Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biological Informatics FY 2006

Ladeau Shannon L, Silver Spring MD

Investigators

Abstract

Project Title: "Integrating multi-scale data to understand the ecology of a successful pathogen invation in birds" This project is awarded under the Postdoctoral Research Fellowships in Biological Infomatics Program for 2006. The spread of invasive organisms and how they interact with native communities is an important and challenging focus of ecological research. Developing a predictive understanding of how ecosystems respond to invasive species requires rigorous quantitative methods that can accommodate multiple sources of uncertainty: in data, in the understanding of biological processes, and due to stochasticity. West Nile virus (WNV) is a useful model system for understanding invasive species dynamics because large amounts of relevant data are available, and pathogen spread has recognizable impacts on local populations. This project will use data from diverse sources to identify critical spatial and temporal variables behind a successful species (WNV) invasion into wild bird communities. This work will be conducted in the laboratory of Dr. Noel Cressie at Ohio State University. The expected outcome of this study include: 1) a framework for explicitly merging diverse ecological and census-based data, 2) statistical methods for accommodating changes in scale (in data and process), 3) improved techniques for forecasting invasions and impacts on native species, and 4) explicit identification of deficiencies in data and science that will define research priorities and direct designs for collection of data at large spatial scales. The fellowship will facilitate the Fellow's development of a career research program, including novel analytic strategies required to identify, quantify, and forecast ecological responses to natural and human-mediated disturbance.