Ashley Thomson

Ashley Thomson is an Associate Professor in the Department of Natural Resources Management at Lakehead University's Faculty of Forestry and the Forest Environment. Her research focuses on tree ecological genetics, phylogeography, phenotypic trait responses to climate change, genome assembly, and selective breeding for reforestation.

• Ph.D. in Tree Population Genetics, Concordia University (2013)
• M.Sc. in Quantitative Forest Genetics, Lakehead University (2008)
• H.B.Sc. in Forestry, Lakehead University (2006)

Recent research trends show her expertise in landscape genetics, climate adaptation mechanisms, and genomic resource development for boreal tree species. She investigates gene flow barriers in managed forests, develops climate-resilient breeding zones, and pioneers techniques for non-model tree genomes.

• NSERC Alliance Grant recipient (2024, 2021)

Her work bridges evolutionary genetics with practical forestry applications, emphasizing climate change mitigation through improved seed transfer strategies and genomic insights into stress response mechanisms in black spruce and jack pine populations.