Brian Cheng

Brian Cheng is an Associate Professor in the Department of Environmental Conservation at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, focusing on marine ecology and global change impacts. He teaches courses like ENVIRSCI 214 – Ecosystems, Biodiversity, and Global Change and NRC 590M – Marine Ecology.

• Education:
  • Postdoctoral Fellow, Smithsonian Institution (2014–2017)
  • Ph.D., University of California, Davis (2014)
  • M.S., San Diego State University (2008)
  • B.S., University of California, Santa Barbara (2001)

His research bridges oceanography and biology to examine climate change, biological invasions, predator-prey dynamics, and marine protected areas. He employs lab experiments, field observations, and meta-analysis.

Recent publications show a focus on marine climate adaptation, invasive species, and thermal physiology across diverse systems—from lobster fisheries to freshwater mussels—with interdisciplinary approaches linking ecosystem function and anthropogenic stressors.

• Key Collaborations:
  • Co-authored with teams at Smithsonian Institution, UC Davis, and global institutions.
  • Contributed to high-impact journals like Nature Climate Change and Science.

He maintains a lab website and Google Scholar profile, emphasizing data transparency (code and data available for several studies).