I am a post-doctoral research fellow with the Canada Excellence Research Chair (CERC) Program in Aquatic Epidemiology at UPEI. I received an Early Career Development Award from CERC that allowed me to present my work at the 58th Western Fish Disease Workshop held in Suquamish, Washington, from June 20-22, 2017.
The Western Fish Disease Workshop included several presentations related to the use of molecular methods, including PCR, in the study of fish diseases and provided me with a broader understanding of many of the fish diseases and parasites that we are studying in Pacific salmon under the Strategic Salmon Health Initiative Project. The keynote speech by Dr. Jim Winton was very relevant for me as it provided detailed insights and perspectives in the interaction between wild and hatchery fish. At the workshop, I also presented my work on “Comparison of infectious agents prevalence between hatchery and wild out-migrating Juvenile Chinook Salmon from Cowichan River,” and had a good interaction and discussion, about this and our other ongoing work, with peers.
Overall, presenting at the 58th Western Fish Disease Workshop was an enriching educational experience. I am thankful to CERC for the opportunity provided by the Early Career Development Award.