Status:
Role:
Shinichi Nakagawa [he/him]
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Email: snakagaw(-at-)ualberta(-dot-)ca
I am a Professor of Evolutionary Ecology and Synthesis at the University of Alberta. Also, I was an ARC Future Fellow, an Alexander von Humboldt Fellow and a Rutherford Discovery Fellow in the past. I was born in Nagano and brought up in Saitama, Japan. After turning 21, I went to New Zealand to see penguins. I did BSc (Hons) at the University of Waikato, New Zealand (2003) and PhD at the University of Sheffield, United Kingdom (2007). After a brief postdoc period, I got a job as lecturer at the University of Otago (2008). In 2015, I moved to UNSW, Sydney. |
Malgorzata (Losia) Lagisz [she/her]
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Email: m(-dot-)lagisz(-at-)unsw(-dot-)edu(-dot-)au
I joined the SN research group in Dunedin, in October 2009, to help developing a database for meta-analysis of effects of dietary restriction on animal longevity. Since then I contributed to several projects on various topics, my involvement ranging from teaching molecular genetics skills and collecting data, to writing comparative and meta-analytic papers. I did my biology degrees (MSC and PhD) in Poland, held two postdoc positions in the UK (Sheffield and Newcastle upon Tyne), then moved to New Zealand, where I lived until moving to Australia in 2015. |
Ayumi Mizuno [she/her]
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Email: ayumi(-dot-)mizuno5(-at-)gmail(-dot-)com
I am a visiting research fellow at the I-DEEL. I did my PhD at Hokkaido University in Japan. My research is focused on understanding the evolutionary relationships between diet and morphological characteristics in birds, using behavioural experiments and phylogenetic comparative approaches. My research subject is mainly Estrildid finches, a group of small passerine birds found in the Old World tropics and Australia. However, my love for birds extends to all avian species - a passion that began when I was just five years old. In my free time, I enjoy reading books, trying new recipes in the kitchen, and visiting museums. |
Erick Lundgren [he/him]
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Email: erick(-dot-)lundgren(-at-)gmail(-dot-)com
Erick Lundgren’s research primarily focuses on novel ecosystems, or communities composed of both introduced and native species. These systems provide opportunities to test how communities assemble and how to understand global patterns of biodiversity change. He is currently using meta-analytic approaches to test longstanding questions regarding how novel ecosystems function relative to native ones. |
Anna Lenz [she/her]
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Email:
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. |
Elena Gazzea [she/her]
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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. |
Santiago Ortega [he/him]
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Email: santiago(-dot-)ortega(-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. |
Bhavya Jain [he/him]
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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. |