Hi! My name is Nadia Barcelona; I am a current Master student of Environmental Science at Alaska Pacific University’s FAST Lab studying Ichthyophonus sp. infection in Yukon Chinook salmon. I graduated from the University of Alaska with a Bachelor’s in Biological Science in 2023 and an OE Certificate in Geographic Information Systems (2024). I have been working in biology and field research for the past several years as a student, with a vested interested in wildlife preservation, conservation, and the inclusion of indigenous knowledge in current science. I grew up catching reptiles, climbing trees, and spending time outdoors often. I’ve always had a strong desire to give respect and what little else I could to the environment, to wildlife, and to nature. Which lead me down the path of science and research as an adult, all the way to my time spent now at APU.

I got involved with the Ichthyophonus project here because of the good that I believe this research may bring to indigenous communities and fisheries. With Chinook abundance declines in the Yukon River continuing to persist over the past few decades, and a wake of fishery closures unsustainable to many, research examining Ichthyophonus (proposed primary driver) pathogenicity is becoming increasingly necessary. My position investigates mortality and infection progression on exposed juvenile Yukon Chinook salmon under laboratory conditions.

I enjoy sashimi and long walks on the beach.