Contact information
If you are interested in contacting me, my email is emily.acheson@phac-aspc.gc.ca.
My current research
I currently work with the Public Health Agency of Canada within the Modelling Hub division. I use GIS (geographic information systems) and remote sensing to study possible links between environmental change and infectious diseases affecting humans. For my primary research, I focus on space-time modelling of fungal diseases, including blastomycosis and cryptococcosis, as well as rabies and optimizing rabies control initiatives. My projects have included field site visits in northern Minnesota to explore the ecological niche of Blastomyces, and in Churchill, Manitoba to explore Arctic and red fox habitats where rabies persists.
A snippet of our outbound helicopter trip to Nester One in Wapusk National Park outside Churchill, Manitoba. A big thank you to our helicopter pilot, the Churchill Northern Studies Centre, and Dr. Jim Roth and his research team at uManitoba for an amazing experience and teaching us so much about fox ecology, rabies, and the fox-human interface. Video filmed by E. Acheson in October, 2025.
Key publications
For a full list, please visit my Google Scholar page.
Acheson ES, Otterstatter M, Galanis E. (2023). Forest disturbance and disease: Exploring the effects of tree harvesting area on Cryptococcus gattii sensu lato infection risk, Vancouver Island, Canada, 1998-2014. Environmental Health Perspectives. 131(7).
Khaldikar A, Waddell L, Acheson ES, Ogden NH. (2024). Perspectives on blastomycosis in Canada in the face of climate change. Canada Communicable Disease Report. 50(11): 400.
Acheson ES, Viard F, Buchanan T, Nituch L, Leighton P. (2023). Comparing control intervention scenarios for raccoon rabies in southern Ontario between 2015 and 2025. Viruses. 15(2): 528.
Acheson ES, Galanis E, Bartlett K, Mak S, Klinkenberg B. (2017). Searching for clues for eighteen years: Deciphering the ecological determinants of Cryptococcus gattii on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Medical Mycology. 56(2): 129-144.
Shwiff SA, Acheson ES, Altringer L, Leighton P, Nituch L, Sykora S, Viard F, Buchanan T. (2025). Benefit-cost analysis of raccoon rabies control in Ontario, Canada. PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases. 19(11): e0013696.
Working with GIS data for Vancouver Island for Cryptococcus gattii research. Photo taken by UBC staff in 2016.
Fox prints in the sand in Churchill, Manitoba near a beach den. Photo taken by E. Acheson in October, 2025.
Professional activities
Adjunct professor duties
I am an adjunct professor with the University of Windsor in Windsor, Ontario. In this position, I serve on supervisory committees and give guest lectures. I also serve on supervisory committees, on occasion, with the University of Montreal and am comfortable engaging in both English and French. However, due to my position at PHAC, my allotted time for university work is limited. If you are interested in having me serve on your committee or give a guest lecture on disease-related modelling as it applies to human health, please contact me to discuss (email emily.acheson@phac-aspc.gc.ca).
Member of GREZOSP
I am a member of GREZOSP (Groupe de recherche en épidémiologie des zoonoses et santé publique), a research group based out of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Montreal. This collaborative group brings together students, professors, researchers, and other professionals and organizations who focus on public, animal, and environmental health using a OneHealth approach. The overall aim of GREZOSP is to combine forces across professions and organizations in Canada to tackle public health challenges and assist in evidence-based policy making.
Affiliate researcher of the WE-SPARK Health Institute
I am also a member of the WE-SPARK Health Institute, a collaborative group of health researchers across Windsor-Essex. This institute facilitates knowledge sharing and research partnerships between health experts at the University of Windsor, St. Clair College, and various hospitals and health care facilities in the region.
Academic history
Education
Certificate in Creative Writing (Fiction and Non-Fiction), University of Oxford, 2025
Post-doctoral work in Spatial Epidemiology, Université de Montréal, 2020-2022
PhD in Geography (in collaboration with the BC Centre for Disease Control), University of British Columbia, 2015-2020
MSc in Biology, University of Ottawa, 2013-2015
HBSc in Biology, Environmental Science, and Professional Writing and Communication, University of Toronto, 2008-2012
Awards
I am always grateful for the funding that made my education possible. These funds were provided by, but not limited to, the following awards/scholarships:
Vanier Scholarship
Killam Doctoral Scholarship
UBC Public Scholars Award
ESRI Young Scholar Award
UBC Four-Year Doctoral Fellowship
NSERC Canada Graduate Scholarship (Master’s)
BMO Queen Elizabeth II Graduate Scholarship in Science and Technology
University of Ottawa Excellence Scholarships
University of Toronto In-Course and Top Scholars Scholarships
