About the Mountain Ecology & Biogeography Lab
We study how human impacts affect ecosystems from a plot to a landscape to a global perspective.
Many things can be anthropogenic impacts, including climate change, land use change, even ecological restoration. Our goal is to merge theoretical science to applied science, including working with indigenous and local communities, land managers, non-governmental organizations, and more.
About the P.I.
Dr. Sisimac Duchicela
I work at the interface of biogeography, functional ecology, global change biology, and ecological restoration. My research focuses on tropical alpine ecology, specifically examining how high-Andean environments are changing and what this means for local communities.
Outside of science, I enjoy running, yoga, working on my garden, and I am currently learning about different crafts!
Meet the Lab!
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Nyika Campbell
She/They
Lab Manager, Masters Student
I am thrilled to join the Mt. Bio Lab as lab manager after spending the past four years studying plant ecology with the U.S. Forest Service. I specialize in alpine ecosystems, and I look forward to combining field observations with modern data science tools, helping us better understand how human activities influence our incredible high-altitude environments.
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Easton Klein
She/her
Professional Technician
I am currently a 4th year undergraduate in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, with a minor in Geography. I’m super interested in biological responses to climate change and extreme system ecology. I’m looking forward to expanding my horizons and learning more about alpine ecology through my work with the Mt. Bio Lab!
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Izzy Sease
She/Her
Professional Technician
I graduated with a degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and a minor in Geography from CU Boulder in 2025. I am interested in how climate change drives shifts in phenology patterns, especially between plants and their flower visitors. I have previously worked extensively with alpine arthropods, and I am excited expand my botanical knowledge and field leadership skills through my work with the Mt Bio lab!
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Olivia Amsden
She/Her
Undergraduate Technician
I’m so excited to join the Mt. Bio Lab as an undergraduate research assistant! I’m studying Environment-Society Geography at CU Boulder with a certificate in GIS and Computational Science. My passion lies in using mapping and spatial analysis to understand how ecological processes respond to human-driven changes. I can’t wait to connect these tools with the environmental questions that matter to our communities.
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Liz Greenwood
She/They
Undergraduate Technician
I am a undergraduate Geography student at CU Boulder with an emphasis in Environment and Society, alongside two minors in Spanish & Women and Gender Studies. I have conservation experience building and maintaining trails throughout the Rockies and have a deep care and curiosity for the environment, world, and people in it. I am ecstatic to be a Lab Technician for the Mt. Bio Lab and contribute to meaningful research regarding alpine responses to changing climates!
Meet our collaborators
Friends of the Mountain Ecology Lab
Join the lab
Calling all aspiring scientists, from the Global South & beyond!
Highly motivated and curious researchers are invited to inquire about joining our lab! In this lab, we want to provide an avenue for young scientists from all over the world, including folks from the Global South or minority communities in the US, to get involved in research.
