Go to page content

Laird Lecture: The Unseen Majority Shaping the Oceans by Dr. Curtis A. Suttle

Thursday, Nov. 26, 7-8:30 p.m.

CSF-1302; whale atrium

The Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, is hosting the 2026 The Elizabeth R. Laird Public Lecture.

This year’s lecturer is Dr. Curtis A. Suttle, Distinguished University Scholar and Professor in the Departments of Earth, Ocean & Atmospheric Sciences, Microbiology & Immunology, Botany and the Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries at the University of British Columbia. His research explores diversity, evolution, and function of viruses in the global system, with an emphasis on the oceans and marine life.

His work has transformed our understanding of viruses in the sea through investigations of their enormous genetic diversity and their influence on marine ecosystems and global biogeochemical cycles. His scholarship has been recognized through his appointment to the Order of Canada and election as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and American Academy of Microbiology, as well as appointments with the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, the Peter Wall Institute for Advanced Research, and the Institute for Advanced Studies at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. He is also a recipient of the A.G. Huntsman, Timothy R. Parsons and G. Evelyn Hutchinson Medals in Marine Science.

The Elizabeth R. Laird Lecture was established by a bequest from Dr. Elizabeth Laird, a prominent Canadian physicist who held posts at Yale, Cambridge, Chicago, Mount Holyoke and Western Ontario, in the first half of the 20th century.

The lecture, “The unseen majority shaping the oceans”, takes place Thursday, November 26, at 7:00 p.m., in Core Science Facility room CSF-1302.

This public lecture will be followed by light refreshments in the Whale Atrium.  All are welcome.

Presented by Faculty of Science

Event Listing 2026-11-26 19:00:00 2026-11-26 20:30:00 America/St_Johns Laird Lecture: The Unseen Majority Shaping the Oceans by Dr. Curtis A. Suttle The Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, is hosting the 2026 The Elizabeth R. Laird Public Lecture. This year’s lecturer is Dr. Curtis A. Suttle, Distinguished University Scholar and Professor in the Departments of Earth, Ocean & Atmospheric Sciences, Microbiology & Immunology, Botany and the Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries at the University of British Columbia. His research explores diversity, evolution, and function of viruses in the global system, with an emphasis on the oceans and marine life. His work has transformed our understanding of viruses in the sea through investigations of their enormous genetic diversity and their influence on marine ecosystems and global biogeochemical cycles. His scholarship has been recognized through his appointment to the Order of Canada and election as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and American Academy of Microbiology, as well as appointments with the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, the Peter Wall Institute for Advanced Research, and the Institute for Advanced Studies at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. He is also a recipient of the A.G. Huntsman, Timothy R. Parsons and G. Evelyn Hutchinson Medals in Marine Science. The Elizabeth R. Laird Lecture was established by a bequest from Dr. Elizabeth Laird, a prominent Canadian physicist who held posts at Yale, Cambridge, Chicago, Mount Holyoke and Western Ontario, in the first half of the 20th century. The lecture, “The unseen majority shaping the oceans”, takes place Thursday, November 26, at 7:00 p.m., in Core Science Facility room CSF-1302. This public lecture will be followed by light refreshments in the Whale Atrium.  All are welcome. CSF-1302; whale atrium Faculty of Science