People

Cahill Lab, March 2021.

James F. Cahill (JC)

Professor

JC has been in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Alberta since 1999. His research interests are broad, as evidenced by his publication record. Constant themes include conceptually grounded experimental tests of fundamental questions in ecology and conservation biology, root ecology, plant behavioural ecology, and community assembly and function.

Dr. Rashaduz Zaman

Postdoctoral Fellow

Dr. Rashaduz Zaman is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta. Dr. Zaman received his Ph.D. (2024) degree in Forest biology and management from the department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, MSc in Molecular Life Science (2019) from University of Jena, and B.Pharm. (2015) from International Islamic University Chittagong. He worked as a Research Scientist (2020) in Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Germany. Dr. Zaman’s research interests include Chemical Ecology, Entomology, Forest Health, Climate Change, Microbial Ecology, Multi-tropic plant-insect-microbe interactions and behaviour.

Dr. Scott Sugden

Postdoctoral Researcher

Scott is a postdoctoral fellow with the CAT-G project. His research broadly explores how microbial communities both respond to and drive ecosystem function across environmental gradients and disturbance contexts. With a background ranging from wildlife gut microbiomes to Arctic and Antarctic soils, Scott is excited to apply his microbial ecology and -omics expertise to Alberta’s grazing ecosystems. Scott holds an MSc (2019) in Biological Sciences from the University of Alberta and a PhD (2026) in Natural Resource Sciences from McGill University.

Isaac Peetoom Heida

Ph.D. Candidate

Isaac’s research focuses on soil microbial ecology in grasslands, and the role that cattle grazing plays in shaping the composition and function of soil microbial communities. His background is in ecology and agroecology, and has previously completed an MSc in Plant Sciences at the University of British Columbia.

Heather Anderson

Ph.D. Candidate

Heather is working on the CAT-G project studying the impacts of cattle grazing on plant and insect communities in the Albertan grassland region. Throughout her undergraduate studies she was particularly interested in studying plants and insects. This led to her exploring plant behavior in her thesis and engaging in hands-on research with honey bees during the summer months.

Noam Harris

Ph.D. Student

Noam is passionate about plant community ecology, particularly investigating the role of interspecies interactions and how they affect ecosystem-wide patterns. For his doctoral project, Noam is investigating variation in cognitive traits of different plant species and how this affects their competitive ability. He hopes to apply this to field settings, to determine the importance of cognitive and behavioral traits to coexistence in natural ecosystems. 

Outside of research, Noam is an avid reader, cyclist, film obsessive, and lover of all dogs. 

Brody Nagtegaal

M.Sc. Student

Brody is a Master’s student working on the Plant Cognition project, a project perfect for his curiosity towards plant behaviour and his experience in horticulture. He spends his free time working in environmental consulting, where he’s found great joy identifying plants while waist-deep in wetlands.

Ashley Lawson

M.Sc. Student

Ashley is a master’s student working on the CAT-G project, studying how plant root traits respond to different grazing management practices in Alberta’s grasslands. She completed her
BSc in Biology with a concentration in Ecology and Evolution at Mount Royal University in Calgary. Ashley is broadly interested in plant ecology and understanding how plants respond to
environmental change and ecological interactions. Outside of her research, she loves nothing more than spending time with her dog, Gabby.

Haley Crowley

M.Sc. Student

A longstanding curiosity about behavioural ecology, a fascination with all things evolution, and a general preference for plants over other organisms of study have led Haley to a master’s focused on root foraging dynamics. While he feels very much at home as a student, Haley has also spent time as a secondary school teacher and cares greatly about the many facets of high-quality learning.

Majid Iravani

Research Manager – CAT-G Project

Majid has long been passionate about the ecology of grassland systems, from the rolling prairies of Canada to the vast grasslands of Asia. His fascination with these ecosystems has shaped his research interests in sustainable agriculture and conservation. With extensive experience in applied research,
Majid excels at leading large-scale, collaborative, and complex projects. As the Research Manager of the CAT-G project—focused on climate-smart grassland management practices—his dedication to applied research fuels his commitment to protecting and strengthening the resilience of these ecosystems for
future generations.

Previous Members

Post-docs & Visiting Scientists

Graduate Students

  • Habba Mahall (MSc)
  • Karina Salimbayeva (MSc)
  • Megan Ljubotina (MSc)
  • Pamela Belter (MSc)
  • Paul Cigan (MSc)
  • Michael Clark (MSc)
  • Bryon Shore (MSc)
  • Matthew Mitchell (MSc)
  • Malcolm Coupe (MSc)
  • Melissa Brown (MSc)

Undergraduate Students

  • Katarinna Jakab (BIOL 499)
  • Jo Driver (BIOL 499)
  • Hannah Nikkel (RENR 401)
  • Leyla Kahveci (BIOL 398)
  • Haley Lacza (BIOL 499)
  • Kateri Robertson (BIOL 499)
  • Heather Anderson (BIOL 499)
  • Sam Sech (BIOL 499)
  • Stasha Lysyk (Biol 499)
  • Rachelle Lugar (Biol 399)
  • Heather Anderson (Biol 398)
  • Elly Smith (Biol 399)
  • Kenneth Oppon (BIOL499)
  • Brody Nagtegaal (BIOL499)
  • Theodore Blenkinsopp (BIOL499)
  • Habba Mahal (BIOL499)
  • Gail Classens (BIOL 499)
  • Emily Holden (BIOL 498)
  • Tianna Barber-Cross (BIOL299, NSERC USRA)
  • Isaac Peetoom Heida (NSERC USRA)
  • Nick Brown
  • Jacey Bronson
  • Shelby Stenerson
  • Megan Ljubotina (URI, BIOL499)
  • Kelsie Hardman
  • Alec Carrigy (NSERC USRA, BIOL399,498,499)
  • Valerie Marshall (URI, BIOL499)
  • Sydney Wild
  • Kaeleigh Stinnissen (BIOL498)
  • Logan Fairgreave-Park
  • Nabeel Khan (BIOL399, BIOL498)
  • Morgan Randall (BIOL498, BIOL499)
  • Katharine Melnik (BIOL499)
  • Glenn Gensler (BIOL498)
  • Alex Sywenky (BIOL399, BIOL499)
  • Rebecca Koehn (BIOL299)
  • Amelie Roberto-Charron (BIOL499)
  • Evelyn Jensen (BIOL498)
  • Emily Gould (NSERC USRA)
  • Kristen Peck
  • Gwen Roy (BIOL498)
  • Naomi Maffrey (NSERC USRA)
  • John Taggert
  • Tara Steigletz (NSERC USRA)
  • Gerald Singh (NSERC USRA)
  • Agnieszka Kotowska (NSERC USRA)
  • Amanda Doyle (NSERC USRA)
  • Chakanaka Zinyemba
  • Dao Phan
  • Qiting Chen
  • Christina Colenutt
  • Melanie Patchell
  • Tianna Magis
  • Monica Kohler
  • Glen Smith (NSERC USRA)
  • Eliza Duestch (NSERC USRA)
  • Jocelyn Stacey (NSERC USRA)
  • Nadeesha Fernando (NSERC USRA)
  • Josh Haag (NSERC USRA)