Professor of Evolutionary Biology & Synthesis at the University of Alberta, where he leads COSSEE's Canada Excellence Research Chair program in Open Science and Synthesis in Ecology and Evolution.
My name is Eduardo Santos, I am currently a Centre Manager at the Centre for Open Science and Synthesis in Ecology and Evolution at the University of Alberta.
Works across evidence synthesis and meta-research. Associate Professor at the University of Alberta, leading a sister lab to COSSEE, called I-DEEL (Inter-Disciplinary Ecology and Evolution Lab).
Behavioural ecologist studying ecological and evolutionary patterns in birds using phylogenetic comparative methods and evidence synthesis.
I joined I-DEEL in February 2026 as a Postdoctoral Scholar after finishing my PhD in marine science in my home country, Croatia.
I am an field ecologist and conservation biologist interested in how to understand novel ecosystems.
Works on life-history plasticity and comparative pace-of-life questions using Bayesian and meta-analytic methods across taxa.
Computing scientist developing tools for biological research and explainable AI, with prior work in neural network methods for bird data.
My research focuses on quantitative methods in paleoecology, new methods of extracting information from the fossil record, and patterns of extinction in insects.
Iwo Gross joined COSSEE in February 2026 shortly after earning his PhD from Auburn University, Alabama, USA.
Background in non-visual effects in chickens and welfare optimization; currently contributing to synthesis work on trans-generational effects.
Focused on phenotypic plasticity, senescence, and climate change through meta-analytic and synthesis approaches.
PhD student studying anthropogenic noise pollution and its effects on animal health and ecosystems through evidence synthesis and meta-analysis.
Researches computer vision for species identification and behavior tracking from camera trap imagery and video recordings.
Works in research synthesis and meta-research, including health and environmental effects of PFAS in humans and wildlife.
Develops meta-analysis tools for ecology, evolution, conservation, and environmental science, with strong applied statistics focus.
Kyle's research focus has largely been on evidence syntheses methodologies in environmental sciences including tool/guideline development, methodological, and reporting practices, and elevating the utility of evidence syntheses to inform environmental policy-decisions.
Aleksandra Milenović is a first year PhD student of Biological Sciences, and is working as a Teaching Assistant for Introduction to Biological Diversity (BIOL108).
I joined the Collaboration for Open Science and Synthesis in Ecology and Evolution Lab in Jan 2026 as a Master's student.
Cassidy joined COSSEE in January 2026 as a Master's student. She is interested in changes to deep time plant-insect communities following environmental upheaval, as well as in methods development to extract data from the fossil record.
Researches AI and machine learning approaches for identifying animal behaviour, with extensive software engineering experience.
I am an undergraduate researcher with COSSEE, currently completing a BSc specializing in Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology at the University of Alberta.
Recipient of an Undergraduate Student Research Award.
Recipient of an Undergraduate Student Research Award.
I joined COSSEE at the University of Alberta in March 2026. I hold an MSc in Computing Science (Thesis) from the University of Alberta and a BSc in Computer Science and Engineering from BRAC University.
Jimuel joined COSSEE in February 2026. It was shortly after obtaining his M.Sc. in Computing Science from the University of Alberta in November 2025.
Computing science graduate supporting COSSEE with data extraction and web development at the interface of scientific computing and AI.
Visitor working on pollination-dependence meta-analysis with expertise in pollinator ecology and conservation interventions.
Evolutionary and behavioural ecologist focusing on adaptation to environmental change and global meta-analyses of reproductive strategies in birds.
Email: pietro_pollo(-at-)hotmail(-dot-)com After completing a PhD at UNSW with Michael Kasumovic, I joined the I-DEEL lab in January 2023 as a research assistant. My r...
Email: aprilmartinig(-at-)hotmail(-dot-)com I work at the intersection of animal behavioural ecology and applied ecology. More specifically, I’m interested in understa...
Email: szymek(-dot-)drobniak(-at-)gmail(-dot-)com Polish by birth, world wanderer by occupation, artist deep inside. In my science I focus mostly on phenotypic plast...
Email: philip (-dot-) downing (-at-) oulu (-dot-) fi Instagram: @pip.squiggles (www.instagram.com/pip.squiggles/) I am a visiting research fellow in the I-DEEL lab. I...
Email: fooyongzhi(-at-)gmail(-dot-)com I did my PhD and a recent postdoc at the University of Western Australia with Prof Gillian Rhodes and Prof Leigh Simmons, where...
Email: e(-dot-)macartney(-at-)unsw(-dot-)edu(-dot-)au I am a Post-Doc in the I-DEEL Lab after completing a PhD and MSc with Prof Russell Bonduriansky at UNSW, Sydney....
Email: rose(-dot-)eleanor(-dot-)o(-dot-)dea(-at-)gmail(-dot-)com After growing up in Canberra I moved to Sydney at the same time as the I-DEEL lab, where I spent a yea...
Email: laura(-dot-)wilson(-at-)unsw(-dot-)edu(-dot-)au Laura is an evolutionary morphologist, working at the interface of evo-devo and palaeontology. Laura currently w...
Email: fonti (-dot-)kar (-at-)mq (-dot-)edu (-dot-)au Fonti's PhD focused on the importance of inter-individual variation for the evolution of phenotypic plasticity....
Email: celarav(-at-)gmail(-dot-)com Carlos did his thesis with Shinichi studying the dunnock variable mating system. Carlos' work focused on understanding the effects...
Email: f(-dot-)roca(-at-)massey(-dot-)ac(-dot-)nz Javier did his PhD at the Massey University in Palmerston North, New Zealand. He is originally from Ecuador and compl...
My name is Eduardo Santos, I am currently a Centre Manager at the Centre for Open Science and Synthesis in Ecology and Evolution at the University of Alberta.
Alistair did his PhD study with Shinichi studying the individual and population level effects on induced sex-reversal in fish. Alistair works as a postdoc at The Unive...
Echo did her PhD project with Shinichi investigating the causes and consequences of extra-pair paternity in the house sparrow population on Lundy Island, UK. This rese...
Jamie held a number of research positions at the University of Otago, interspersed with several extended stints of overseas travel. He did his PhD working on neurobiol...
Email: benedikt(-dot-)holtmann(-at-)gmail(-dot-)com Originally from Germany, Benedikt moved to New Zealand to do his PhD with Shinichi. In his doctoral research, he ex...
Email: samantha(-dot-)burke(-at-)unsw(-dot-)edu(-dot-)au I joined the I-DEEL lab in February 2020 to start a PhD program with Shinichi Nakagawa, Tracey Rogers, and Szy...
Email: contact( -dot-)matt ( -dot-)gibson (-at-)gmail(-dot-)com I am an applied machine learning researcher with interests in computer vision, decision science and com...
Email: c(-dot-)vendl(-at-)unsw(-dot-)edu(-dot-)au I have a degree in veterinary science from Germany. I did my PhD at the UNSW Mammal Lab on the respiratory microbiota...
Email: dony (-dot-) indiarto (-at-) gmail(-dot-)com I joined Shinichi's lab in February 2018 as a PhD student. I'll be working on species turnover and range shifts und...
Email: sharkyboy_909 (-at-)hotmail(-dot-)com Before joining the I-DEEL lab as a PhD student, I worked with Shinichi and a few others from the lab at Garvan Institute a...
Email: dpmason91(-at-)gmail(-dot-)com Dom joined the I-DEEL lab after completing his undergrad in Marine Biology at UNSW, in 2019. He had a keen interest in aspects of...
Email: joshua(-dot-)markovski(-at-)gmail(-dot-)com Josh joined Shinichi’s lab early 2020 as an undergraduate student in an Advanced Science degree at UNSW. He worked o...
Email: dax(-dot-)kellie (-at-) gmail (-dot-) com Dax completed his PhD in the E&ERC at UNSW, which aimed to understand how cultural and evolutionary factors influenc...
Email: joanna(-dot-)rutkowska(-at-)uj(-dot-)edu (-dot-)pl Although in each sexually reproducing organism an individual has mother and father, non-genetic inheritance h...
Email: nathwilliamb(-at-)runbox(-dot-)com I have a broad interest in evolutionary ecology, but I am particularly attracted to fascinating and controversial questions i...
Email: daniel(-dot-)wa(-dot-) noble(-at-)gmail(-dot-)com Dan has been part of our research group as an ARC DECRA Fellow interested in phenotypic plasticity and the rol...
Email: a (-dot-)aloy (-at-)unsw(-dot-)edu(-dot-)au After years doing field ecology, I will be shifting towards laboratory work on environmental epigenetics using the...
Email: gihan(-dot-)samarasinghe(-at-)unsw(-dot-)edu(-dot-)au I joined Shinichi Nakagawa’s group in October 2017 as a Research Associate, for one year. I was working wi...
Joel was a SNSF research fellow at UNSW. His work focuses predominantly on the interactions between parents and offspring, and especially on the causes and consequence...
I was an undergraduate student at UNSW in the third year of an Advanced Science degree, double majoring in Molecular Biology and Genetics when I joined the i-deel lab...
Email: melissa(-dot-)fangmeier (-at-) outlook (-dot-) com Melissa worked as a research assistant for the I-DEEL team. Her background is in animal science, having studi...
Email: thomasmerkling 00(-at-)gmail (-dot-) com As a part of Endeavour Research Fellow I was working with Lisa Schwanz and Shinichi. I am mostly interested in how envi...
Email: usuitakuji (-at-)gmail (-dot-) com I moved over from Edinburgh, Scotland to join the I-DEEL lab to work as a research assistant for a year. I first came to disc...
Marija Purgar Filjak photoI joined I-DEEL in February 2026 as a Postdoctoral Scholar after finishing my PhD in marine science in my home country, Croatia. My PhD research focused on Vibrio bacteria in mariculture and on quantifying research waste in ecology. Before completing my PhD, I was a Fulbright Fellow at Emory University, where I worked on assessing open and transparent research practices across ecology and evolutionary biology literature.
My current work continues to focus on transparency in ecology and evolutionary biology, not only in research itself but across the broader research ecosystem. I’m also actively involved in the Society for Open, Reliable, and Transparent Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (SORTEE), where I currently serve as President. We recently celebrated five years of the Society and are always happy to welcome new members. You can learn more about SORTEE on our website (https://sortee.org/).
Erick Lundgren photoI am an field ecologist and conservation biologist interested in how to understand novel ecosystems. While I maintain several field projects, I have increasingly realized that meta-analytic approaches are necessary to answer these big questions as they allow inference across spatial and temporal scales that are unavailable to a field researcher.
| Email: ortegara(-at-)ualberta(-dot-)ca I joined the group in 2025 after completing my PhD at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM). My doctoral research focused on life history plasticity in blue-footed boobies, combining long-term field monitoring on Isla Isabel—often called the Mexican Galápagos—with Bayesian modeling to explore reproductive strategies in changing environments. I am particularly interested in using a meta-analytic approach to examine the pace of life syndrome across different taxa. In my spare time, I enjoy playing video games, visiting museums, and embroidery. |
| Email: pooherna(-at-)ualberta(-dot-)ca I joined the group in July 2025. I have a PhD in Computing Science from the University of Alberta. My doctoral research focused on enhancing bird neural network classifiers with additional input information. My current work focuses in the creation of tools for biological research as well as in explainable Artificial Intelligence (AI) research. |
Christine Sosiak photoMy research focuses on quantitative methods in paleoecology, new methods of extracting information from the fossil record, and patterns of extinction in insects. I joined COSSEE in 2026 to continue and expand upon this work, synthesizing paleontological and macro- and meta-ecological research. I am most interested in the integration of fossils into broad-scale ecological questions as they provide a unique axis – deep time – to our investigations. Currently, I am working on fossilized plant-insect interactions; analyzing how community networks change structure across periods of environmental upheaval, and the implications that such shifts have upon terricolous ecosystems during times of global change.
Iwo P. Gross photoIwo Gross joined COSSEE in February 2026 shortly after earning his PhD from Auburn University, Alabama, USA. In his dissertation, Iwo assessed the conservation implications of mating system dynamics in diamond-backed terrapins. Iwo work seeks to leverage empirical, simulation-based, and meta-analytical techniques to promote reproducible, evidence-based, and actionable conservation science.
| Email: yangyefeng_0920(-at-)163(-dot-)com I did my Ph.D. and postdoc at Zhejiang University, where my research interests focus on the non-visual effects on chicken. By doing a mixture of animal experiments and synthesis research, we aim to optimise the light environment for improvied chicken welfare. Now I am visiting II-DEEL lab to work with Shinichi, Losia and Yong on tans-generational effects. |
| Email: p(-dot-)pottier(-at-)unsw(-dot-)edu(-dot-)au I joined the I-DEEL lab in early 2020 as a Scientia PhD student with Shinichi, Szymek Drobniak and Tracey Rogers. My research aims to investigate the senescence of phenotypic plasticity and its interplay with climate change. Using mainly meta-analyses, we will not only reveal how phenotypic plasticity could confer resilience to climate change but also how, in turn, climate change could alter ageing and plasticity. Outside of science, I spend most of my time exploring Sydney surroundings, exercising, snorkeling, and eating the awesome vegan food of Sydney. |
| Email: lenzrive(-at-)ualberta(-dot-)ca I joined I-DEEL in January 2025 as a PhD student, bringing a background in neuroethology and bioacoustics. My research examines how anthropogenic noise pollution affects animal health and ecosystems using systematic evidence synthesis and meta-analysis. Through my research, I aim to bridge knowledge gaps and contribute to evidence-based conservation. I’m particularly drawn to the misfits—the unheard and underrepresented species like reptiles, amphibians, rodents, and bats. While studying urban bats at the University of Alberta, I discovered the hidden world of ultrasonic noise pollution—an overlooked yet pervasive environmental stressor. This realization fueled my drive to understand and mitigate human impacts on wildlife at a global scale, ultimately leading me to I-DEEL. Beyond research, I enjoy baking, spending time with my dogs, going to the beach, and volunteering in social work and science outreach for youth. |
| Email: j(-dot-)tam(-at-)unsw(-dot-)edu(-dot-)au I grew up in Hong Kong and completed my BSc in biology at UNSW, Sydney. I joined the I-DEEL lab in 2020 as an honours student and did a project on biases in mammalian research, supervised by Shinichi and Will Cornwell. I then transitioned into a PhD student in 2022, supervised also by Richard Kingsford and Sowmya Arcot. My current project focuses on using computer vision to automatically identify species of animals in camera trap images and track their behaviour with video recordings. In my spare time, I enjoy going on photo walks, making various Hong Kong dishes and desserts, playing and listening to music, and singing karaoke with my friends. |
| Email: l(-dot-)ricolfi(-at-)unsw(-dot-)edu(-dot-)au I graduated with honours in Natural and Environmental Sciences at La Sapienza University of Rome. Afterward, I completed a post-graduate and professional course in Environmental Pollution and Human Health at the University of Genoa. Simultaneously, I was flying to and from the south of Mozambique to work on an international project aiming at consolidating the capacities of decision-makers responsible for land planning and management of natural resources. In February 2022, I joined the Inter-Disciplinary Ecology and Evolution Lab as a PhD Student working on Research Synthesis and Meta-research on the impacts of PFAS on humans and wildlife health. |
| Email: coralie(-dot-)williams(-at-)unsw(-dot-)edu(-dot-)au I moved from Paris, France to join the I-DEEL lab in May 2022 to start a PhD under the supervision of Shinichi Nakagawa and David Warton. My project aims to develop new meta-analysis tools in the context of ecological, evolutionary, conservation and environmental research, but also in research fields beyond. During my PhD I hope to apply and expand my skills as an applied statistician and researcher. Growing up on an island, New-Caledonia, I am passionate about anything related to the ocean. |
Kyle Morrison photoKyle's research focus has largely been on evidence syntheses methodologies in environmental sciences including tool/guideline development, methodological, and reporting practices, and elevating the utility of evidence syntheses to inform environmental policy-decisions. Kyle has also used evidence synthesis to explore the impacts of pesticides on aquatic ecosystems with a specific focus on fish behavioural responses. Some of his most notable first author papers have been published in Nature Sustainability, Environmental International, and Environmental Pollution.
Aleksandra Milenovic photoAleksandra Milenović is a first year PhD student of Biological Sciences, and is working as a Teaching Assistant for Introduction to Biological Diversity (BIOL108). Her thesis is in conceptualisation stage, but is envisioned to examine the processes of big-team science, particularly in the context of interdisciplinary collaboration. She is also a member of the University College Dublin Media and Entertainment Psychology Lab and is a member of the Advisory Board for the European Research Council Funded Project, "Investigating Fictional Representations of Child Sexual Abuse in Contemporary Culture: Myths and Understanding" (CSAReps). Prior to her membership in COSSEE, she worked as a Research Assistant within the CSAReps project, co-authoring the project outputs as well as co-organising the project's dissemination strands. Her interdisciplinary and international education consists of a Cum Laude Masters of Media Studies from Utrecht University, Netherlands and Bachelor of Science in Psychology, University College Dublin, Ireland.
Hao Qin photoI joined the Collaboration for Open Science and Synthesis in Ecology and Evolution Lab in Jan 2026 as a Master's student. My work focuses on statistical methodology, developing new frameworks to calculate R-squared and interpret variance in Location-Scale models. Prior to joining the lab, I studied statistics at the University of Toronto, where I built a strong foundation in mathematical probability and linear algebra. Unlike most ecologists who start in the field, my journey began in the world of theorems and proofs, giving me a unique geometric perspective on data analysis.
| Joseph joined i-DEEL in 2023 to begin his higher-degree research into using AI and machine learning methods to identify animal behaviour. His research is part of a collaboration between Taronga Zoo and BEES at UNSW. Joseph is an experienced computer scientist who has worked in software design and data science in Australia and the United States for over 25 years, designing technical solutions, patents and code for many multi-national corporations such as Facebook, and Intel. He has also contributed to multiple technology start-ups, acting as the founding Chief Technology Officer, building initial ideas into working commercial software systems that matured and were ultimately acquired. |
Kelly Wu photoI am an undergraduate researcher with COSSEE, currently completing a BSc specializing in Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology at the University of Alberta. My research project focuses on using bibliometrics to quantify trends and uncover emerging patterns within a focal ecological journal.
Mahi Zakir photoI joined COSSEE at the University of Alberta in March 2026. I hold an MSc in Computing Science (Thesis) from the University of Alberta and a BSc in Computer Science and Engineering from BRAC University. I am deeply passionate about machine learning and AI, not just as research topics, but as tools that can genuinely change how people access and use information. I strongly believe that data should not sit in silos. It should be accessible, understandable, and actionable. My previous works include projects like RT-Pred (a ML system that predicts chromatographic retention time across methods to improve compound identification) and RADOR (an AI powered rare disease assistant that integrates structured knowledge and language models to support diagnostic reasoning). Now at COSSEE, I explore how large language models and ML can aid in meta-analysis and synthesis of Open Science data in Ecology and Evolution. By automatically extracting, organising, and reasoning over published researches, these tools can help identify patterns, generate insights, and support evidence-based conclusions at a scale that would be very hard manually. Outside of research, I am a big fan of pop culture and keeping up with global trends. I believe the best ideas often emerge when different worlds collide.
Jimuel Jr Celeste photoJimuel joined COSSEE in February 2026. It was shortly after obtaining his M.Sc. in Computing Science from the University of Alberta in November 2025. He is interested in Data Science, Epidemiology, System Modeling and Simulation, Machine Learning, and System and Software Engineering. He joined COSSEE as a Research Assistant to contribute his computational training towards supporting the research of the lab, and to learn about Research Synthesis and Meta-Analysis. He is from the Philippines; he obtained his B.Sc. in Computer Science from the University of the Philippines Diliman in 2021.
| Email: bjain1(-at-)ualberta(-dot-)ca I am a summer research assistant at the COSSEE Lab and recently graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Computing Science from the University of Alberta in May 2025. My academic and research interests lie at the intersection of scientific computing, optimization, and reinforcement learning. I’ve worked on a wide range of projects—from solving geometric simulation problems like the Un-illuminable Rooms puzzle to building an Android app for tracking and sharing moods, and exploring artificial life through program synthesis and evolutionary reinforcement learning. I am contributing to COSSEE Lab through data extraction and web development. Outside of work, I enjoy playing badminton and traveling. |
| Email: elena(-dot-)gazzea(-at-)unipd(-dot-)it I am a visiting research fellow at the I-DEEL, working on a meta-analysis project on pollination dependence of crops. I recently obtained my PhD with Prof Lorenzo Marini at the University of Padova, Italy. My education background is in Forest Science, and my research interests lie in studying the ecology of pollinators in forest and agricultural landscapes, assessing the effectiveness of conservation interventions and the effects of natural disturbances, e.g. windthrows, on pollinator biodiversity. |
| Email: arct(-at-)ualberta(-dot-)ca I am a visiting researcher and an evolutionary and behavioural ecologist from the Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Poland. My research interests focus on the ecological and evolutionary mechanisms underlying animal adaptation to environmental change, particularly in wild bird populations. I combine long-term field studies with genetic, behavioural, and physiological data to understand reproductive strategies and life-history evolution. I have recently joined Shinichi Nakagawa’s research group at the University of Alberta, where I am learning and conducting global meta-analyses to understand reproductive strategies, particularly extra-pair copulations in birds. |
 | Email:
pietro_pollo(-at-)hotmail(-dot-)com After completing a PhD at UNSW with Michael Kasumovic, I joined the I-DEEL lab in January 2023 as a research assistant. My research is focused on behavioral ecology and sexual selection, but I have also worked with arthropod systematics and bioacoustics in the past. My current project aims to explore meta-analyses in sexual selection, using systematic mapping and bibliometrics. In my spare time, I like watching movies and playing games (on PC or board ones). |
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aprilmartinig(-at-)hotmail(-dot-)com I work at the intersection of animal behavioural ecology and applied ecology. More specifically, I’m interested in understanding how consistent variation in individual behaviour contributes to performance differences across lifetimes, particularly during dispersal. I joined I-DEEL in May 2022 as a Canadian NSERC postdoctoral fellow after completing my PhD at the University of Alberta (Behavioural and ecological predictors of dispersal outcomes in red squirrels) and MSc at Concordia University in Montreal (Investigating the effectiveness of wildlife passages for smaller mammals). For my postdoc at UNSW, I will be in using multifaceted approaches, including meta-analyses and agent-based modelling, to understanding the evolutionary ecology of dispersal decisions. |
 | Email:
szymek(-dot-)drobniak(-at-)gmail(-dot-)com Polish by birth, world wanderer by occupation, artist deep inside. In my science I focus mostly on phenotypic plasticity, quantitative genetics and the evolutionary drivers of animal & plant colouration. I’m also very much into modern stats and mathematical modeling - I use extensive meta-analyses and comparative models to answers questions I cannot tackle empirically. I love traveling and mountain hiking, often doing both while working (I study blue tits on Swedish Gotland and hummingbirds in Costa Rica). As a DECRA Fellow, at UNSW I will use lab experiments & meta-analyses to study the senescence of phenotypic plasticity. When not doing science I run, design book covers and illustrations (you can see some of it at szdrobniak.pl), write poetry or collect elements. |
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philip(-dot-)downing(-at-)oulu(-dot-)fi Instagram: @pip.squiggles (www.instagram.com/pip.squiggles/) I am a visiting research fellow in the I-DEEL lab. I did my PhD at the University of Oxford, a postdoc at Lund University in Sweden, and I am currently a postdoc the University of Oulu in Finland. My research is focused on understanding the evolution, distribution, and diversity of cooperation across the Tree of Life, which I investigate using phylogenetic comparative methods and meta-analysis. I like to communicate about my research and growing up in Uganda with Lego bricks on Instagram. |
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fooyongzhi(-at-)gmail(-dot-)com I did my PhD and a recent postdoc at the University of Western Australia with Prof Gillian Rhodes and Prof Leigh Simmons, where I applied a range of research techniques, including meta-analysis, visual perception studies, dietary experiments, and physiological health measures, to study the evolutionary basis of mate preferences in humans. Through this work, I find myself becoming increasingly interested in broader sexual selection questions such as honest signalling and trade-offs between life-history traits. I am currently working at the I-DEEL lab as an Endeavour Research Fellow on a 6-month meta-analysis project. |
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e(-dot-)macartney(-at-)unsw(-dot-)edu(-dot-)au I am a Post-Doc in the I-DEEL Lab after completing a PhD and MSc with Prof Russell Bonduriansky at UNSW, Sydney. I am particularly interested in phenotypic plasticity and reproductive investment as well as transgenerational inheritance. Prior to moving to Sydney, I grew up in a town called New Plymouth in Taranaki, New Zealand, then moved to Wellington to complete a BSc and Post-Graduate Diploma in Ecology and Biodiversity at Victoria University. In between studying, I have worked as a research assistant for a range of different projects: from understanding environmental effects on infant pneumonia to island-mainland effects on invertebrate functional groups. When I haven’t been doing science, I have been fortunate enough to spend my time visiting many biodiversity hotspots including the Galapagos, Madagascar and the Amazon. |
 | Email:
rose(-dot-)eleanor(-dot-)o(-dot-)dea(-at-)gmail(-dot-)com After growing up in Canberra I moved to Sydney at the same time as the I-DEEL lab, where I spent a year as a research assistant before starting a PhD. During my PhD I’m becoming well-acquainted with R and zebrafish, by doing a mixture of meta-analyses and lab experiments to measure different aspects of phenotypic variance. |
 | Email: laura(-dot-)wilson(-at-)unsw(-dot-)edu(-dot-)au Laura is an evolutionary morphologist, working at the interface of evo-devo and palaeontology. Laura currently works at ANU, Canberra, Australia. |
 | Email:
fonti(-dot-)kar(-at-)mq(-dot-)edu(-dot-)au Fonti's PhD focused on the importance of inter-individual variation for the evolution of phenotypic plasticity. She worked with an egg-laying lizard species and manipulated the temperature at which eggs develop in. Font works as and Postdoctoral researcher, at BEES, UNSW, Australia. |
 | Email:
celarav(-at-)gmail(-dot-)com Carlos did his thesis with Shinichi studying the dunnock variable mating system. Carlos' work focused on understanding the effects of mating systems on parental care and male and female gametic investment. Carlos works as a lecturer at the Institute of Biology at the Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia. |
| Email:
f(-dot-)roca(-at-)massey(-dot-)ac(-dot-)nz Javier did his PhD at the Massey University in Palmerston North, New Zealand. He is originally from Ecuador and completed a Bachelor of Agricultural Engineering at Zamorano University in Honduras. He moved to New Zealand to pursue postgraduate studies in pastoral livestock production. His work with Shinichi involves both meta-analytical studies as well as field work to investigate the effect of maternal pregnancy nutrition on sheep productivity. Javier works as a lecturer at the Massey University in Palmerston North, New Zealand. |
| Ed did
his PhD study with Shinichi focusing on
the interplay between mating systems
and parental care in the dunnock
Prunella modularis. Ed is a lecturer at the Universidade de São Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brasil. |
| Alistair did his PhD study with
Shinichi studying
the individual and population level
effects on induced sex-reversal in
fish. Alistair works as a postdoc at The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia. |
| Echo did
her
PhD project with Shinichi
investigating the causes and
consequences of extra-pair paternity in
the house sparrow population on Lundy
Island, UK. This research was a part of
joint project between the University of
Otago, NZ, and the University of
Sheffield, UK. Echo works as a postdoc at National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan. |
| Jamie held a number of research
positions at the University of Otago,
interspersed with several extended
stints of overseas travel. He did his
PhD working on neurobiology of honeybee
under supervision of Alison Mercer and
Shinichi, at the University of
Otago, NZ. Jamie works as a postdoc at the University of Otago, NZ. |
| Email:
benedikt(-dot-)holtmann(-at-)gmail(-dot-)com Originally from Germany, Benedikt moved to New Zealand to do his PhD with Shinichi. In his doctoral research, he examined the causes and consequences of behavioural variation using the dunnock (Prunella modularis) as a study species. His work combined field and laboratory work as well as meta-analytical approaches. Benedikt is back in Germany working as a postdoctoral researcher. |
 | Email:
samantha(-dot-)burke(-at-)unsw(-dot-)edu(-dot-)au I joined the I-DEEL lab in February 2020 to start a PhD program with Shinichi Nakagawa, Tracey Rogers, and Szymek Drobniak. My project will focus on the impact of climate change on marine organisms with connections to phenotypic plasticity and ageing. Using meta-analyses and secondary synthesis, my PhD will examine how phenotypic plasticity may influence organisms’ responses to climate change, and in turn, how climate change may influence an organism’s plasticity. |
| Email:
contact(-dot-)matt(-dot-)gibson(-at-)gmail(-dot-)com I am an applied machine learning researcher with interests in computer vision, decision science and computational sustainability. In 2023, I submitted my doctoral thesis, "Weakly Supervised Machine Learning for Remote Sensing". Previously, I was studying with Prof. Arcot Sowmya in the Computer Vision and Machine Learning Lab at the School of Computer Science and Engineering at UNSW. I hold a B.Sc.(H1) in Mathematics from the University of Auckland and an M.Sc. in Mathematics from the University of Sydney. |
 | Email:
c(-dot-)vendl(-at-)unsw(-dot-)edu(-dot-)au I have a degree in veterinary science from Germany. I did my PhD at the UNSW Mammal Lab on the respiratory microbiota in whales and dolphins to develop a tool for non-invasive population health assessment. I joined the I-DEEL lab as lab manager and research assistant in May 2020. |
 | Email:
dony(-dot-)indiarto(-at-)gmail(-dot-)com I joined Shinichi's lab in February 2018 as a PhD student. I'll be working on species turnover and range shifts under gradual changes of climatic variables and frequent extreme-climatic events with Shinichi, Daniel Falster, and Will Cornwell. I'll be utilising a large database of plant functional trait and computational approach for my studies. I am an Indonesian and eager to learn multiple cultures. While in Australia, I will also make the most of my spare time to explore the fascinating Australian landscapes and wilderness. I enjoy bushwalking and camping very much. |
| Email:
sharkyboy_909(-at-)hotmail(-dot-)com Before joining the I-DEEL lab as a PhD student, I worked with Shinichi and a few others from the lab at Garvan Institute as a research assistant. My main role was maintenance of zebrafish, as well as assisting various experimental procedures. My PhD aims to address various questions in evolutionary biology from phenotypic variation to the developmental origins of health and disease and will involve conducting systematic reviews of studies concerned with high fat diets; and experimental work involving dietary manipulation in zebrafish (Danio rerio). Outside of life as a scientist, I enjoy an active lifestyle consisting of mainly bodybuilding and rugby league. |
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dpmason91(-at-)gmail(-dot-)com Dom joined the I-DEEL lab after completing his undergrad in Marine Biology at UNSW, in 2019. He had a keen interest in aspects of evolutionary biology and was working closely with lab members in behavioural research with zebrafish. His main roles included assisting with zebrafish maintenance and developing assays for automated experimental units (Zantiks AD). |
 | Email:
joshua(-dot-)markovski(-at-)gmail(-dot-)com Josh joined Shinichi’s lab early 2020 as an undergraduate student in an Advanced Science degree at UNSW. He worked on his Honours project with Shinichi, Will Cornwell and Corey Callaghan as supervisors. The project involved investigating how the relationship between sexual dichromatism and demography in Passerine birds is impacted by latitude and geography. |
 | Email: dax(-dot-)kellie(-at-)gmail(-dot-)com Dax completed his PhD in the E&ERC at UNSW, which aimed to understand how cultural and evolutionary factors influence sexist attitudes and behaviours. He then worked for several months on a project with Shinichi and Prof. Tim Parker to understand sources of variation in ecology and evolution research. He is currently working as a data analyst for the Indigenous Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Unit in the Australian Institute for Health and Welfare. Twitter:
@daxkellie |
 | Email:
joanna(-dot-)rutkowska(-at-)uj(-dot-)edu(-dot-)pl Although in each sexually reproducing organism an individual has mother and father, non-genetic inheritance has been predominantly studied in the form of maternal effects (and I consider maternal effects to be my field of expertise). In recent years development of new theoretical, computational and empirical tools resulted in more interest and new insights into paternal effects. Yet, there are virtually no systematic/meta-analytical studies that would summarize knowledge on paternal effects. During my sabbatical year made such a quantitative research synthesis using the methodology developed by Shinichi. I came to Sydney from the Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Poland, where I am a faculty member. |
 | Email:
nathwilliamb(-at-)runbox(-dot-)com I have a broad interest in evolutionary ecology, but I am particularly attracted to fascinating and controversial questions in Biology. During my PhD (supervised by Russell Bonduriansky), I investigated how the ecology of sexual interactions—such as mate choice and mate rejection—shapes the prevalence of sex and parthenogenesis in animals. Using the spiny leaf stick insect (Extatosoma tiaratum) and Cyclone Larry sick insect (Sipyloidea larryii)—both of which are capable of sexual and asexual reproduction—I investigated how eco-evolutionary dynamics driven by sexual conflict could help to explain the dominance of obligate sex and rare transitions to asexuality in animal systems. More recently I’ve been thinking about the phenomenon of ‘geographic parthenogenesis’—i.e., the spatial structuring of sexual and asexual reproduction—and the factors that contribute to it. Apart from these interests, I was working as a part-time postdoc researcher in the i-deel lab modelling the sex-specific ecological conditions that promote the evolution of maternal and paternal effects. |
| Email:
daniel(-dot-)wa(-dot-)noble(-at-)gmail(-dot-)com Dan has been part of our research group as an ARC DECRA Fellow interested in phenotypic plasticity and the role of early environmental and maternal effects in shaping the covariance between physiology, behaviour and life history. He is testing theory in this area using a number of model systems including lizards, fish and Daphnia. Dan also has a keen interest in statistics, meta-analyses and reproducible research. Dan currently works as an lecturer at the Australian National University, Canberra, AU. |
 | Email:
a(-dot-)aloy(-at-)unsw(-dot-)edu(-dot-)au After years doing field ecology, I will be shifting towards laboratory work on environmental epigenetics using the zebrafish model system. I have chosen Shinichi’s lab for my PhD as I am very keen on learning new and cool stuff about conducting behavioural studies, data analyses (meta-analyses, R, etc.) and molecular laboratory work. |
 | Email:
gihan(-dot-)samarasinghe(-at-)unsw(-dot-)edu(-dot-)au I joined Shinichi Nakagawa’s group in October 2017 as a Research Associate, for one year. I was working with Shinichi and Losia in a project on Mapping of Low Carbon Living-related systematic reviews. I was engaged in analysis of systematic reviews and planning work on automation of meta-analyses and systematic mapping using machine learning techniques, including deep learning. Gihan currently works in industry. |
| Joel was a SNSF research fellow at
UNSW. His work focuses predominantly on
the interactions between parents and
offspring, and especially on the causes
and consequence of variation in
parental investment in birds. I am also
interested in statistical methodology,
such as quantitative genetic modelling,
comparative analysis and meta-analysis.
He did his PhD at the University of
Zurich, Switzerland, and his Masters at
the University of Sheffield, UK. Joel currently works at the University of Edinburgh, UK. |
 | I was an undergraduate student at UNSW
in the third year of an Advanced
Science degree, double majoring in
Molecular Biology and Genetics when I
joined the i-deel lab at the end of
2016 as part of a summer research
scholarship after hearing about
Shinichi’s work through a lecture given
at the uni. I worked as a part time
research assistant for the group,
focusing mainly on molecular lab
work. |
 | Email:
melissa(-dot-)fangmeier(-at-)outlook(-dot-)com Melissa worked as a research assistant for the I-DEEL team. Her background is in animal science, having studied Animal and Veterinary Bioscience at The University of Sydney, and completing her honours research project developing and modifying diluents to cryopreserve rabbit spermatozoa. For a year she was helping Rose with her PhD, as well as performing meta-analyses with Losia, and assisting to develop high-throughput behavioural screening assays for zebrafish at The Garvan Institute of Medical Research in their Diabetes and Metabolism division, under the guidance of Shinichi. Melissa now works as a veterinary nurse. |
 | Email:
thomasmerkling00(-at-)gmail(-dot-)com As a part of Endeavour Research Fellow I was working with Lisa Schwanz and Shinichi. I am mostly interested in how environmental conditions influence reproductive decisions. During my PhD in France I investigated decisions such as sex allocation, hatching asynchrony and maternal effects in a seabird. After a postdoc at the ANU looking at lizard colouration, I came back to my first love and was doing a meta-analysis on maternal hormones and offspring sex as well as one on the influence of egg yolk hormones on offspring behaviour and fitness-related traits. Thomas currently works at McGill University, Canada. |
| Email:
usuitakuji(-at-)gmail(-dot-)com I moved over from Edinburgh, Scotland to join the I-DEEL lab to work as a research assistant for a year. I first came to discover research conducted at I-DEEL after becoming interested in applications of meta-analyses in evolution and ecology during my Honours project at the University of Edinburgh, for which I carried out a phylogenetic comparative meta-analysis on avian phenology. Throughout my time with I-DEEL, I was pursuing this interest (this time delving into the area of evolutionary medicine) by conducting a meta-analysis of variance on animal models of stroke with Shinichi and Alistair, in collaboration with Prof. Malcolm Macleod (CAMARADES group). In addition, I was assisting with setting up zebrafish metabolism and respirometry work at The Garvan Institute of Medical Research, and more generally helping out with various lab work for other members of the team. Takuji is doing his PhD at the University of British Columbia, Canada. |
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