PhD 2001 Australian National University I'm currently a postdoc at UC Davis in the Hastings lab and previously with the Chesson lab, and Biological Invasions IGERT, although I am now physically located in Boulder Colorado. I am starting a position as Assistant Professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Colorado, Boulder, in Fall 2008. |
My research interest is spatio-temporal population dynamics, which I study by developing mathematical models and connecting these models to
data. I'm particularly interested in how processes such as competition, predation, and spatial spread are affected by spatial and temporal variation in the environment and by randomness intrinsic to individuals. I address both applied and basic questions. I have two main thrusts at the moment. (1) Understanding the role of environmental and demographic stochasticity in the spread of invasive species, for which I have an NSF grant together with Alan Hastings. (2) The role of facilitation in coexistence of coral reef fish in heterogeneous environments (with Peter Chesson). Other recent and current topics include invasion and disease ecology, consumer - resource interactions, coexistence in multispecies communities, and conservation ecology. My study systems have included invasive plants, laboratory flour beetles, coral reef fish, freshwater streams, forest insects, bird communities, and animal diseases. |