lab members
Sean Thomas
Principle Investigator
Dr. Thomas has been preoccupied with the comparative biology of trees and forest responses to the intentional and accidental impacts of humans for some 25 years. Sean has been at the University of Toronto since 1999, and has had appointments as both a Tier I Canada Research Chair and an NSERC Industrial Research Chair in Biochar and Ecosystem Restoration.
Halim Abdul
Post-Doctoral Fellow
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Abdul Halim earned his Ph.D. in Biometeorology from the University of Toronto in 2020, where he investigated the biogeophysical and biogeochemical dynamics of boreal mixed wood forests during post-fire and post-harvest recovery. Building on this foundation, his postdoctoral research extends into urban ecosystems with a focus on developing climate-smart management strategies. Currently, he utilizes remote sensing, GIS, biometeorological and ecophysiological tools, and machine learning to accurately map methane emission point sources in complex urban areas. Recognizing that cities are both significant contributors to and affected by climate change, his work aims to inform climate-resilient urban planning.
Website I www.mdhalim.com
Melanie is a PhD candidate co-supervised by Profs. Sean Thomas and Sandy Smith. She is a horticulturist and urban forestry researcher investigating plant-soil interactions and landscape remediation strategies for Toronto green roofs, parklands, and street trees. As the former director of Humber Arboretum and Centre for Urban Ecology in Toronto, and the former Vice President of Horticulture & Facilities for Brooklyn Botanic Garden in New York City, she is driven to improve urban landscape systems. Melanie has a Masters in Human-Plant Interactions and Public Garden Leadership from Cornell University, a BA from McGill University, NPD from Niagara Parks School of Horticulture, and may be found out in the wild teaching tree/plant identification, growing and foraging a wide array of plants, and supporting urban landscape design, construction, arts and cultural projects.
Melanie Sifton
Post-Doctoral Fellow
Imrul Kayes
PhD Candidate
Imrul Kayes holds a MSc in Biology at Lakehead University. Imrul is a PhD candidate at the Institute of Forestry and Conservation, University of Toronto, specializing in Forestry with a collaborative specialization in Environmental Studies from School of the Environment. Imrul’s overarching research goal is to advance sustainable urban solutions, environmental technology, and climate resilience, with a focus on mitigating greenhouse gas emissions in urban ecosystems and fostering sustainable development of urbanscapes. His PhD research focuses on urban greenhouse gas emissions, particularly methane, in tropical and temperate megacities.
Esther Tang
PhD Candidate
Esther is a PhD student specializing in the impact of fire-related chemicals on germination in the boreal ecosystem. Her research focuses on biochar applications targeting seeds and early seedling development. She is particularly interested in exploring cost-effective revegetation strategies, including biochar-coated seeds for drone-based direct seeding, to promote forest restoration in post-fire landscapes.
Rezaul holds an M.Sc. (2019) and a B.Sc. (2017) in Forestry and Environmental Science from Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Bangladesh. Between 2020 and 2022, Rezaul worked as a research assistant on several projects, contributing to multiple publications in peer-reviewed journals. His current research investigates the emissions and sinks of methane and nitrous oxide from tree leaves and stems across various forest ecosystems, focusing on both tropical and temperate species. The aim of his research is to better understand how tree canopies influence greenhouse gas dynamics, with the goal of informing climate change mitigation strategies by improving our knowledge of forest contributions to atmospheric methane and nitrous oxide fluxes.
Rezaul Karim
PhD Candidate
Website: I https://www.kmrkarim.ca/
Liam Douglas
MSc Student
Liam Douglas is an MScF student researching greenhouse gas fluxes from forest soils, with the goal of advancing forest management practices for optimal greenhouse gas uptake. Liam holds a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from Concordia University and developed his interest in forestry after several seasons of tree planting across Canada.
Jem Barrett
MSc Student
Jem holds a BSc (2024) from University of Toronto, and is working on projects related to biochar use as a seed coating for restoration under adverse soil conditions.
Jovana Shrestha
MSc Student
Jovana holds a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural and Environmental Sciences from McGill University and is currently pursuing a MSc in co-supervision with Sean Thomas (UofT) and Jasmine Williams (École Polytechnique de Montreal). Her research focuses on biochar applications on heavy metal accumulation within pollinator rewards in disturbed environments (i.e. urban soils and mine tailings). Jovana's passion for urban biodiversity led her to create the Urban Wildlife Conservation Network to highlight opportunities for individuals to get involved in conservation.
Christina Bogle is starting as a master's student with the Thomas Lab in September 2025, where her work will involve analysing substrate GHG flux patterns in urban wood waste processing facilities. She has a background in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Archaeology from the University of Toronto. Her research interests focus on climate change, anthropogenic impacts, and population dynamics. Throughout her undergraduate career, she gained experience in the realm of environmental conservation through conducting fieldwork on Anolis lizards, and supported herpetological research as a member of the Rollinson Lab. Outside of research, she brings a creative edge as a professional illustrator and enjoys spending time outdoors with her dog.
Christina Bogle
MSc Student
Jane Hu
MFC Student
Jane is a MFC student working with the Thomas lab in collaboration with the City of Toronto on an urban soil amendment study. The main focus is on exploring the potential of using a combination of biochar and inactivated yeast on Toronto’s street trees to improve tree and soil health. She has a background in Environmental Science, Earth Systems and Psychology and hopes to continue work in urban forestry post-grad.
Ruogu Zhang
MFC Student
Ruogu holds a BSc degree in forest resources management from UBC with a background in forest carbon sequestration. Ruogu is a current MFC student working with the Thomas lab to improve the health of Toronto street trees. His research interests lie in assessing the application potential of soil amendments in soil health and vegetation restoration.
Wynn is a fourth-year undergrad student in Environmental Science and Conservation Biology with an interest in entomology. She is currently studying the impacts of biochar on soil invertebrate diversity in urban environments. In her free time she enjoys weightlifting, drawing, and collecting stickers.
Wynn Murakami
Undergraduate Student