Anita Narwani, PhD - Group Leader
email: [email protected]
My research aims to determine the mechanisms of species coexistence and the impact of biodiversity on ecosystem properties. I am an empiricist, and I use numerous approaches in my research, spanning the range from careful manipulations of biodiversity in lab microcosms, to whole-ecosystem manipulations and data-synthesis. My curiosity about how species coexist has focused, so far, on how environmental variation in resources and temperature determine the strength and outcome of competition. Recently, I have been investigating how these factors influence species' metabolism, growth and evolution.
Short Bio
2020: Group Leader in the Aquatic Ecology Department at Eawag (with tenure)
2015: Group Leader in the Aquatic Ecology Department at Eawag (tenure-track)
2014-2015: Eawag Postdoc Fellowship
2011-2014: Postdoc @ University of Michigan with Brad Cardinale
2011: PhD @ University of Victoria with Asit Mazumder
email: [email protected]
My research aims to determine the mechanisms of species coexistence and the impact of biodiversity on ecosystem properties. I am an empiricist, and I use numerous approaches in my research, spanning the range from careful manipulations of biodiversity in lab microcosms, to whole-ecosystem manipulations and data-synthesis. My curiosity about how species coexist has focused, so far, on how environmental variation in resources and temperature determine the strength and outcome of competition. Recently, I have been investigating how these factors influence species' metabolism, growth and evolution.
Short Bio
2020: Group Leader in the Aquatic Ecology Department at Eawag (with tenure)
2015: Group Leader in the Aquatic Ecology Department at Eawag (tenure-track)
2014-2015: Eawag Postdoc Fellowship
2011-2014: Postdoc @ University of Michigan with Brad Cardinale
2011: PhD @ University of Victoria with Asit Mazumder
Sarah Levasseur, PhD student - ETH Zurich
email: [email protected]
My interests lie in phytoplankton communities, their biodiversity, and their responses to climate change. My PhD is focused on determining the extent to which warming alters essential resource requirements and elemental stoichiometry in freshwater phytoplankton. I aim to improve our mechanistic understanding of how such changes may influence competitive species interactions, community assembly and ecosystem functioning under warming. The work is mainly empirical, with lab microcosms and outdoor mesocosms, but it will also incorporate a model-based approach to assess how well the traits measured from my experiments predict community structure and species dominance in the context of climate change.
email: [email protected]
My interests lie in phytoplankton communities, their biodiversity, and their responses to climate change. My PhD is focused on determining the extent to which warming alters essential resource requirements and elemental stoichiometry in freshwater phytoplankton. I aim to improve our mechanistic understanding of how such changes may influence competitive species interactions, community assembly and ecosystem functioning under warming. The work is mainly empirical, with lab microcosms and outdoor mesocosms, but it will also incorporate a model-based approach to assess how well the traits measured from my experiments predict community structure and species dominance in the context of climate change.
Nadine Fragnière, MSc - NRP82 Project Coordinator
email: [email protected]
I have a background in water management and water politics, as well as experience in aquatic ecology. As a result, by nature my own work and interests lie at the intersection between science, policy and practice.
In the SNF NRP82 project, we are aiming to conduct a first Swiss National Assessment of Lake Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. I am coordinating the logistics of the field work, interactions with stakeholders and communications with the public. I also support the research activities from training the junior scientists, to sampling in the field and processing samples in the lab.
Please reach out via email!
email: [email protected]
I have a background in water management and water politics, as well as experience in aquatic ecology. As a result, by nature my own work and interests lie at the intersection between science, policy and practice.
In the SNF NRP82 project, we are aiming to conduct a first Swiss National Assessment of Lake Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. I am coordinating the logistics of the field work, interactions with stakeholders and communications with the public. I also support the research activities from training the junior scientists, to sampling in the field and processing samples in the lab.
Please reach out via email!
Marta Reyes, MSc - Technician
email: [email protected]
I am an aquatic ecologist, and I am broadly interested aquatic foodweb dynamics and ecosystem processes, as well as in their responses to environmental change. I have worked with several groups of organisms in the past, including fishes and macroinvertebrates, but I am currently most fascinated by the beauty of phytoplankton.
In the Narwani lab, I am currently working on the project NUDREM, where we aim to understand the ecological and evolutionary drivers of the ecosystem stability in 20 outdoor experimental ponds. Over the last few years I have developed extensive skills in algal taxonomy, and I apply these skills in the NUDREM project. I am also working on developing flow cytometry methods, high throuput fluorescence microscopy methods coupled with image classification using machine learning, I train lab robots, and I maintain an algal culture collection for conducting controlled lab experiments.
email: [email protected]
I am an aquatic ecologist, and I am broadly interested aquatic foodweb dynamics and ecosystem processes, as well as in their responses to environmental change. I have worked with several groups of organisms in the past, including fishes and macroinvertebrates, but I am currently most fascinated by the beauty of phytoplankton.
In the Narwani lab, I am currently working on the project NUDREM, where we aim to understand the ecological and evolutionary drivers of the ecosystem stability in 20 outdoor experimental ponds. Over the last few years I have developed extensive skills in algal taxonomy, and I apply these skills in the NUDREM project. I am also working on developing flow cytometry methods, high throuput fluorescence microscopy methods coupled with image classification using machine learning, I train lab robots, and I maintain an algal culture collection for conducting controlled lab experiments.
Raphaël Bossart, B.Sc. EFZ - Technician
email: [email protected]
I am helping to establish a robust pillar in molecular biology for the Narwani Group. Being involved in a multitude of projects, I try to understand the different needs of the group and help whenever I can. Currently, I am trying to design primers for amplicon sequencing of phytoplankton marker genes with the aim of understanding genetic change in populations of algae as they change in dominance over time in natural communities. In providing my technical assistance, I am always developing new skills, and I hope to contribute to a better understanding of how evolutionary change contributes to species interactions and community structure in aquatic ecosystems.
email: [email protected]
I am helping to establish a robust pillar in molecular biology for the Narwani Group. Being involved in a multitude of projects, I try to understand the different needs of the group and help whenever I can. Currently, I am trying to design primers for amplicon sequencing of phytoplankton marker genes with the aim of understanding genetic change in populations of algae as they change in dominance over time in natural communities. In providing my technical assistance, I am always developing new skills, and I hope to contribute to a better understanding of how evolutionary change contributes to species interactions and community structure in aquatic ecosystems.
Group Alumni
Timo Siegrist (MSc Thesis)
Divina Ryf (MSc Thesis)
Li Zhao (MSc Thesis)
Vanessa Weber de Melo (Postdoc)
Patrick Thomas (Postdoc)
Imran Khaliq (Postdoc)
Joey Bernhardt (Postdoc)
Irene Gallego (Postdoc)
Timo Siegrist (MSc Thesis)
Divina Ryf (MSc Thesis)
Li Zhao (MSc Thesis)
Vanessa Weber de Melo (Postdoc)
Patrick Thomas (Postdoc)
Imran Khaliq (Postdoc)
Joey Bernhardt (Postdoc)
Irene Gallego (Postdoc)