Dr. Robert Michael McKay is a Professor and Director of the Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research (GLIER) at the University of Windsor. He holds a B.Sc. in Biology from Queen’s University and a Ph.D. in Biology from McGill University, followed by postdoctoral training in marine science and oceanography at the University of Alaska, the University of Delaware, and Brookhaven National Laboratory.

Dr. McKay’s research examines microbial ecology, harmful algal blooms, winter limnology, and environmental genomics to understand how climate change and nutrient dynamics shape Great Lakes ecosystems. He leads major national and international research initiatives focused on water quality, pathogen surveillance, and ecosystem resilience, including projects funded by NSERC, NIH, NSF, and the Canada Biomedical Research Fund. His work has earned multiple recognitions, including awards from the International Association for Great Lakes Research and the International Society for Microbial Ecology.

National Institutes of Health (NIH), US, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), WE-SPARK Igniting Discovery