iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Simon Jeeves @simonjeeves.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

It has been a privilege to work with such a distinguished and wise group of individuals. Thank you also of course to my summer students, our collaborators, and NSERC! Next stop - postdoc land

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Simon Jeeves @simonjeeves.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Thank you first and foremost to my advisor, Dr. Claire Jardine who is simply the best mentor that a grad student could ask for. Thank you also to my other advisory committee members, Dr. Samira Mubareka, Dr. David Pearl, and Dr. Brad Pickering.2/3

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Simon Jeeves @simonjeeves.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

On Thursday, I reached the end of my PhD and successfully defended my thesis. I have been extremely fortunate to work in a lab where I am always excited to be seeing what happens next. I have enjoyed my PhD studies immensely. 1/3

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Simon Jeeves @simonjeeves.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

However, I think it would be feasible to put together a team/project to do sampling of the animals you mentioned near Bukhara. But as you point out, I’m not sure it would matter anyway, as the hypothetical CoV may already be extinct for various reasons. Would still be interesting to look anyway. 2/2

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Simon Jeeves @simonjeeves.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Re: lab capacity and regulation - absolutely. We are bounded by both the resources at our disposal and guidelines established at the federal, provincial, and institutional levels. I’m sure this varies depending on a lab-to-lab and certainly country-to-country basis 1/2

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Simon Jeeves @simonjeeves.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

With that being said, I can’t specifically comment on the 1889 pandemic. We are still lacking a great deal of the phylogenetic gradient when it comes to the Betacoronavirus gravedinis complex, so chicken-and-egg discussions are probably not worth having yet. Happy to chat more!

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Simon Jeeves @simonjeeves.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

Thanks! Glad you liked it. In short: I would say it supports the discussion points re: recombination from Shaw & Gatherer’s work. It is a major complicating factor especially for rodent CoVs for which recombination appears to be prevalent (see our review article pub. 2025). 1/2

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One Health U of Guelph @onehealthuofg.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

Certain human and livestock coronaviruses are thought to have rodent origins. In this new article, a research team including U of G's @simonjeeves.bsky.social, discuss their findings from a survey of coronaviruses in wild rodents and eulipotyphlans in Ontario, Canada: nature.com/articles/s44...

A closeup photograph of a White-footed Mouse (Peromyscus leucopus) on a rock with some berries.

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Simon Jeeves @simonjeeves.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

We are pleased to have collaborated with many folks on this work including the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Algonquin Small Mammal Project who were instrumental in collecting a breadth of samples. Thanks to all who were involved on this project. 4/4

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Simon Jeeves @simonjeeves.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

Some of these viruses were highly similar in their genomes to known pathogens of humans, companion animals, and livestock. The predicted structures of their spike proteins even share importantly conserved sialoglycan-binding sites. 3/4

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Simon Jeeves @simonjeeves.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

We surveyed nearly a thousand rodents, shrews, and other terrestrial small mammals from urban, rural, and natural areas of Southern Ontario. Across our urbanization gradient, we found diverse coronaviruses that appear to have low host specificity . 2/4

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Simon Jeeves @simonjeeves.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

We just published our work on coronaviruses of Southern Ontario wild small mammals. This paper was co-first authored by myself and Dr. Jon Kotwa and has been a long time in the making. Check it out here: doi.org/10.1038/s442... #science 1/4

An image of the manuscript header of our new article titled "Genomic analysis and evolutionary insights of betacoronaviruses in wild Peromyscus mice and other terrestrial small mammals."

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Simon Jeeves @simonjeeves.bsky.social · 21/04/2026

The project will involve quantifying local habitat use by tagged waterfowl near dairy and poultry operations, assessing overlap of waterfowl movement with HPAI detections, and synthesizing implications for biosecurity, wildlife conservation, and One Health. 3/3

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Simon Jeeves @simonjeeves.bsky.social · 21/04/2026

The position will be co-supervised by Dr. Mitch Weegman of the Department of Biology and Dr. Jolene Giacinti of Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), and collaborating with Ducks Unlimited Canada. 2/3

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Simon Jeeves @simonjeeves.bsky.social · 21/04/2026

**Attention all seeking PhD positions in disease ecology, especially regarding highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI)!** See the attached document for an exciting PhD position opportunity at the University of Saskatchewan. All details, including how to apply, are included there. 1/3 #science

PhD studentship: University of Saskatchewan
Waterfowl use of farm-adjacent habitats and HPAI risk in Canada
Description: A PhD studentship is available with Dr. Mitch Weegman in the Department of Biology at the University of Saskatchewan, co-supervised by Dr. Jolene Giacinti (Environment and Climate Change Canada), in collaboration with (Ducks Unlimited Inc.).
Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) continues to cause outbreaks in wild birds and domestic poultry in Canada, with significant implications for wildlife conservation, agriculture, and One Health.
To better understand the waterfowl–poultry interface and associated transmission risks, the student will investigate how GPS-tracked waterfowl use the immediate surroundings of commercial poultry and dairy farms and how these local interactions may relate to HPAI risk. This is an analysis-focused project using existing datasets; no new field data collection is planned. The work involves sensitive datasets and strict adherence to confidentiality and data-governance protocols will be required. There will be opportunities for field work on related projects across North America for the student to build field experiences during the graduate program.
The student and research team will develop research questions that support a common goal of understanding fine-scale patterns of waterfowl use near farms and implications for HPAI transmission. There is substantial opportunity for the student to lead on development of objectives/manuscripts. Primary objectives for the student will be to:
1.
Quantify local habitat use by tagged waterfowl in the vicinity of poultry and dairy premises.
2.
Assess overlap between waterfowl movements and farm locations, including farms with and without historical HPAI detections, and evaluate how nearby habitat/farm characteristics relate to this overlap.
3.
Synthesize implications for biosecurity, wildlife conservation, and One Health related to HPAI at the wildlife–agriculture interface.

Prerequisites: Ideal candidates will have an MSc in ecology, statistics or a closely related field. Preference will be given to applicants with a quantitative background (e.g., Program R, spatial/movement modelling), experience handling large datasets, and interest in avian movement ecology. Knowledge of disease ecology is beneficial but not mandatory. The successful applicant will be expected to publish in peer-reviewed journals, present at scientific meetings, and communicate findings effectively with government and non-government partners and stakeholders.
Salary and benefits: $35,000 CDN per year plus compensation for tuition and fees.
Start date: September 2026 or January 2027
Last date to apply: 8 May 2026
To be considered for this position, please send the following (preferably as a single PDF) to Dr. Mitch Weegman (mitch.weegman@usask.ca) and Dr. Jolene Giacinti (jolene.giacinti@ec.gc.ca):
1.
Letter of interest summarizing your experience (i.e., cover letter),
2.
Curriculum vitae or résumé,
3.
University transcripts (unofficial are OK),
4.
Contact information for three references.

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Jeff Bowman @jeffcbowman.bsky.social · 13/04/2026

Many thanks to Lauren Crawshaw for leading the work, and to a great group of collaborators, including @smubareka.bsky.social @finlaym.bsky.social @simonjeeves.bsky.social @albrechts-h.bsky.social @jkotwa.bsky.social and many others. #wildepi

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One Health U of Guelph @onehealthuofg.bsky.social · 07/10/2025

The One Health Institute and One Health Student Committee at U of Guelph are hosting One Health Research Day 2025 on Fri. November 14 at the Arboretum Centre! Submit your poster or oral presentation abstract below (this is an in-person event only): uoguelph.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...

We are now accepting submissions (deadline Oct. 24). What we are looking for? 1. Research that benefits from the One Health approach with identified links between human, animal and environmental health 2. Transdisciplinarity 3. Systems thinking 4. Poster and oral presentations.

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Simon Jeeves @simonjeeves.bsky.social · 30/07/2025

Very much enjoyed the chance to present some of my PhD work on Bartonella yesterday at #WDA2025

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Simon Jeeves @simonjeeves.bsky.social · 11/07/2025

New publication - this one has been a long way time in the making, but I am very proud of the work that went into it. Take a peek at our new review article on coronaviruses of wild small mammals: www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/jour...

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Simon Jeeves @simonjeeves.bsky.social · 09/07/2025

Yesterday I presented at the 2025 OVC Grad Student Research Symposium - a preview of the work I’ll be presenting later this month in Victoria BC for WDA 2025

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