Hi! I’m Hayley (she/her), a postdoc in the Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences at the University of British Columbia.
My goal is to use genetic and genomic data combined with spatial analysis to address applied questions in species management, conservation, and restoration. In my past research, I have used landscape genetics and traditional population genetics to examine genetic structure and assess genetic diversity to inform coastal management and salt marsh restoration. Looking towards the future, I am excited to start using genomic data to directly study adaptation. Genetic diversity and adaptive potential are the best tools we can give species to keep pace with a rapidly changing world, and both will be key to successful conservation and management.
Born and raised in Maryland, I grew up on the waters of the Chesapeake and in the woods of the Appalachian mountains. I have always had a deep love of nature and wanted to play my part in protecting it. At the University of Maryland, I majored in Ecology and Evolution, planning to make a difference at the policy level by working for the EPA. That is, until fate stepped in and I took a job as a research assistant in Dr. Maile Neel’s conservation genetics lab. I unexpectedly fell in love with research and, even more unexpectedly, with genetics and landscape ecology. My PhD research with Dr. Joe Nairn at the University of Georgia examined landscape and population genetics of a foundational salt marsh plant species, Juncus roemerianus. After battling the gators and mosquitos for five years, I headed off to the University of Oxford to learn forest tree genomics from one of the best in the field, Dr. John MacKay. Among the dreaming spires I have learned bioinformatics and rubbed elbows with members of forest industry and management. From Oxford, I made a long jump across the pond to the University of British Columbia. From the city streets of Vancouver, I can see mountains, ocean, and the forests I am working on with Dr. Sally Aitken. We will be teaming up with the forestry sector to examine landscape-level genetic diversity and the corresponding resiliency to climate change in managed forests. I am always looking forward to my next adventure, hopefully continuing to work across sectors to stimulate meaningful change in conservation and management practice through research and effective science communication.
Outside the lab
When not at the lab bench or behind a computer, I enjoy hiking, beer tasting, travel, reading, and embroidery.
Hayley Tumas, PhD 