Frances Bonier

Dr. Fran Bonier is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biology at Queen's University, part of the Faculty of Arts and Science. Her research focuses on how animals cope with environmental challenges such as climate change, parasites, and urbanization, primarily using birds as model organisms. She holds a PhD in Zoology from the University of Washington (2006) and a BSc in Animal Behavior from Lesley University (1998).

Research Interests: Behavioral and physiological responses to environmental stressors, urban ecology, parasite-host interactions, and evolutionary adaptations. Her lab investigates topics like urban bird tolerance, competitive interactions in burying beetles, and the impacts of haemosporidian parasites on red-winged blackbirds.

Key Projects: The Global Urban Bird Survey (expanding in Senegal, Kenya, Brazil, France, and Canada), urban bird population dynamics in Ontario, and the physiological costs of infection in birds. Current supervision includes PhD students working on urban bird projects.

Lab & Collaborations: The Bonier Lab at Queen's University collaborates globally, focusing on behavioral, ecological, and physiological adaptations. Ongoing projects include studies on urbanization effects, parasite resistance, and stress hormone dynamics. Lab members include PhD students Paul Preston and Allen Chochinov, and MSc students Julianna Petrenko and Anjalie St. Louis-Hodgins.