Information about the lab

My lab is based at the University of Toronto Mississauga, a fantastic environment for research in ecology.  Research at the Quail Ridge Reserve in California will be resuming but the LNU fires of 2020 burned our warming installation to the ground and so while we will be rebuilding it will be awhile until we’re ready to resume work in that array.  As a result of that, and issues related to travel in the era of COVID, most research in the lab will happen in Ontario for at least the next couple of years.  We have an experimental research program based out of the Koffler Scientific Reserve, there are a number of potential field sites throughout Ontario depending on the question of interest and I am interested in returning to research on the islands of the Georgian Bay.

Students and postdocs interested in joining the lab should contact me directly (shannon.mccauley ‘at’ utoronto.ca) to discuss possible research projects and funding.

I am not accepting new graduate students for 2024, nor am I accepting undergraduate researchers in the coming school year (2023-2024).  It is possible that we have a limited set of undergraduate research opportunities in the summer of 2024 but please check back in late spring 2024 about those as that is uncertain at this time.

Prospective graduate students should look at recent publications and in contacting me send a brief description of your research interests, your background in ecology (through study and/or work with particular emphasis on field experience you have), and why you’re interested in joining the lab.  It’s fine if you don’t know exactly what you want to do – it’s good to have an open mind when you start grad school.  What I am interested in hearing from you is what draws you to the field more broadly (why do you want to pursue graduate study in ecology?) and why do you want to work with me in the systems I work in?

Graduate students will be admitted through the University of Toronto’s Ecology and Evolutionary Biology program and should read the information there on the program and its requirements.

I do not currently have funding for a postdoc but am happy to work with potential postdocs to find appropriate funding sources and develop collaborative projects.

Undergraduates who are interested in gaining research experience should contact me and we will set up a time to meet and discuss possibilities.  Spring and summer will typically have more opportunities than fall.

Lab policies and culture

As a lab we value people for who they are and we seek to foster an inclusive and respectful lab culture.  We do not tolerate demeaning behaviour or language in the lab.  You can expect to be challenged on your science but supported as a person.  As a PI I have had the incredible good fortune to have been able to work with people of the highest integrity and character, who genuinely contribute not only to making the scientific community a better place but the world.  My goal is to maintain that lab culture.

Field work on islands on the west side of Beausoleil (Georgian Bay Islands National Park).