Blaire Steven

Research Scientist

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Education:

• B.Sc., Cellular Molecular and Microbial Biology, University of Calgary, 2001
• M.Sc., Microbiology, McGill University, 2003
• Ph.D., Microbiology, McGill University, 2008

Postdoctoral:

• University of Wyoming, 2009-2011

Expertise:

Dr. Steven is an environmental microbiologist with expertise in soil and aquatic environments. His research interests are to better understand how microbial populations respond and contribute to various climate change scenarios. Professional experience includes classical and molecular microbiology, metagenomics, metatranscriptomics, and bioinformatics.

Past Research:

Dr. Steven’s research career has involved studying the microbial communities in Canadian high Arctic permafrost, freshwater algal blooms, and biological soil crusts of the Southwest U.S.A.

Current Research:

Microbial communities are exquisitely sensitive to small perturbations in the environment. The ability to predict how microbes respond and contribute to important climate and biogeochemical cycles is required for accurate ecosystem models. Dr. Steven’s work focuses on using molecular and microbial techniques to better describe complex microbial systems. Current systems of interest include Connecticut and Arctic wetlands, harmful algal blooms in Connecticut lakes, and wood-degrading bacterial/fungal communities. 

Station Career: