Why Ecophysics?

Focused on nectar-feeding animals, our lab studies organismal mechanisms (e.g. physiology, biomechanics) in light of biotic and abiotic interactions, with the goal of establishing explicit links between physical laws and ‘rules of life’, at an organismal and ecological scale. The term Ecophysics goes back all the way to ecomorphology, a field that started in the 19th century.  Researchers such as Emily Carrington, Mark Denny, and Mimi Koehl produced seminal research in the field of Ecomechanics, while Lauren Buckley, Ray Huey, and Brian McNab were producing novel research in the field of Physiological Ecology

We are constantly assessing new ways to promote equity at all levels, increasing the diversity of perspectives in science, and our chief endeavor is to make our lab an example of inclusion and success for everyone, aiming to eradicate discrimination in academia. This is our CORECODE, with resources on each one of those fronts:

We are deeply committed to foster equity, diversity, and inclusion in academia. This commitment includes a strong focus on anti-racism and opportunities for underrepresented groups in science. We strive to achieve this by fomenting a lab culture of communicating the importance of our research to both scientists and non-scientists, recruiting and retaining budding scientists from all backgrounds, assessing excellence through the lens of diversity, fostering connections between students at all levels and researchers at all levels (K12-undergrads-techs-grads-postdocs-faculty,etc.), and investing heavily in the development of students both in their research skills and in their work-life balance.

We are grateful to the Walt Halperin Endowed Professorship,

the Washington Research Foundation, and private donors and Burke friends

for their invaluable support!