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The Baskett Lab

Students, postdocs, and lab alumni


Current members

Graduate students


Laurinne Balstad, Graduate Group in Population Biology

I am a PhD student in the Population Biology Graduate Group and the Sustainable Oceans NRT. I am interested in using theoretical ecology to better understand human environment interactions, economic and coastal resilience in marine systems, management practices, and population dynamics

Mei Blundell, Graduate Group in Population Biology

I am interested in integrating theoretical modeling of marine ecosystems with empirical data to predict outcomes of our interactions with the natural world and to inform sustainable management decisions. I am particularly intrigued by the effects of species range shifts and biodiversity loss on community stability, and by climate-wise habitat connectivity as a strategy for supporting populations of ecological, economic, or cultural significance. As a trainee in the Sustainable Oceans NRT, I am also interested in seeking alignments in conservation, stakeholder, and policymaker interests to facilitate implementation of management strategies..  

Nima Farchadi, Graduate Group in Ecology Joint Doctoral Program with San Diego State University

I’m a PhD student in the San Diego State University - University of California, Davis Joint Doctoral Program in Ecology. My interests broadly are in using spatial statistics and remote sensing to better understand the spatiotemporal dynamics of pelagic predators and how the environment influences their distributions. In 2018 I completed my MS in Marine Science at University of San Diego studying the spatiotemporal distribution and habitat preferences of blue and black marlin in the eastern Pacific Ocean. Currently my PhD research focuses on understanding how climate-driven anomalies (i.e. Marine Heatwaves) affect the spatiotemporal distribution of fishing vessels and what impacts this may have on coastal communities. This research is part of a collaborative project with researchers from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, NOAA, and Gulf of Maine Research Institute, that is developing a dynamic ocean management tool (FaCeT) that will help support climate-ready and sustainable fisheries. When he isn’t behind his computer writing code, you can find him outside surfing, camping, or enjoying good food and movies with friends and family.

Additional affiliations: Lewison Lab, SDSU

Richard Kim, Graduate Group in Ecology

I am broadly interested in wildlife conservation, invasion ecology, and predator-prey dynamics. On a theoretical aspect, I am interested in exploring mechanisms that govern the dynamics of trophic interactions and alternative ecosystem states in systems where invasive species and listed species co-occur. On an applied conservational aspect, I plan to design empirical study to parameterize system-specific models and perform decision analyses: under which conditions invasive species should be removed for the conservation of target listed species.

Additional affiliations: Lawler lab, USGS Western Ecological Research Center
Google scholar profile: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=kIpjYoIAAAAJ&hl=en&authuser=2

Andrea Odell, Graduate Group in Ecology

I am a PhD student in the Graduate Group in Ecology and a Sustainable Oceans NRT Trainee. I use quantitative tools to explore how species interactions, environmental changes, and anthropogenic activities structure marine populations and communities in order to develop robust and well-informed management strategies for marine fisheries. I have ongoing research exploring the potential for a selective lingcod fishery within no-take areas to facilitate the recovery of yelloweye rockfish off the coast of California. I am also committed to supporting aspiring marine scientists – particularly those who are first-generation and/or from an underrepresented group – and seek out opportunities to grow as a mentor.


Undergraduate students

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Postdocs


Amy Briggs, Center for Population Biology

I’m an ecologist with interests in the biological and ecological processes that drive community structure and dynamics through time and space, and how they are affected by environmental change. My current research focuses on how the interactions between microbes and macroscopic communities can produce emergent effects in ecosystems. I use a combination of experimental, observational, and theoretical modeling approaches to investigate these questions.
At UC Davis I’m using experiments and dynamical models to investigate how climate change will influence eelgrass wasting disease, a disease that threatens eelgrass, an important habitat-building species in temperate regions around the world. I have other recent projects investigating how toxic microalgae that grow on seaweeds (macroalgae) in coral reefs affect reef herbivores, and what the consequences are for the reef benthic (seafloor) community.

Additional affiliations: Brown Lab, Stachowicz Lab
Website: http://www.amyabriggs-ecology.weebly.com/


Mary Fisher, Coastal and Marine Sciences Institute

I am interested in how adaptation to climate change affects coupled human-natural systems, particularly the trade-offs and unexpected consequences that may arise from the complex inter-relationships between people and their environment. I like to work with both quantitative and qualitative techniques, and enjoy team-based research that brings together experts from different disciplines and sectors. My PhD research at the University of Washington focused on climate impacts and adaptation in the Dungeness crab fishery, using a range of methods from DNA metabarcoding to qualitative network modeling.
I’m excited to translate my interests into the restoration sphere for the Kelp RISES project, and, having just moved to Davis from Seattle WA, to explore new places to hike and kayak.

Additional affiliations: Scott Lab, Springborn Lab


Lab alumni

Emil Aalto, Graduate Group in Ecology (co-adviser: Marcel Holyoak); PhD completed 2013
Dissertation title: Lagged Recruitment, Indirect Interactions, and Delayed Recovery in Multi-Species Fisheries
Current position: Postdoctoral Scholar, Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University (de Leo lab)

Jorge Arroyo Esquivel, Graduate Group in Applied Mathematics (primary advisor: Alan Hastings); PhD completed 2022
Dissertation title: Modelling the Complex Ecological Dynamics of Kelp Forests
Current position: Postdoctoral Scholar, Stanford University

Jaime Ashander, Population Biology Graduate Group; PhD completed 2016
Dissertation title: Causes and Consequences of Evolutionary Rescue in Noisy Environments
Current position: Research Biologist, USGS

Greg Backus, postdoctoral scholar 2017-2021
Current position: Postdoctoral scholar, University of California Riverside

Lewis Barnett, Graduate Group in Ecology (co-adviser: Louis Botsford); PhD completed 2015
Dissertation title: Effects of Fishing, Species Interactions, and Climate on Populations and Communities: Insights for Ecosystem-Based Fisheries Management
Current position: Fishery Biologist, NOAA Alaska Fisheries Science Center

Jack Buckner, Graduate Group in Ecology (co-advisor: Michael Springborn), PhD completed 2023
Dissertation title: Using Ecological Models to Inform Decisions in Dynamic and Uncertain Environments
Current position: Postdoctoral Scholar, Oregon State University
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8767-8583

Scott Burgess, Center for Population Biology; postdoctoral scholar 2011-2014
Current position: Associate Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, Florida State University
http://scottburgessecology.wordpress.com/

Max Castorani, Graduate Group in Ecology, Joint Doctoral Program with San Diego State University (SDSU adviser: Kevin Hovel); PhD completed 2014
Dissertation title: Context-dependent species interactions in seagrass ecosystems
Current position: Assistant Professor, Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Virginia
https://castorani.evsc.virginia.edu
http://scholar.google.com/citations?user=OOkVA9IAAAAJ

Allison Dedrick, Graduate Group in Ecology (co-advisor: Louis Botsford), PhD completed 2017  
Dissertation title: Effects of Environmental Conditions and Management Practices on Harvested Marine Populations
Current position: California Department of Fish and Wildlife
http://agdedrick.weebly.com
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=9pZU_70AAAAJ&hl=en

Robert Dunn, Graduate Group in Ecology, Joint Doctoral Program with San Diego State University (Kevin Hovel, SDSU adviser), PhD completed 2019
Dissertation title: Effects of predators on sea urchin abundance and behavior on temperate rocky reefs and tropical coral reefs
Current position: Research Coordinator, North Inlet-Winyah Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve and Research Professor, University of South Carolina

Mike Gil, National Science Foundation Research Fellow (co-mentor: Andy Sih), 2016-2018
Current position: Assistant Professor, University of Colorado, Boulder

Shelbie Ishimaru, Undergraduate Researcher in 2021-2022
Current position: Data Technician, NOAA Pacific Islands Fishery Science Center

Vadim Karatayev, Graduate Group in Ecology, PhD completed 2019
Dissertation title: Alternative Stable States in Heterogeneous Ecosystems
Current position: Postdoctoral Scholar, University of Kansas (moving to the University of Maryland as an Assistant Professor starting June 2024)

Katie Kaplan, CA Department of Fish & Wildlife postdoctoral scholar on marine reserve monitoring, 2017-2018

Nao Takashina, Visiting graduate student from Kyushu University (adviser: Yoh Iwasa) in 2013-2014
Current position: Assistant Professor, University of Tokyo

Lauren Yamane, CA Department of Fish & Wildlife postdoctoral scholar on fisheries/reserve integration, 2017-2018

Luojun Yang, Undergraduate researcher (exchange student from Nanjing University) in 2016-2017
Current position: PhD student, Princeton University

Yibiao Zou, Undergraduate researcher (exchange student from Nanjing University) in 2019
Current position: PhD student, ETH Zurich
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=AM4xLd8AAAAJ&hl=en

Last updated January 2024