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Ontario Tech acknowledges the lands and people of the Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation.

We are thankful to be welcome on these lands in friendship. The lands we are situated on are covered by the Williams Treaties and are the traditional territory of the Mississaugas, a branch of the greater Anishinaabeg Nation, including Algonquin, Ojibway, Odawa and Pottawatomi. These lands remain home to many Indigenous nations and peoples.

We acknowledge this land out of respect for the Indigenous nations who have cared for Turtle Island, also called North America, from before the arrival of settler peoples until this day. Most importantly, we acknowledge that the history of these lands has been tainted by poor treatment and a lack of friendship with the First Nations who call them home.

This history is something we are all affected by because we are all treaty people in Canada. We all have a shared history to reflect on, and each of us is affected by this history in different ways. Our past defines our present, but if we move forward as friends and allies, then it does not have to define our future.

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Denina Simmons
PhD

Associate Professor

Canada Research Chair (Tier II)

Biology

Faculty of Science

Research in aquatic toxicology using environmental 'omics for non-lethal biological effects monitoring. Teaching upper year Biology courses in Environmental Toxicology.

Contact information

Science Building - Room 2035
North Oshawa
2000 Simcoe Street North
Oshawa, ON L1G 0C5

905.721.8668 ext. 5310

denina.simmons@ontariotechu.ca
https://deninasimmons.com/


Research topics

  • Environmental 'Omics
  • Aquatic Toxicology
  • Non-lethal Biological Sampling Methods
  • Bioinformatics

Areas of expertise

  • Non-targeted Liquid Chromatography Tandem High Resolution Mass Spectrometry
  • Proteomics
  • Metabolomics
  • Aquatic Toxicology

Background

Dr. Simmons received her undergraduate degree from Ryerson University and then completed her master’s degree at Trent University under the supervision of Dr. Chris Metcalfe investigating the effects of personal care products on the estrogen receptor. Dr. Simmons continued her doctoral research at Trent under the supervision of Dr. Dirk Wallschälger and Dr. Neil Emery when she examined the metabolic detoxification of selenium by algae. Dr. Simmons completed two consecutive post-doctoral fellowships at Environment Canada working with Dr. James Sherry in the Aquatic Contaminants Research Division where she developed protein profiling and proteomics methods to investigate the health of fish. After that, Dr. Simmons had two consecutive contracts working on ‘Omics projects with the Ontario Ministry of Environment and Climate Change.

Education

  • BSc Honours Ryerson University 2000
  • MSc Trent University 2005
  • PhD Trent University 2009

Courses taught

  • BIOL 4020 - Introduction to Environmental Toxicology
  • BIOL 4030 - Advanced Topics in Environmental Toxicology