Gwen Freeze

Gwen was born in Kamloops, British Columbia, and was raised adventuring in the outdoors. She enjoys hiking, running, and biking in the summer months and skiing once the snow falls. Her first trip with Adventure Canada was in 2015 on the Heart of the Arctic expedition, and she has been hooked on expedition travel ever since.

Gwen earned her bachelor of science in biology from Thompson Rivers University (TRU) in 2022, followed by a master of science at the University of Guelph in 2024. Her graduate research focused on the gut microbiome and its connection to colorectal cancer, sparking her broader curiosity about microbial life in diverse environments.

Gwen has since returned to TRU to pursue research on the microbial communities in Arctic permafrost and their relationship to climate change. This summer, she is excited to be back with Adventure Canada, and especially enthusiastic for the opportunity to conduct research on board, with hopes to collect both soil and permafrost samples throughout Nunavut. Back in the lab, she aims to better understand how microbial life in permafrost is responding to climate change in the Arctic.