Daniel Heath, University of Windsor

Research

Adaptation DNA methylation Fitness Gene expression Imprinting Life History Maternal effects Micro-RNA

Latest papers

Relationship between land use type and bacterial composition in adjacent streams and riparian zones.
PloS one · 2026 · senior author
Integration of photoperiod and time-restricted feeding on the circadian gene rhythms in juvenile salmon.
Scientific reports · 2025
Functional gene transcription variation in bacterial metatranscriptomes in large freshwater Lake Ecosystems: Implications for ecosystem and human health.
Environmental research · 2023 · senior author

All 9 publications

Latest funding

Ecosystem level assessment of the fate and effects of quaternary ammonium compounds in fresh waters
NSERC · 2023 · Co-investigator
$172,763
Fisheries management and conservation careers in science and technology (FishCAST)
NSERC · 2020 · Co-investigator
$1,366,018
Evaluating the persistence of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) in the urban water cycle_x000d_ _x000d_
NSERC · 2020 · Co-investigator
$50,000

All 55 grants and awards

9 publications.

01

Relationship between land use type and bacterial composition in adjacent streams and riparian zones.

Sadeghi J, Nolan S, Voyer P, Biro Z, Ismail Y, Mineau E, Peters G, Frazao A, Browne E, Weller L, Febria CM, Bell TH, Heath D

PloS one2026Senior author

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0339590 PMID: 41662288

02

Integration of photoperiod and time-restricted feeding on the circadian gene rhythms in juvenile salmon.

Thraya M, Patel A, Stewart K, Abou-Akl H, Roberts D, Heath D, Pitcher TE, Carmona-Alcocer V, Karpowicz P

Scientific reports2025

DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-01069-0 PMID: 40346079

03

Functional gene transcription variation in bacterial metatranscriptomes in large freshwater Lake Ecosystems: Implications for ecosystem and human health.

Sadeghi J, Hashemi Shahraki A, Chaganti SR, Heath D

Environmental research2023Senior author

DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.116298 PMID: 37268212

04

Environmental DNA as Novel Technology: Lessons in Agenda Setting and Framing in News Media.

Fitzgerald A, Halliday J, Heath D

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI2021Senior author

DOI: 10.3390/ani11102874 PMID: 34679894

05

Spatio-temporal dynamics of bacterial communities in the shoreline of Laurentian great Lake Erie and Lake St. Clair's large freshwater ecosystems.

Shahraki AH, Chaganti SR, Heath D

BMC microbiology2021Senior author

DOI: 10.1186/s12866-021-02306-y PMID: 34548037

06

Phytoplankton growth characterization in short term MPN culture assays using 18S metabarcoding and qRT-PCR.

Petri B, Chaganti SR, Chan PS, Heath D

Water research2019Senior author

DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2019.114941 PMID: 31398632

07

Testing the expression of circadian clock genes in the tissues of Chinook salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha.

Thraya M, Hammoud M, Heath D, Karpowicz P

Chronobiology international2019

DOI: 10.1080/07420528.2019.1614019 PMID: 31096795

08

Assessing high-throughput environmental DNA extraction methods for meta-barcode characterization of aquatic microbial communities.

Shahraki AH, Chaganti SR, Heath D

Journal of water and health2019Senior author

DOI: 10.2166/wh.2018.108 PMID: 30758302

09

Environmental factors associated with reproductive barrier breakdown in sympatric trout populations on Vancouver Island.

Heath D, Bettles CM, Roff D

Evolutionary applications2010First author

DOI: 10.1111/j.1752-4571.2009.00100.x PMID: 25567905

Ecosystem level assessment of the fate and effects of quaternary ammonium compounds in fresh waters

Co-investigatorNSERC2023Alliance Grants

Principal investigators: Kidd, Karen KA

$172,763

Fisheries management and conservation careers in science and technology (FishCAST)

Co-investigatorNSERC2020Collaborative Research and Training Experience

Principal investigators: Semeniuk, Christina CAD

Keywords: aquatic invasive species; fish culture; fish health; food webs; freshwater fish conservation; freshwater fisheries management; recreational/commercial fisheries; species at risk; species at risk/aquatic invasive sp.; water quality

$1,366,018

Evaluating the persistence of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) in the urban water cycle_x000d_ _x000d_

Co-investigatorNSERC2020Alliance Grants

Principal investigators: McKay, Robert

$50,000

Adaptive transgenerational signaling; maternal and paternal effects on early life history in salmon

Principal investigatorNSERC2019Discovery Grants Program - Individual

Principal investigators: Heath, Daniel

Keywords: life history; adaptation; fitness; dna methylation; micro-rna; maternal effects; imprinting; paternal effects; gene expression; population genetics

$282,000

Application of targeted transcriptomics for determining early nutrient sediment retention capacity (NSRC)_x000d_ _x000d_

Co-investigatorNSERC2018Strategic Projects - Group

Principal investigators: Weisener, Christopher

$622,200

Genetic and probiotic improvement of immunity in triploid Chinook salmon_x000d_ _x000d_

Co-investigatorNSERC2018Strategic Projects - Group

Principal investigators: Dixon, Brian

$556,000

Genomic, transcriptomic and culture-based assessment of UV irradiation effects on phytoplankton viability: applications for ballast water treatment systems

Principal investigatorNSERC2017Collaborative Research and Development Grants

Principal investigators: Heath, Daniel

$150,000

REGENERATE: Restorative Genomic Engineering to Remediate Aquatic Threats to Ecosystems - Development

Principal investigatorNSERC2017Discovery Frontiers - Biodiversity and Adaptation of Biosystems

Principal investigators: Heath, Daniel

$12,000

Restoring biodiversity and a valuable fishery: Atlantic salmon reintroduction into Lake Ontario

Co-investigatorNSERC2016Strategic Projects - Group

Principal investigators: Neff, Bryan

$595,860

Mobile respirometer and swim flume system to study the ecology and evolution of large fishes and schools of fish in the Great Lakes

Co-investigatorNSERC2016Research Tools and Instruments

Principal investigators: Pitcher, Trevor

$140,411

From CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC funding decisions: CIHR since 2008, NSERC since 1991 and SSHRC since 1998, including their latest published competition results.

Frequent collaborators

Great Lakes Inst. for Environmental Res. (GLIER)
Biological Sciences
Other Criminology

Co-authors at University of Windsor, colored by department. Thicker lines mean more shared papers; select anyone to open their profile and their own map.

Phillip Karpowicz

Biological Sciences

2 shared papers, latest 2025

Amy Fitzgerald

Other Criminology

1 shared papers, latest 2021

Write to this professor

A short, specific email works best. This draft uses one of their recent papers; replace the parts in brackets with your own details before sending.

Applying for

Paper to mentionMention their NSERC grant from 2019

Subject: Prospective PhD student: Adaptation Dear Professor Heath, My name is [your name], and I am a [your current degree or role] at [your institution]. I am applying for a PhD position starting in [term and year]. I read your paper "Relationship between land use type and bacterial composition in adjacent streams and riparian zones." (2026), and it connects closely to my own work on [your research topic]. [One or two sentences on what you did and what you learned.] I also saw your NSERC-funded project "Adaptive transgenerational signaling; maternal and paternal effects on early life history in salmon" (2019), and I would be glad to contribute to work in that direction. Are you accepting new PhD students for [term and year]? I have attached my CV and transcripts, and I would be glad to talk at a time that suits you. Thank you for your time. Kind regards, [your name]