Wendy J. Palen

Wendy J. Palen is a Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Simon Fraser University (SFU). Her research focuses on the ecology of aquatic communities, with an emphasis on amphibian populations and salmon food webs across North America. She combines field experiments, lab assays, and landscape-scale analyses to address applied conservation challenges in aquatic systems.

Education: BA from the University of Virginia, PhD from the University of Washington.

Research Interests: Her work spans alpine amphibians, salmon population dynamics, and the impacts of human activities (e.g., dams, climate change) on freshwater ecosystems. She emphasizes multidisciplinary approaches, including population modeling, paleoecology, and behavioral observations to inform conservation strategies.

Recent Research Trends: Recent work addresses habitat restoration efficacy, climate vulnerability of amphibians, and the ecological effects of small hydropower projects. Papers highlight the importance of spatial and temporal scales in conservation decision-making.

Labs & Groups: Founding member of the Earth2Ocean Research Group at SFU, focusing on training quantitative ecologists to tackle complex conservation problems through collaborative, cross-disciplinary approaches.