Brian Leung

Brian Leung is an Associate Professor at McGill University, jointly affiliated with the Department of Biology and the Bieler School of the Environment. He holds the prestigious UNESCO Chair for Dialogues on Sustainability and serves as Director of the McGill Neotropical Environment Option (NEO), a collaborative program with the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. His work bridges ecological theory, computational modeling, and environmental policy.

Dr. Leung earned his PhD in Biology from Carleton University and completed postdoctoral research at the University of Cambridge and the University of Notre Dame. His academic journey at McGill began in 2004 as an Assistant Professor, advancing to Associate Professor in 2010.

His research centers on predictive ecology, particularly modeling biological invasions and sustainability challenges. He develops and applies mathematical, statistical, and computational models to understand invasion dynamics across terrestrial, aquatic, and marine systems. His recent work includes the Panama Research and Integrated Sustainability Model (PRISM), a spatially explicit framework for sustainability science in the Global South. His research spans scales from local to global and integrates ecological, economic, and social factors.

His recent publications show a strong focus on invasion risk assessment, species distribution modeling, economic costs of invasions, and ecological forecasting. He frequently publishes in top journals such as Nature, Ecology Letters, and Global Ecology and Biogeography, emphasizing data-driven decision-making and policy relevance.

Dr. Leung has received significant recognition through invitations to contribute to major reports and has co-edited influential works on invasive species economics. While specific named awards are not listed, his leadership roles and publication record reflect high scientific esteem.

He actively mentors a dynamic research group, supervising multiple Ph.D. and M.Sc. students on projects related to invasion modeling, mangrove conservation, forest pest dynamics, and urban ecology. His lab emphasizes quantitative skills and interdisciplinary collaboration. He has secured research funding to support these projects, though specific grants are not detailed in the text.

He leads the Leung Lab, which focuses on predictive modeling in ecology and sustainability. The lab collaborates with institutions such as the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute and environmental firms like Habitat. Current projects include multi-species connectivity modeling, mangrove ecosystem services, and forecasting forest pest outbreaks.