By Erica Fellin, a PhD student at McGill University

In April 2023, I was lucky enough to participate in a three-week internship at the Centre d’enseignement et de recherche en foresterie (CERFO) to develop my statistical modelling skills. CERFO is a College Center for Technology Transfer (CCTT) that offers environmental research services, knowledge transfer, and training across Quebec. Although they specialize in forestry, they work with a plethora of businesses and organizations to contribute to technological progression within the lens of sustainable development. As a graduate student working on the movement of Lyme disease and potential risks associated with its spread for outdoor workers in Quebec, their values and perspectives on environmental research greatly aligned with the goals of my project. 

In Quebec, many outdoor workers are employed in areas where these ticks are abundant, putting them at high risk for Lyme disease, which can be passed on by tick bites. As the global climate warms, there is an increased potential for workers to encounter blacklegged ticks, thereby increasing their risk for Lyme disease. The goal of my thesis project is to assess the effects of the environment (climate, land use, and tick establishment) on the prevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi (the causal agent of Lyme disease), while uniquely integrating social factors such as age, industry, and education level of these at-risk workers. To do this, I am performing spatial statistical analyses that will include ecological modelling and machine learning to create a risk map for outdoor workers. With the results of my project, I will provide a public health prevention tool that will inform these individuals of areas where they may be at greatest risk of Lyme disease infection via exposure to tick populations. 

Providing employers with knowledge on Lyme disease risk areas across Quebec creates opportunities to better inform their workers, improve their working conditions, and implement effective prevention methods to reduce the risk of tick-borne diseases. With the help of CERFO, specifically, their remote sensing team, I was able to enhance my knowledge in spatial statistics and map-making to improve my overall research project. Since all my work is concerned with Quebec’s environment, CERFO was also passionate about my project, so they took great interest in assisting me with the statistical skills needed for my research. As a student at McGill University in Montreal, it was essential to have effective collaboration with CERFO by going in person to their office based in Quebec City. It would not have been possible for me to do this without the support of the QCBS Excellence Award I received. The skillset of the CERFO team greatly improved the quality of my research, particularly since they are experienced with using large datasets for environmental projects. The expertise of their team members, who have extensive knowledge of GIS and machine learning, was indispensable. Since working with them I have published one research article, and I am in the process of submitting another. I am immensely grateful for the contributions made to my project by CERFO, and the support provided by QCBS for this opportunity. I hope that as I continue with my work, I can pass my efforts and knowledge on to those who need it.

About the author: Erica Fellin is a PhD Candidate studying spatial and disease ecology at McGill University and the Redpath Museum in the Millien lab.