Krista M. Shires

Krista M. Shires is a Term Assistant Professor of Ecology at George Mason University's Biology Department. She coordinates BIOL 308: Ecology and Evolution instruction and works with the Luther Lab, focusing on interdisciplinary research at the intersection of ecology, environmental policy, and social science.

• PhD in Environmental Science and Policy (Urban Ecology), George Mason University, 2023
• MS in Environmental Science and Policy (Conservation Science and Policy), George Mason University, 2019
• BA in Liberal Studies (Psychology and Business Administration), Marymount University, 2012

Research interests span critical ecological domains including:

• Biodiversity conservation
• Human-wildlife conflict mitigation
• Animal behavior studies
• One Health framework integration
• Ecotoxicology impacts
• Ecological modeling
• Invertebrate disease dynamics
• Environmental policy and ethics
• Social science perspectives in ecology

Her work combines biological and social science approaches to address conservation challenges through the Luther Lab platform.