Steve Lougheed

Steve Lougheed is a Professor and Baillie Family Chair in Conservation Biology at Queen's University, affiliated with the Department of Biology and School of Environmental Studies. He leads the Lougheed Lab, focusing on genomics, ecology, and conservation biology. His research addresses biodiversity origins, human impacts (e.g., climate change, habitat fragmentation), and species at risk, particularly in amphibians, reptiles, and polar bears. He is Director of the Queen's University Biological Station and collaborates with Indigenous communities on conservation projects like BearWatch, which monitors polar bears using genomics and traditional ecological knowledge.

Research Interests: Conservation genomics, environmental DNA (eDNA), species distribution modeling, and climate change impacts on wildlife. Current projects include polar bear monitoring, eDNA-based biodiversity surveys, and conservation strategies for snakes and turtles.

• Teaching: Field courses in East Africa, Latin America, and Canada; lectures on speciation, ecology, and conservation.
• Lab Members: Supervises numerous graduate and undergraduate students in genomics, ecology, and conservation.
• Key Projects: BearWatch (polar bear genomics), eDNA manual development, and snake conservation genetics.

Publications: Over 50 peer-reviewed articles on topics like polar bear diet analysis, eDNA applications, and snake population genetics. Recent works include advanced genomics tools for wildlife monitoring and Arctic char population studies.