Olivia Andres (she/her)

• Program: MSc Candidate, Epidemiology
• Supervisor: Dr. Tasha Epp, Departement of Large Animal Clinical Sciences and Dr. Jordan Woodsworth, Departement of Small Animal Clinical Sciences 
• Home Community: Saskatoon and Sweetgrass First Nation, SK

• BSc (Great Distinction), College of Arts and Science, University of Saskatchewan (USask) — 2025

Olivia Andres is a registered member of Sweetgrass First Nation with family ties to Birch Narrows Dene Nation, and she grew up in Saskatoon, SK. Olivia attended USask where she completed a Bachelor of Science degree in biology with a minor in Indigenous studies. During her undergrad, Olivia joined the McLoughlin Lab in Population Ecology (USask), where she spent three years working as a research assistant on a project assessing the risk of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in boreal caribou as well as the long-term Sable Island feral horse project. Olivia also works with an Indigenous-led team of archaeologists and has found a love for research, fieldwork, and working with Indigenous communities throughout these research endeavors.

After graduating from USask, Olivia spent the summer working with the NECO team at the WCVM and then began her MSc program in fall 2026. Her research focuses on fostering the human-animal bond and advocating for pet-friendly living facilities in Saskatchewan. Olivia hopes to one day be accepted into the DVM program and become the representation she wished she had as a First Nations student, passionate about increasing access to culturally relevant veterinary care in rural, remote, and underserved Indigenous communities.

In her spare time, Olivia strives to be an advocate for advancing Indigenous student success in STEM and fosters a sense of belonging for fellow Indigenous students through her continued involvement with the USask Chapter of AISES. Olivia wears many hats; as a researcher with diverse interests, as a classically trained violinist and musician, and as an unofficial mentor in various professional and personal circles.

Building on the research of Dr. Catherine Beaupre and other scholars, Olivia’s research explores the practicality of animal-inclusive assisted living facilities in Saskatchewan as a means of fostering the human-animal bond, particularly as it pertains to the prevention of loneliness in Old People and aging adults.