biology at the University of Guelph, and is volunteering in the Turko Lab to experience different work opportunities in field and lab environments. With a strong interest in physiological processes, Olivia aims to explore research opportunities focused on gill morphology and morphological changes in varying environmental conditions.

Emma is in her third year of undergraduate studies in Honours Zoology and is working as a volunteer in the Turko Lab. She is broadly interested in marine life and physiology, and is using ImageJ to create reference photos that will be used to train an AI model.