Michelle Campbell Mekarski, PhD

Biography

Michelle Campbell Mekarski is a science advisor at Ingenium, working with the Canada Science and Technology Museum in Ottawa. She holds a doctorate in evolution and systematics from the University of Alberta, and a bachelor of science in biology and mathematics from Queen’s University, in Kingston, Ontario.

Michelle has more than 15 years of scientific research and communication experience in a variety of disciplines—from fisheries ecology and breast cancer, to human anatomy and paleontology. She has taught science courses in biology and earth sciences at five universities across Canada and has delivered hundreds of outreach activities to students and public groups of all ages.

As a science advisor, Michelle works to bridge the gap between the scientific community and the public—specializing in making science and technology engaging, accessible, and fun. Since 2019, her expertise has been used to consult with teams on special projects, new exhibitions, digital projects, and educational programs at the museum and more widely across Ingenium. She also trains others in how to effectively communicate their science expertise for a variety of audiences, settings, and medias.