Tundra Ecologist, Climate Change Communicator, Science Clown.
MY ACADEMIC CV
Education
PHD STUDENT - UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH
2019-2023
I am a final year student with the fully funded E4 Doctoral Training Partnership. As a member of Dr. Isla Myers-Smith's research group Team Shrub, I am researching the relationships between tundra shrub dynamics and a range of abiotic conditions. My research has taken me up to Qikiqtaruk - Herschel Island in the Canadian Arctic. Click here to read more about my ongoing projects!
MSC - UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA
2017-2019
As a member of Dr. Greg Henry's Tundra Ecology Lab, I conducted fieldwork at Alexandra Fiord (Ellesmere Island) and researched the impact of long term experimental warming on Arctic white heather by employing novel dendroecology methods, and found that amplified warming is immediately reflected in plant growth and reproduction, although the extent of this relationship is strongly regional.
BSC - UNIVERSITY OF ST ANDREWS
2012-2016
I developed a taste for adventure and environmental science during my undergraduate degree in Physical Geography. I won the Edwards Prize for distinction in the pursuit of fieldwork and presentation for my thesis 'Exploring public perceptions toward geomorphological risk in Lyme Regis, Dorset'.
SKILLS
Achievements and Experience
DATA PROGRAMMING & IT
I am a keen data scientist, and fully intend to never stop learning. I'm a highly skilled R user with proficiency in a range of statistical models including linear and non-linear mixed models, high level spatial analysis and Bayesian hierarchical models. I'm also proficient in using Google Earth Engine, Matlab, ArcGIS, QGIS, and am an advocate for Github for version control.
COMMUNICATION
Science communication is a particular passion of mine. I have presented posters and talks at multiple international meetings, given talks on my research to public groups and dabbled in science journalism. I am a skilled audio editor and podcast host and have been working to develop a podcast all about the life of researchers conducting fieldwork in remote Arctic sites. I believe comedy is a great untapped resource in science communication, and have won three Science Slam competitions by incorporating stand-up comedy into my research communication.
FIELDWORK
Fieldwork underpins my passion for research. During the summer of 2022 I conducted remote fieldwork in Arctic and Alpine sites in the Yukon. Throughout my PhD I have been maintaining a multi-year ecology experiment in the Cairngorms in Scotland. During the summer of 2018, I assisted with long term ecological monitoring at the Alexandra Fiord ITEX site. I coordinated sampling of specimens for my MSc thesis at Alex Fiord and Sverdrup Pass, and delivered a protocol for other ITEX members to collect samples from other polar sites.
TEACHING & MENTORING
During my postgraduate career, I have tutored three courses:
UBC - First Year Seminar in Science
Edinburgh - GeoScience Outreach & Engagement
Edinburgh - Data Science in Ecology & Environmental Science
I was also a mentor and discussion leader for the Climate Communications pod at UBC Climate Hub. I am a leading member of Coding Club - an accessible and fun initiative aimed at teaching strong data science and coding skills.
AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS
2019-2023
E4 DTP NERC STUDENTSHIP
PhD fully funded by the Natural Environment Research Council
2022
TURING SCHEME: UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH GO ABROAD FUND
To support my remote fieldwork in the Canadian Arctic
2022
OVERSEAS RESEARCH VISIT AND CONFERENCE FUND
From NERC: supporting my professional industrial placement at NINA in Trondheim, Norway
2021
BRITISH ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OUTREACH GRANT
Funding my 'TundraCast' podcasting project
2019
WILLIAM C. GIBSON CITATION
For outstanding contributions to the life of Green College over the 2018 academic year.
2017-2019
LEVERHULME STUDY ABROAD STUDENTSHIP
Fully funded MSc position from the Leverhulme Trust.
2017
R HOWARD WEBSTER FOUNDATION FELLOWSHIP
Green College, UBC
2016
EDWARDS PRIZE
For Distinction in the Pursuit of Fieldwork and Presentation
2014
MACIVER CLASS MEDAL
Sub-honours Geography, University of St Andrews
PUBLICATIONS
RESEARCH PAPERS AND PRE-PRINTS AS A FIRST AUTHOR OR CO-AUTHOR:
Gallois, E., Myers-Smith, I. H., Daskalova, G. N., Kerby, J., Thomas, H., & Cunliffe, A. M. (2022). Litter decomposition is moderated by scale-dependent microenvironmental variation in tundra ecosystems.
Hollister, R.D., et al (2022). A review of open top chamber (OTC) performance across the ITEX Network. Arctic Science,
Bjorkman, A. D., & Gallois, E. C. (2020). Winter in a warming Arctic. Nature Climate Change, 10(12), 1071-1073.
Gallois, E. (2019). Cassiope tetragona as a dendroecological proxy: a retrospective analysis of experimental warming in the Arctic Tundra (Doctoral dissertation, University of British Columbia).