Dr. Lars L. Iversen (Group leader)

I am an Assistant Professor in freshwater ecosystem responses to global change at the Department of Biology at McGill University. I am trained partly as a freshwater ecologist and partly as a landscape geographer at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, from which I received my Ph.D. degree. Previously, I’ve worked as an Assistant Professor at the Centre for Macroecology at the University of Copenhagen and a research fellow at the Macrosystems Ecology Laboratory at UC Berkeley and Arizona State University.

Dr. Alice Dalla Vecchia (Postdoctoral researcher)

I am a Postdoc in the frame of Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions postdoctoral fellowships, based at the Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability of the University of Parma, Italy, and at the Department of Biology of McGill University. My project is titled “DIVE IN – Predicting functional diversity of invasive freshwater plants” and aims at predicting invasive species performance at medium to large geographical scale. My interests lie in describing the drivers of functional traits variability in freshwater plants, as well as understanding the causes and consequences of invasion success in freshwater communities. I graduated in Ecology and Nature Conservation at the University of Parma, where I also obtained my Ph.D. degree in Evolutionary Biology and Ecology. 

Dr. Jack Greenhalgh (Postdoctoral researcher)

I am a freshwater ecologist and science communicator - formerly at University College London, the University of Bristol, and the Pyrenean Institute of Ecology in northern Spain. My research is focused on combining acoustic and eDNA-based methods to study freshwater ecosystems and detect aquatic invasive species in Quebec and around the world. I am also interested in finding ways to work across disciplines to communicate science through the creative discrimination of soundscape data. As such, I have had the pleasure of working with artists, musicians, poets, and the media to highlight the value of freshwater biodiversity using sound recordings.  

Dr. Valérie Langlois (Postdoctoral researcher)

I am a Postdoc at McGill University’s department of Biology working in collaboration with the Centre d’Expertise en Analyse Environnementale du Québec (CEAEQ). My project aims to develop an early detection tool for invasive aquatic macrophyte species in lakes and rivers of Quebec through eDNA surveys in water samples. I have a background in biology, microbiology and bio-informatic, with a strong focus on the ecology of freshwater environments. My interests lie in using molecular biology and bio-informatic techniques to better understand and preserve aquatic environments.

Dr. Yang Liu (Postdoctoral researcher)

I am a Postdoc at McGill University's Department of Biology, focusing on the functional traits of aquatic plants. I earned my Ph.D. in Ecology from Wuhan Botanical Garden (WBG), University of Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2023. Throughout my research, I aim to comprehend plant ecology, specifically within the context of aquatic plant adaptation and growth strategies. As part of this effort, I have investigated the maximum plant height of aquatic plants with different life forms, identifying the influencing factors associated with it.

Lindsay Trottier (PhD Student)

I am a PhD student in the Department of Biology at McGill University. Broadly, I am interested in how human activities impact freshwater ecosystems and how these ecosystems may respond. My research is mainly focused on examining the linkages between aquatic plant traits and their physical environment, and determining how changing environmental conditions may alter the functionality of freshwater ecosystems at various spatial and temporal scales. Before this, I completed an MSc in Geography at Carleton University (2021), where my master’s thesis examined the spatial and temporal variation of algae and water quality in the Rideau Canal in Ontario, Canada. In 2018, I completed a BSc (Hons) in Biology with a specialization in animal physiology at the University of Ottawa.

Nakiya Noorbhai (PhD Student)

I am a PhD student in the department of Biology. I previously graduated with a BSc in Computer Science from Mcgill University. My research involves using data-science methods to gain insight on the complex relationships with sand mining that exist across sub-Saharan Africa. Through this, I hope to provide evidence of the impacts of mining activities on biodiversity and relate this to other global threats such as river damming and extensive fisheries. I will also aim to examine whether it is possible to mitigate the damage to local communities, biodiversity, and the physical environment caused by sand-mining, while accounting for the increasing urbanization and socio-economic instability that drives this activity in sub-Saharan Africa.

Cindy Gao (PhD Student)

Hi! I am a PhD student co-supervised by Dr. Zofia Taranu. My research will focus on understanding disequilibrium responses of freshwater bioindicator communities to changing environmental conditions and how environmental disequilibrium impacts our ability to monitor freshwater ecosystems. Previously, I completed a BSc. in biology at McGill, where I integrated complex life cycle components into modeling global dragonfly trait-environment relationships. If I’m not losing ten years of my life wrestling with R, you’ll find me traipsing through the woods, curled up with a good book, or playing Final Fantasy XIV!

Grace Fedirchuk (PhD Student)

I am an PhD student in the Gregory-Eaves and Iversen labs in the Department of Biology at McGill University. My research involves using sedimentary DNA to investigate macrophyte community changes in southern Quebec lakes over time. Through this, I hope to provide insight into how the macrophyte community composition has shifted over the past ~150 years in the region. I also hope to determine when the invasive Eurasian watermilfoil species can be detected in these lakes. I recently completed my BSc (Hons) with a concentration in cellular, molecular, and developmental biology at the University of Manitoba.

Aelis Spiller (Master Student)

I am a M.Sc. student in the Iversen lab of the McGill Department of Biology. My interests broadly span the intersection of physical geography, ecology, and the anthroposphere. My research focuses on the impacts of non-mechanized riverbed sand mining on freshwater ecosystem functioning. My fieldwork is currently focused on watersheds in Rwanda. I aim to approach climate, ecological, and environmental issues through an inter-disciplinary lens and with multi-cultural awareness. I previously completed a B.Sc. with Honours in Earth System Science from McGill University in 2023.

Christophe Brabant (Master Student)

I am an MSc student in the Iversen and Pollock labs in the Department of Biology at McGill University. My research focuses on understanding the spatial distribution of anthropogenic threats to freshwater biodiversity. Ultimately, I am interested in relating  geographical patterns of threats and general freshwater biodiversity facets to conservation interventions on a global scale. Through this, I hope to provide an understanding of key conservation areas needed to protect freshwater biodiversity under different scenarios. Before this, I completed an BSc. (Hons) in the Iversen Lab, examining the threat of mining activities to freshwater biodiveristy.

Lev Wexler (Undergraduate student)

I am an undergraduate environmental science student, concentrating in biodiversity and conservation, with a minor in GIS. My broad research interests include geographic patterns in ecology, freshwater ecosystems, and conservation in Canada. I am also interested in interdisciplinary approaches to addressing anthropogenic environmental impacts. For my USRA in the Iversen lab, I will be working on the DIVE IN project, focusing on functional traits of invasive freshwater species near Montreal.

Emily Tang (Undergraduate student)

I am a second-year student at McGill University pursuing a joint major in Computer Science and Biology. My research interests lie at the intersection of computational modeling, specifically in using data-driven frameworks to predict environmental risks. My independent research project with the Iversen lab involves adapting a hypergeometric framework to model global site-specific threats in vertebrates. By applying this statistical method to a dataset of 45 environmental and human pressures, I aim to identify "dark threats", risks that are ecologically probable but currently unobserved or under-reported. Through this work, I hope to uncover global patterns of threat co-occurrence and compare how these signatures differ across mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians. Outside of my studies, I am interested in personal finance and enjoy playing guitar.