About me

Hi there! I am an ecologist, evolutionary biologist, and data scientist. My goal is to strengthen our ecosystems by translating ecological data into insights that are meaningful for diverse audiences. I recently completed my PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Toronto, co-advised by Drs. Marc Johnson and Helene Wagner. I have a new job! More details coming soon.

My research focused on how urbanization influences the ecology and evolution of common milkweed (a favorite of Monarch butterflies). More and more people are moving to cities— did you know that over half the human population lives in urban areas?!— and by understanding how these unique environments affect wildlife on the long term, we can design resilient cities that act as healthy ecosystems for wildlife as well as people.

I’m also developing a keen interest in coding well and teaching how to do so. I have co-instructed multiple R coding workshops at conferences (e.g. ESA, CSEE, SORTEE) and locally through UofT. I’m a certified instructor with The Carpentries and am an executive member of UofT Coders.

Before graduate school, I earned my B.A. in Biology with a Certificate in Integrative Genomics Sciences from Wesleyan University. Next, I was lucky enough to spend two years as a staff scientist at an ecological restoration firm and learn about all sorts of things— especially field work, multi-year project management, and the value of incredible coworkers.

In my free time I like to go to concerts, explore Toronto’s fascinating neighborhoods (there are >150!), tinker and learn new skills with weekend coding projects, and contemplate the wonders of evolutionary resilience.

Milkweed growing in downtown Toronto

On the search for urban milkweed. Toronto, 2018. PC: Samreen Munim

Milkweed seedlings in growth chamber

Surveying milkweed in common garden experiment