Research Team
Who we are
Our research team is centered in the Division of Biological Sciences at the University of Montana. Our individual talents, expertise, and experience are varied, but we are all united in our deep interest in understanding how animals cope with the challenges they face in their natural environments. While we are rooted in Montana, we maintain close ties with an international network of collaborators and lab alumni to create a research community that extends beyond campus. There are regular opportunities to join the lab and collaborate with us at all levels (undergraduate, graduate, and postdocs). If you are interested in the joining the lab, please contact us.
Zachary Cheviron (PI)
Associate professor, Division of Biological Sciences
Faculty Director, P.L. Wright Zoological Museum
Zac pushes electronic buttons online, establishes Zoom links, and sends emails.
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Laura Blumensaadt
PHD Student, Ecology and Evolution
Laura is interested in ecotoxicology and evolutionary adaptation to heavy metal toxicity associated with hard rock mining in deer mice.
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Derik Butts
MS Student, Ecology and Evolution
Derik studies the impacts of variation in snowpack on the demography, energetics, and survival of small, winter-active mammals.
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Aynsleigh Dragon
Undergraduate Researcher
Aynsleigh is working on an honors thesis that is focused on the impacts of wildfire on disease transmission in montane birds.
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Nathanael Herrera
POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHER, CO-SUPERVISED WITH THE GOOD LAB
Nat is working on the evolutionary and functional genomics of high altitude adaptation in deer mice in the Rocky Mountains and leaf-eared mice in the Andes.
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Schuyler Liphardt
POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHER, CO-SUPERVISED WITH THE GOOD LAB
Sky is working on the population genomics aspects of extreme altitude adaptation in Andean rodents.
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Ezra Mendales
PHD STUDENT, ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION, CO-SUPERVISED WITH THE GOOD LAB
Ezra is studying convergent adaptation and the historical biogeography high elevation colonization in Andean rodents.
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Linnea Schaefer
PHD STUDENT, ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
Linnea is interested in the physiological and evolutionary impacts of wildfire on avian communities in the western US.
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Interested in joining us?
undergraduates
We periodically have openings for a undergraduate students to join the lab. If you are interested in evolutionary genomics and ecological physiology, are a dedicated student, and highly motivated, please contact me to discuss your interests and potential opportunities.
Graduate students
I always welcome inquiries from bright, motivated students interested in evolutionary biology, ecological physiology, or functional genomics who wish to pursue integrative research on adaptive evolution. Students in the lab are welcome (and encouraged) to develop their own projects that relate to the lab’s broad research themes, or they may contribute to ongoing projects in the lab.
I will be accepting students for enrollment in the fall of 2025, however limits on space and funding place an upper limit on the number of students I will be able to accept. In general, students with extensive research experience will have an advantage. Students working with me can either be admitted through the Ecology and Evolution Program (PhD or MS) or the Wildlife Biology Program (PhD or MS), both of which are among the strongest in the nation. If you are interested in applying to work in my lab, contact me beforehand and we can decide which program is most appropriate for your interests.
Postdocs
Potential postdocs are encouraged to contact me directly to discuss opportunities in the lab. I especially encourage inquires from postdocs who are interested in applying for independent funding and/or working on a grant proposal with me.