My PhD research investigates how migration patterns during the colonization of Canada affected the dispersal of smallpox, especially in contexts of contact between European colonists and First Nations. I use ancient DNA techniques at the McMaster Ancient DNA Centre to recover fragmented biomolecules from archaeological remains. Through my multidisciplinary approach combining biomolecular, paleopathological, and historical information, I work on questions like how populations reacted to paleo-epidemics, and how migration patterns and dynamics between First Nations and Europeans were influenced by the dispersal of this virus during Canada’s colonization. I hope to better understand population's response to epidemics and the disease’s role in influencing migration patterns and relationship between First Nations and Europeans.