Michelle Tseng

Assistant Professor

Our lab investigates how biotic and abiotic factors shape rapid adaptation in ecological communites. We test ecological and evolutionary theory using laboratory and field experiments with freshwater communities, and with insects and their parasites.

We are fascinated with the natural world around us and how this world will look in the future, in light of ongoing habitat and climate change.  We study the evolutionary and ecological processes that help or hinder responses to changing environments. We test ecological and evolutionary theory using laboratory and field experiments with aquatic plankton communities, insects, and parasites. We are particularly interested in how species interactions (plant-herbivore, host-parasite, predator-prey etc) affect population and community responses to environmental change. 

Our Research Themes include:

1. How do species interactions mediate adaptation to new environments

2. Evolution of thermal reaction norms and thermal performance curves

3. Cascading effects of temperature through aquatic food webs

4. Ecological and evolutionary processes mediating body size variation in nature

5. Host-parasite evolutionary ecology

Google scholar profile