Simon Bonner

Simon Bonner is an Associate Professor in Environmetrics in the Department of Statistical and Actuarial Sciences at The University of Western Ontario. Previously, he held positions at the University of Kentucky (Assistant Professor), University of British Columbia (Postdoc), and completed his PhD at Simon Fraser University. His research focuses on developing statistical models for ecological data, particularly Bayesian hierarchical methods applied to wildlife population monitoring via mark-recapture experiments. He has contributed to studies on salamanders impacted by mountaintop removal mining, predator-prey dynamics, and conservation challenges in diverse ecosystems.

Education:

• PhD in Statistics, Simon Fraser University
• Postdoc, University of British Columbia

Research Interests:

• Ecological statistics, Bayesian modeling, and hierarchical models
• Applications in wildlife population dynamics, conservation, and environmental impact studies
• Methodological advancements in capture-recapture and occupancy modeling

Advising & Grants:

• Supervises PhD/MSc students in statistical ecology and applied data science
• Focus on interdisciplinary projects with collaborators in biology and environmental science

Labs & Teams:

• Lead of the Ecological Statistics and Applied Data Science Laboratory at Western University
• Collaborations with researchers on salamander ecology, predator behavior, and conservation biology