People

Active members

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Bohdan Kamets

Research Assistant

I am interested in landscape and behavioral ecology, more specifically in species interaction. I am curious about the effects of human presence in the ecosystem on behavioral dynamics of animals, as well as consequences of spatial adaptations of animals for humans. Mushroom hunting, mountaineering and jigsaw puzzles are areas of my expertise.

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Joy Kumagai

PhD Student

Joy is a second-year PhD student within the biology department at Stanford University. She is interested in understanding how coastal foundational ecosystems respond to simultaneous anthropogenic pressures and how to increase effectiveness of marine protected areas. Her current projects focus on assessing whether marine protected areas increase kelp forest resilience to marine heatwaves, and exploring… Read more

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Luísa Genes

PhD Student

My research focuses on the conservation and restoration of species interactions in tropical terrestrial ecosystems. I am currently working in rainforests in Brazil and Costa Rica, studying how communities and plant-animal interactions reassemble through restoration and trophic rewilding. Before coming to Stanford, I’ve worked in the reintroduction of howler monkeys (Alouatta guariba) to Rio de… Read more

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mpelaez

Visiting postdoc

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Maya Xu

Undergraduate Researcher (2022-2025)

I’m an undergraduate majoring in biology (concentrating in ecology, evolution and environment). In the lab, I study the behavior and dietary composition of the peregrine falcons (Falco peregrinus) breeding on top of Stanford University’s Hoover Tower. I’ll also be co-instructing BIO 121/221 (Ornithology) in the spring. I’m interested in all things related to ecology, conservation… Read more

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Natalie Ward

Undergraduate

I am an undergraduate (Class of 2024) and co-terminal Master’s student broadly interested in species interactions and conservation. I am currently working on my senior thesis, which focuses on anthropogenic insect population decline and investigating the potential of herbarium specimens as tools to measure the impacts of insect decline on overall insect herbivory.

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Pamela Hung

Administrative Assistant

Work phone: (650) 736-8005 Fax: (650) 724-4980 Work Address: 327 Campus Drive, Bass Biology Bldg Room 114C, Stanford, California 94305-5020

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Rafael Acosta

Site Developer

Hi there! I’m a Software Engineer specialized in mobile apps, webs and servers. I love nature, hiking, climbing and I enjoy getting involved in any type of side project, which has led me to lend a hand to this awesome lab with it’s site.

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Rodolfo Dirzo

Principal Investigator

My research is simply part of the research that most lab members are conducting. In addition to that, I conduct some projects in which students from Stanford –and from other universities– participate. I also conduct research in collaboration with other colleagues from a variety of institutions—nationally and internationally, including the following: Patterns of herbivory in… Read more

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Chinmay Sonawane

PhD Student

I am interested in how animals interact with both the abiotic and biotic components of their environments. My current research questions are: 1. Do social predators and prey engage in collective behaviour during hunts? 2. How does sociality in large carnivores influence ecosystems and human systems? Please feel free to get in touch via email.

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Sriram Narasimhan

Undergraduate

Hey! I’m Sriram and I’m an undergraduate majoring in Biology; Ecology and Evolution and plan on graduating in 2023. I love field work and am interested in landscape ecology and species interactions .

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TJ Francisco

PhD Student

I research how land use change affects species interactions, invasions, and biodiversity in tropical forests. I primarily work with reptiles and amphibians to investigate the following questions: How can we integrate habitat requirements for vulnerable and range-restricted species into the agroecological matrix? How do evolved ecological constraints mediate species’ vulnerability or resiliency to anthropogenic disturbances?… Read more