Find Academic Supervisors

Camilla GustafssonView profile

Academic

• Marine Biodiversity
• Ecosystem Functioning
• Macrophyte Ecology
• +6 more

Camilla Gustafsson is an Academy Research Fellow at the University of Helsinki , affiliated with the Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences and the Biological Stations . Her research investigates marine biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, focusing on macrophytes like seagrasses and vascular aquatic plants. As head of the Macrophyte Biodiversity Research Group and member of the Ecosystems and Environment Research Programme , she examines how functional diversity of aquatic plants links to primary production, carbon dynamics, and community resilience across environmental gradients. Her work integrates trait-based approaches with global change ecology. Academy Research Fellow (2018) Docent in Marine Biology, University of Helsinki Her 15 most recent publications reveal expertise in seagrass functional traits, blue carbon dynamics, and coastal conservation strategies. She supervises doctoral and master's students in projects analyzing benthic recovery, climate change impacts, and ecosystem service integration. Current projects include FRISCO (Academy of Finland), CoastBioMon (Ministry funding), and COAST-VOC (BNP Paribas). She actively participates in international seagrass conferences and has contributed policy briefs on climate-mitigating coastal ecosystems.

• Environmental Sciences
• Freshwater Ecology
• Invasive Species Biology
• +3 more

Jyrki Lappalainen serves as a University Lecturer at the University of Helsinki , affiliated with the Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences and the Ecosystems and Environment Research Programme . He also contributes to research through the Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science . Research Focus: Environmental sciences, particularly in freshwater ecology, invasive species dynamics, and fisheries management. His recent publications analyze spatial and environmental drivers in aquatic systems, including invasive round goby physiology, pikeperch movement patterns, and metacommunity structures. He actively participates in peer-review processes for journals like Biological Invasions and Fisheries Management and Ecology . As a co-supervisor for doctoral theses, he mentors emerging researchers in interdisciplinary environmental sciences.

• Conservation Biology
• Marine Biology
• Avian Ecology
• +3 more

Mikael von Numers is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Environmental and Marine Biology, Faculty of Science and Engineering at Åbo Akademi University. His research focuses on conservation biology, avian ecology, and species distribution modeling, with a particular emphasis on Baltic Sea ecosystems and island biogeography. Research interests include habitat conservation for endangered species, coastal marsh dynamics, and the impact of environmental changes on biodiversity. He has contributed to over 50 publications since 1995, including works on butterfly conservation, sea duck reproduction, and plant colonization patterns in archipelagos. His collaborative projects span Nordic countries, addressing cross-border conservation challenges. Notable outputs include datasets on island plant colonization mechanisms and studies on Baltic Sea whitefish populations. Current research emphasizes predictive modeling for ecosystem management and biodiversity preservation.

Martin WilkesView profile

Senior Lecturer

• Ecology
• Biodiversity Science
• Fisheries
• +6 more

Martin Wilkes is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Life Sciences , University of Essex. His research focuses on data-driven approaches to understanding and predicting biodiversity change in freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems, with applications in environmental policy and sustainable resource management. Research interests: Ecology, Biodiversity Science, Fisheries, Biogeography, Artificial Intelligence, Species Distribution Modeling Current teaching: Freshwater Ecology, Data Analysis, Coral Reef Research Skills Research Trends : His recent articles emphasize large-scale ecological modeling, sediment stress impacts on aquatic life, cryopreservation techniques in fisheries, and climate change effects on riverine biodiversity. Key subfields include river restoration , functional trait analysis , and ecohydraulics . Supervision : Currently advising PhD and MSc students in environmental and biological sciences. Grants include projects such as Navigating Riverine War Reparations (2025) and MARRK: Aquatic Resources in Kenya (2023).

Marta SzulkinView profile

Professor

• Urban Evolutionary Biology
• Anthropocene Biology
• Ecological Genetics
• +3 more

Marta Szulkin is a Full Professor at the Institute of Evolutionary Biology , Faculty of Biology , University of Warsaw . She leads the Anthropocene Biology Lab , focusing on urban evolutionary ecology and avian adaptation to human-altered environments. Her work integrates genomic, ecological, and behavioral approaches to study evolutionary responses to urbanization. Education: BSc (University of Warsaw, 2004), MSc (University of Oxford, 2003), DPhil (University of Oxford, 2008). Previous roles include Magdalen College Research Fellow (2007–2011) and Marie Curie Fellow (until 2015). Appointed Associate Professor in 2015 and Full Professor in 2022. Research interests include urban-driven evolutionary changes, population genomics, and avian adaptation. She pioneered the Global Urban Evolution Project , studying parallel evolution in cosmopolitan species. Key topics: urban pollution impacts, nest material use, and epigenetic modifications in birds. Publications emphasize urbanization's effects on biodiversity, with contributions to Trends in Ecology & Evolution and Science . Her edited volume Urban Evolutionary Biology (Oxford University Press, 2020) defines the field. Grants include Marie Curie Fellowship funding. Lab initiatives include long-term studies on great tits in Warsaw's urban gradient. Collaborations span global projects, fostering inclusive urban ecological research.

Peter MüngerView profile

Lecturer

• Theoretical Physics
• Material Physics
• Computational Modeling
• +3 more

Peter Münger is a Senior Coordinator and University Lecturer in Theoretical Physics at Linköping University, holding the Scientific Director role at the National Supercomputer Centre (NSC). He leads NSC's resource allocation and monitoring for Swedish research. His research focuses on computational simulations of material growth dynamics and ecosystem susceptibility analysis. He employs molecular dynamics to study nanoparticle behavior and ecosystem resilience to disturbances. His work bridges theoretical physics with practical applications, including catalytic nanotruss structures via magnetic self-assembly and potassium-channel modulation mechanisms. He emphasizes providing students with foundational physics knowledge, underscoring its societal and technological importance. Key research areas include nanomaterial synthesis, plasma physics, and computational ecology. His publications span topics from organic electronics to climate change impacts on metacommunities. He collaborates actively with researchers in material science, biophysics, and environmental studies. As part of the National Academic Infrastructure for Supercomputing in Sweden (NAISS), he supports national computational research infrastructure. His contributions highlight interdisciplinary approaches to solving complex physical and ecological challenges.

• Conflict Resolution
• Suggestive Communication
• Health Psychology
• +5 more

Dr. Andrea Ferenczi serves as Associate Professor in the Department of Personality and Health Psychology at Károli Gáspár University of the Reformed Church in Hungary's Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. Holding a PhD in Communication Psychology (summa cum laude, University of Pécs, 2010) and dual MA degrees in Theology/Psychology (Austria, 2003) and Biotechnology (Gödöllő University, 1992), she maintains active roles in the Person- and Family-Oriented Health Sciences Research Group and as editor of Psychologia Hungarica Caroliensis . Her research spans conflict resolution mechanisms , suggestive communication in healthcare , school health psychology , psychology of religion , and gratitude studies . Recent work examines gratitude's protective effects during pregnancy and pandemics, materialism measurement, and work-family conflict dynamics. Her publications appear in journals like Studia Universitatis Babeş-Bolyai and Interpersona , with over 100 independent citations. Ferenczi's scientific contributions reveal strong interdisciplinary integration between psychology, theology, and healthcare. Her research demonstrates how dispositional gratitude functions as psychological immunity during crises, while her work on materialism scales and religious schemas bridges quantitative measurement with qualitative meaning-making. The pandemic-era studies particularly highlight how spiritual resources interact with mental health resilience. Scientific Journalism Award (National Association of Hungarian Journalists and Janssen-Cilag, 2003) LAM Award, Medicine and Society Category (Lege Artis Medicinae Medical Journal, 2009) As academic advisor and editor, Ferenczi connects psychological science with practical applications through media consulting (HBO's Therapy series), professional training programs, and editorial work on theological psychology publications. Her Personality and Health Psychology Research Workshop fosters collaborative investigations into relational health and spiritual well-being.

Richard D. StevensView profile

Professor

• Community Ecology
• Macroecology
• Biogeography
• +5 more

Richard D. Stevens is a Professor in the Department of Natural Resources Management at Texas Tech University, where he also serves as Curator of Mammals and Interim Director of the Natural Science Research Laboratory. His work bridges community ecology, macroecology, and biogeography through collections-based research. Ph.D. , Texas Tech University, 2002 M.S. , Texas Tech University, 1996 B.S. , Texas Tech University, 1992 Stevens investigates how species-environment interactions, dispersal, and competition shape mammalian communities, with a focus on bats and rodents across Paraguay, California, Louisiana, New Mexico, and Texas. His morphometric studies quantify biodiversity and explore form-function relationships in ecology. Recent publications analyze wintering bat thermoregulation, latitudinal biodiversity gradients, and metacommunity dynamics in tropical ecosystems. His research integrates phenotypic, phylogenetic, and functional dimensions of biodiversity along environmental gradients. Stevens collaborates on studies examining roost selection in Louisiana bats, DNA degradation in archived specimens, and wing integration in Paraguayan fruit-eating bats. He contributes to synthetic works on phyllostomid bat evolution and biogeography. The Natural Science Research Laboratory at Texas Tech University hosts his collections-based research, which informs conservation strategies through community structure analysis and biodiversity metrics.

Tasnuva Ming KhanView profile

Researcher

• Paleoecology
• Marine Biology
• Biodiversity Assessment
• +4 more

Dr. Tasnuva Ming Khan is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Institute of Paleontology , GeoZentrum Nordbayern , Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) , where she focuses on paleoecology and marine biodiversity using interdisciplinary methods. She completed her PhD in Zoology at the University of Cambridge and British Antarctic Survey (expected 2025) and holds an MSc in Geosciences (2021) from FAU. Education: PhD Zoology (expected 2025) – University of Cambridge & British Antarctic Survey MSc Geosciences (2021) – Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg BSc Earth Systems Science (2018) – Cornell University Research Interests include scale-dependent drivers of marine community structure, asymmetric range shifts in planktonic foraminifera under the AGELESS project , and the influence of colonial history/global economics on fossil record biases. Her work integrates Bayesian network inference , metacommunity theory , and spatial point process analyses to study modern and fossil marine ecosystems. Key Publications cover topics like deep-sea benthic community dynamics in Antarctica, thermographic studies of humpback whales, and geothermal energy projects at Cornell. Her recent studies (2024–2025) focus on automated detection of Antarctic benthic organisms and environmental heterogeneity impacts on polar ecosystems. Collaborations span institutions including University of Oxford , University of Colorado Boulder , and University of Washington , with affiliations in projects like Deep-time Ecology Group and AGELESS (Leveraging long-term planktonic diversity data for biodiversity protection in areas beyond national jurisdiction).

Catalina Cuellar-GempelerView profile

Associate Professor

• Microbial Ecology
• Community Ecology
• Metacommunity Dynamics
• +3 more

Catalina Cuellar-Gempeler is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Cal Poly Humboldt. Her research explores microbial community assembly and function in host-associated and aquatic systems, using pitcher plants and marine invertebrates as model organisms. She emphasizes the intersection of metacommunity dynamics, ecosystem function, and eco-evolutionary processes. PhD (2016) from The University of Texas at Austin Teaches courses in Microbial Ecology, General Microbiology, Bioinformatics, and Marine Microbiology Research focuses on: Microbial metacommunity dynamics across spatial and temporal scales Interactions between microbial communities and ecosystem function Role of habitat filtering in shaping microbial assemblages Applications to wastewater management and agricultural microbiomes Recent publications reveal strong connections between biodiversity gradients and ecosystem function, with emphasis on competitive dynamics, habitat connectivity, and microbial trade-offs in aquatic and host-associated systems. Her work combines traditional microbiology, field experiments, molecular techniques, and bioinformatics. Scientific recognition includes the NSF CAREER Award (2021) . Mentored students include current graduate researchers Parker Lund, Megan Teigen, and Jonas Sotingco, as well as former advisees Fiona Connor and Sandrine Thompson (2022 graduate with thesis on wetland microbiomes). The Cuellar-Gempeler Lab operates at the interface of ecological theory, microbiology, and natural history in the Pacific Northwest, combining redwood forest proximity with coastal marine access to study microbial communities across diverse habitats.

• Evolutionary ecology
• Aquatic ecology
• Biodiversity conservation
• +9 more

Luc De Meester is a distinguished Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at KU Leuven, Belgium, where he holds a 20% position, and serves as Director of the Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB) in Berlin, Germany. He also holds a full professorship in Freshwater Science at Freie Universität Berlin. His career spans over three decades with significant contributions to evolutionary ecology, particularly using zooplankton (Daphnia) as model organisms. De Meester's research interests focus on evolutionary responses to natural and human-induced stressors including pollution, global warming, and habitat fragmentation. His work spans aquatic ecology of shallow lakes and ponds, biodiversity conservation in aquatic habitats, restoration ecology, and the ecology of resting egg banks. He has pioneered research in metacommunity structure and population genetics of zooplankton, with particular emphasis on eco-evolutionary dynamics. His recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on eco-evolutionary feedbacks across multiple scales, from microbial interactions to landscape-level patterns. He has been instrumental in developing novel statistical approaches for biodiversity assessment using large datasets, while maintaining his foundational work on Daphnia as a model system. His research increasingly integrates genomic perspectives with ecological questions, particularly regarding host-microbiome interactions. Laureate of a Francqui Foundation Research Professor fellowship (2012-2014) Laureate of the Academy 2003, Class Natural Sciences, Royal Academy of Sciences and Arts, Belgium De Meester has supervised over 35 PhD students to completion and mentored more than 24 postdocs. His research is supported by numerous grants including projects on biodiversity change assessment, eco-evolutionary dynamics under global change, and metacommunity responses to environmental stressors. He leads the Evolving Metacommunities research group at IGB Berlin and maintains strong collaborative ties with KU Leuven's Ecology, Evolution and Biodiversity Conservation unit. His laboratory focuses on experimental and field studies of zooplankton communities, particularly Daphnia, examining evolutionary responses to environmental change. The group maintains specialized facilities for resurrection ecology studies, common garden experiments, and microbiome analyses, contributing significantly to our understanding of rapid evolutionary processes in natural populations.

• Biodiversity Monitoring
• Remote Sensing
• Ecological Modelling
• +3 more

Alex Bush serves as Lecturer in Environmental Remote Sensing at Lancaster University's Lancaster Environment Centre, specializing in ecological modeling for biodiversity conservation at macroecological scales. His work bridges remote sensing technologies with ground-truth ecological data to address national-scale monitoring challenges and ecosystem sustainability. Alex Bush's educational background includes: University of East Anglia Macquarie University, Sydney His research focuses on integrating high-throughput DNA sequencing with remote sensing imagery to map invisible biodiversity components and assess ecosystem condition. Key themes include developing statistical models for climate change adaptation, evaluating DNA metabarcoding for sustainable agriculture monitoring, and analyzing spatial-temporal community dynamics across landscape scales. This work directly addresses biodiversity loss through innovative monitoring frameworks. Analysis of his 15 most recent publications (2020-2025) reveals dominant methodological trends in environmental DNA (eDNA) applications, particularly metabarcoding for freshwater and terrestrial biodiversity assessment. Cross-cutting themes include climate change resilience modeling, statistical framework development for ecological monitoring, and the integration of remote sensing with molecular techniques. His work consistently targets conservation applications across Amazonian, boreal, and urban ecosystems. Alex Bush has received significant research recognition: Research Fellowship, Australian Government Research Fellowship, Canadian Government He actively supervises PhD candidates Matthew Clark (Ecology and Conservation) and Pablo Gallego Anex (Biodiversity and Remote Sensing of Forest Structure). Current research funding includes the H2020 SUPERB project (2021-2025), Designing Biodiversity Markets for Nature Recovery (2022), and Integrating Statistical Frameworks into eDNA Survey and Analysis (2020-2022), reflecting his leadership in conservation technology development. Affiliated with Lancaster's Centre of Excellence in Environmental Data Science, Bush contributes to interdisciplinary teams in Ecology and Conservation and Geospatial Data Science, driving innovation in environmental monitoring through data-intensive approaches.

Oscar GaggiottiView profile

Professor

• Population Genetics
• Evolutionary Biology
• Ecological Modeling
• +5 more

Oscar Gaggiotti is a Professor and Director of Research at the University of St Andrews, holding positions in the School of Biology, Centre for Research into Ecological & Environmental Modelling, St Andrews Bioinformatics Unit, and as a MASTS (Marine Alliance for Science & Technology Scotland) professor. His work spans multiple interdisciplinary research centers focused on marine and ecological genetics. Professor Gaggiotti's research focuses on spatial patterns of genetic diversity to understand evolutionary and ecological processes. He develops ecologically realistic population genetics theory and methods using the metapopulation paradigm and Bayesian statistics. His work centers on two main research problems: statistical inference of demographic history and ecology of populations, and the study of local adaptation to understand the molecular bases of phenotypic variation. His fingerprint research areas include Genetic Divergence, Genetic Variability, Genomics, Genetics, Cetacea, Population Structure, Microsatellite, and Genetic Variation. His recent publications reveal a strong focus on marine genomics, particularly cetacean research, with studies on dolphin adaptation, whale conservation genetics using drone technology, and deep-sea hydrothermal vent ecology. His work integrates genetic, demographic, and environmental data to address complex ecological questions, with increasing incorporation of machine learning approaches. MASTS Professor H2020 Marie Curie IEF Fellowship recipient As an active researcher, Gaggiotti has supervised work, served on examination panels including for Habilitation to conduct research in France (HDR), and contributed to numerous datasets and software tools for population genetic analysis. His research has significant implications for marine conservation and understanding evolutionary processes in natural populations.

Christopher A KlausmeierView profile

Professor

• Theoretical Ecology
• Plankton Ecology
• Community Ecology
• +5 more

Christopher A. Klausmeier serves as an MSU Foundation Professor in the Department of Plant Biology and Department of Integrative Biology at Michigan State University, based at the W.K. Kellogg Biological Station. His research integrates theoretical and empirical approaches to uncover fundamental principles governing ecological communities and ecosystems, with phytoplankton and zooplankton as primary model systems due to their manipulability and global biogeochemical significance. Education Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota Klausmeier employs mathematical modeling using nonlinear dynamics and numerical simulations alongside laboratory experiments and field surveys to investigate species interactions, nutrient cycling, and energy fluxes. His work addresses critical questions in community assembly, spatial heterogeneity, stoichiometry, and climate change impacts on aquatic ecosystems. Key research themes include competitive coexistence mechanisms, seasonal succession patterns in plankton, and the interplay between ecological and evolutionary processes. Analysis of his recent publications reveals a pronounced focus on eco-evolutionary dynamics, trait-based community ecology, and climate change responses in plankton systems. His work increasingly incorporates advanced computational methods like neural ordinary differential equations while maintaining strong connections to empirical validation through laboratory and field studies. Scientific Awards No awards explicitly documented in source materials Klausmeier actively mentors graduate students in theoretical ecology, with past projects spanning mutualism evolution, size-structured communities, and spatial pattern formation. His laboratory at KBS utilizes aquatic field sites and experimental facilities to test ecological theories through controlled mesocosm experiments and long-term observational studies. The Klausmeier Lab maintains active research programs in plankton ecology at the Kellogg Biological Station, leveraging its freshwater ecosystems for experiments on nutrient limitation, species competition, and climate change impacts. Current work emphasizes integrating trait-based approaches with eco-evolutionary dynamics to predict community responses to environmental change.

• Ecology
• Terrestrial ecology
• Freshwater ecology
• +3 more

Natalie Jones is a Lecturer in Ecology at Griffith University's School of Environment and Science - Environment and Marine. She conducts research on community ecology, focusing on how environmental conditions and species interactions structure biodiversity. Her work spans terrestrial, freshwater, and marine systems, utilizing field experiments, modeling, and theoretical frameworks. Jones is a member of the Australian Rivers Institute and actively contributes to Sustainable Development Goals 13 (Climate Action), 14 (Life Below Water), and 15 (Life on Land). Education: PhD in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Canada (advisor: Prof. Ben Gilbert) Postdoctoral Fellowship at University of Queensland with Prof. Margie Mayfield Research at University of California San Diego with Prof. Jonathan Shurin Research Interests: Her research explores species persistence, colonization dynamics, global change impacts, and ecological theory testing through interdisciplinary approaches. Key themes include dormancy mechanisms, trophic interactions, and climate-driven community shifts. Grants & Awards: Hermon Slade Foundation Grant (2024-2027) for dormancy research 2020 Elton Prize (Best Early Career Paper in Journal of Animal Ecology) Griffith University Internal Grant (2022-2024) for floodplain biodiversity studies Labs/Teams: Affiliated with the Australian Rivers Institute, focusing on freshwater and marine systems. Active in Griffith Sciences interdisciplinary collaborations.