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    Wildlife Ecology and Conservation department

    Wildlife Ecology and Conservation department

    Lab Members

    CURRENT TEAM

    Madan Oli

    Hometown: Jhapa, Nepal

    Previous Education: 
    1999. PhD, Auburn University
    1992. MPhil, University of Edinburgh, UK

    E-mail: olim@ufl.edu

    Research Interests: 
    Madan’s research interests are broad and include population ecology & modeling, disease ecology, population viability analysis, population cycles, human-wildlife interactions, carnivore ecology, wildlife conservation and management. Madan also serves on the Editorial Board of Ecology, the flagship journal of the Ecological Society of America (https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/19399170). 

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    Yadav Ghimirey (Ph. D. Student, 2021)

    Hometown: Dolakha, Nepal

    Previous Education:
    Post-Graduate Diploma in International Wildlife Conservation Practice, Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, UK
    MSc in Environmental Management, School of Environmental Science and Management, Pokhara University, Nepal
    BSc in Physics, Sikkim Government College, North Bengal University, India 

    Email: mustela.altaica@yahoo.com

    Research Interests:

    Carnivore ecology, inter-specific interactions, prey-predator dynamics and human-wildlife interactions

    Mátyás Prommer (Ph.D. student, 2020)

    Hometown: Budapest, Hungary

    Previous education: 
    M.Sc., Environmental management, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
    M.Sc., Biology/Ecology, University of Debrecen, Hungary

    Email: mprommer@ufl.edu

    Research Interests: Population dynamics, movement ecology and conservation biology of raptors especially large falcons; ecology and conservation of Eurasian grasslands.

    Brandon Merriell (MS STUDENT, 2019)

    Brandon MerriellHometown: Woodbury, New Jersey

    Previous Education: B.S. in Animal Science, Cornell University

    Email: bmerriell@ufl.edu

    Research Interests: My research interests include population ecology and dynamics of threatened/endangered populations, such as the Florida Panther. I’m also interested in forecasting how habitat change (whether via climate change or habitat fragmentation) will affect wild populations, as well as the applications of decision theory and adaptive management to inform wildlife conservation and management. In my free time, I enjoy practicing aikido, reading science fiction, running, and skiing.

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    Xiaoxing Bian (PhD STUDENT, 2019)

    Xiaxing BianHometown: Beijing, China

    Previous Education: B. Sc.: Biological science at Beijing Forestry University; M.Sc.: Beijing Normal University

    Email: xbian@ufl.edu

    Co-advised with Dr. Vanessa Hull

    Research Interests: Ecology and conservation of chirus, wild yaks, and snow leopards in Tibet; mechanisms that promote co-existence between human and snow leopards. Xiaoxing enjoys painting, musical, and other outdoor activities including but not limited to scuba diving, snowboarding, birding and hiking.

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    Manuela Ferrari (Post-doctoral Research Scholar, 2018)

    Hometown: Chur, Switzerland

    Previous Education:

    PhD in Evolutionary Biology, University of Zurich
    MSc in Animal behaviour, University of Zurich
    BSc in Biology, University of Zurich, Switzerland


    Research Interests: Evolution of social behaviours; fitness consequences of life history strategies; direct, indirect and inclusive fitnessCarnivore ecology, Population ecology and dynamics, human-wildlife interactions

    Email: m.ferrari@ufl.edu

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    Martial Kiki (PhD student, 2017)

    Hometown: Porto-Novo, Benin Republic

    Previous Education:

    Post-Graduate Diploma in International Wildlife Conservation, Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, UK

    M.ScMSc in Biodiversity Conservation, Faculty of Agronomic Sciences, University of Abomey-Calavi, Benin Republic

    BSc Engineer in Environmental Conservation, Department of Environment Polytechnic School, University of Abomey-Calavi, Benin Republic

    Co-advised with Dr. Vanessa Hull


    Research Interests:

    Carnivore ecology, wildlife conservation, human-wildlife interactions and protected area management

    Email: mkiki@ufl.edu

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    Vratika Chaudhary (PhD student, 2016)

    Vratika ChaudharyHometown: Gwaliar, India

    Previous Education:

    B.D.S, West Bengal University of Health Sciences, India

    M.S. (Biological Sciences): Clemson, University, Bangalore, India


    Research Interests : Carnivore population ecology and conservation, human- wildlife interactions, ecology of wildlife diseases

    Email: chaudharyv@ufl.edu

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    Elise Morton (PhD student, 2016)

    Elise MortonHometown: Morgantown, West Virginia

    Previous Education:

    BS in Animal & Veterinary Science, West Virginia University
    PhD in Microbiology & Genetics, Indiana University 

    Research Interests: Avian population and community ecology; ecology and conservation of birds in a montane rainforest, Nyungwe National Park, Rwanda

    Email: elisemorton@ufl.edu

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    Arjun Srivathsa (PhD student, 2015)

    Hometown: Bangalore, India

    Previous Education:

    BSc in Chemistry, Botany and Zoology, Christ University, Bangalore, India
    MSc in Wildlife Biology and Conservation, National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bangalore, India

    Research Interests: Carnivore ecology, Population Ecology and Dynamics, Human-Wildlife interactions and Science Communication

    Email: asrivathsa@ufl.edu

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