Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries Research Associate, Dr. Gideon Mordecai, has been named as one of Action Canada’s Fellows.
Each year Action Canada selects emerging leaders from across Canada to become Action Canada Fellows. They represent all sectors, including business, NGOs, science, government and academia. What they share in common is a commitment to Canada and a demonstrated engagement with public policy.
Dr. Mordecai’s research focuses on the ecology of viruses, i.e. their interactions with each other, their hosts, and the environment. He moved to Canada for a post-doctoral position at the University of British Columbia in 2016, where he discovered 15 new viruses in salmon. He went on to receive a Liber Ero Fellowship, which supports emerging conservation leaders in Canada. His most recent research applies viral genome sequencing to assess the transmission risk posed to wild Pacific salmon by Atlantic salmon aquaculture in BC. He has authored over 30 publications as well as served as an expert witness for two Federal Court cases in Canada. In his current position as a Research Associate with the Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, Dr. Mordecai is partnered with the Pacific Salmon Foundation, and is part of a collaboration which is applying innovative molecular technologies to determine the cumulative factors that influence the survival of Pacific salmon.
Tags: Awards, Gideon Mordecai, honours, IOF Research Associates, salmon, viruses