Our Team

Juliet Germann, BSc, MSc

PhD Candidate

Juliet is currently a third-year PhD candidate in the Department of Population Medicine at OVC, specializing in Epidemiology and One Health. She is under the joint supervision of Drs. Kelsey Spence and Charlotte Winder. Prior to her doctoral studies, Juliet successfully completed her MSc in Epidemiology, supervised by Drs. Kelsey Spence and Terri O’Sullivan. In 2020, Juliet graduated with her BSc (Honours) from the University of Toronto Mississauga, where she did a specialization in Biological Anthropology and a minor in Biology. Juliet has a variety of hobbies and interests, primarily to do with her dogs Paddington and Sandwich. Other than that, she enjoys knitting (not very well) and snow sports.

Connect with Juliet on LinkedIn.

Peggy Pritchard, BA/BPHE, MLIS

PhD Candidate

Peggy began her doctoral studies in Population Medicine (Epidemiology) in September 2022 after a very full and rewarding braided career. She is a dedicated therapy dog volunteer with over 1,000 hours of direct therapy dog support of vulnerable people at end of life (weekly visits to residential hospice), university students (exam stress-busting events), and children (COVID mass vaccination clinics).  She was the Principal Investigator on the University of Guelph’s Animal Utilization Protocol that paved the way for therapy dog visits to campus, and she collaborated with Hospice Wellington’s Integrated Wellness Coordinator on the development of standard operating procedures for their therapy dog visitation program.  She provides leadership and mentoring support to fellow therapy dog volunteers.  Her contributions have been recognized by awards from the St. John Ambulance Ontario Council, and the Rotary Club of Guelph-Trillium.

View Peggy’s research contributions here.

Breanne Murray, BSc

PhD Candidate

Breanne is a 3rd year PhD candidate in the Department of Population Medicine, specializing in Epidemiology and One Health. Breanne graduated with a BSc from the University of Guelph in 2023 and began her graduate studies as a MSc student before transferring into the PhD program in 2024. Her research focuses on zoonotic diseases at the poultry-human interface with an emphasis on how behavioural factors influence pathogen transmission. Outside of academia, Breanne is an avid crafter and artist, enjoying creative projects that balance her scientific work with hands-on expression.

Connect with Breanne on LinkedIn.

Sarah Makepeace, BSc

MSc Student

Sarah is completing her MSc in Epidemiology under the supervision of Dr. Kelsey Spence and Dr. Katie Clow. Her work looks at pet caregivers’ use of tick preventative measures. Sarah completed her undergraduate degree in Biology at the University of New Brunswick and has spent many summers working as a field technician on a variety of projects. She loves the outdoors, animals, and trivia!

Connect with Sarah on LinkedIn.

Ivana Blagojevic, BSc, MSc

PhD Student

Ivana is currently a first-year PhD student in the Department of Population Medicine in Epidemiology and One Health. Her research is focused on investigating factors driving tick preventative behaviours of dog owners under the guidance of Dr. Kelsey Spence and co-supervised by Dr. Katie Clow. She aims to understand the decision-making process of owners to encourage use of tick prevention and improve client-veterinarian communication. Prior to her doctoral studies, Ivana completed her MSc in Animal Physiology (2024) supervised by Dr. Wendy Pearson as well as her BSc in Animal Biology (2022) in the department of Animal Biosciences at the University of Guelph. Outside of her research, Ivana enjoys travelling with her friends and family, baking and playing pickleball.

Connect with Ivana on LinkedIn.

Risha Gupta, BSc

MSc Student

Risha graduated with her BSc in 2023 from Trent University majoring in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. During her 4th year, she completed an undergraduate thesis on the sex dependent effects of Monocrotaline on food intake, leading her to build an interest in research. She is currently completing a MSc in Population Medicine under the supervision of Drs. Kelsey Spence and Terri O’Suillvan. She will be researching biosecurity knowledge mobilization. Risha has a variety of hobbies, including sewing, swimming and doing puzzles.

Connect with Risha on LinkedIn.

Rachel Cairney, BSc Student

Research Assistant

Rachel is currently a fourth-year student at the University of Guelph, where she is majoring in Microbiology and minoring in Nutritional and Nutraceutical Sciences. Her fascination with microorganisms and host-pathogen interactions, as well as commitment to scientific communication, drive her academic pursuits. Since 2022, she has volunteered with Let’s Talk Science at the University of Guelph, where she recently assumed the role of Assistant Coordinator during the Winter 2024 semester. Currently, Rachel is completing an Undergraduate Research Assistantship within the Spence Lab, conducting a scoping review of literature describing the effectiveness of biosecurity practices on farms. Outside of academics, Rachel has a love for reading, walking through nature, and animals (particularly cats).

Connect with Rachel on LinkedIn.

Heidi Jim, BSc, MSc

Lab Manager & Research Technician

I finished my BSc in Animal Biology and recently completed my MSc in Epidemiology in the Department of Population Medicine at the OVC. My research examined the relationship between transition management practices and the Transition Management Index (TMI) developed by Lactanet, under the supervision of Dr. Rita Couto Serrenho. This year, I am joining the Spence Lab as a research/laboratory manager, where I will be involved in a variety of projects that allow me to expand my experience working with animals and collaborating across disciplines. My passion lies in improving animal welfare, and I am currently pursuing a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree at the OVC. At the same time, I remain open to diverse career paths related to animals. Outside of academics and research, I enjoy singing, dancing, crocheting, boxing, and traveling.