Last Updated: 24 October 2024
Web Page of
Phillip P.A. Staniczenko
Assistant Professor
Department of Biology
City University of New York (CUNY), Brooklyn College
2900 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11210
Office: Ingersoll Extension, Room 314
CUNY Graduate Center
Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and Behavior (EEB) PhD Subprogram
365 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Office: Fourth floor, Room 4316
E-mail: pstaniczenko(at-sign)brooklyn(dot)cuny(dot)edu
Headshot photo for promotional materials
Google Scholar Page
CV
Check out my new educational video, Introduction to Ecological Networks
Predicting the effects of environmental change on ecosystems
My work examines the effect of anthropogenic change on ecological networks representing
interactions among species in a community.
I aim to develop new techniques for analysing large and complex multispecies data.
By bridging theory and empirical work, I hope to advance our understanding of community ecology
and improve our ability to predict the effects of environmental change on ecosystems.
Selected publications
- Staniczenko, P.P.A. & Panja, D. 2023
Temporal origin of nestedness in interaction networks
PNAS Nexus, 2, pgad412
Link
Code
- French, C.M., Bertola, L.D., Carnaval, A.C., Economo, E.P., Kass, J.M., Lohman, D.J., Marske, K.A.,
Meier, R., Overcast, I., Rominger, A.J., Staniczenko, P.P.A. & Hickerson, M.J. 2023
Global determinants of insect mitochondrial genetic diversity
Nature Communications, 14, 5276
Link
PDF
- Losapio, G., Schöb, C., Staniczenko, P.P.A., Carrara, F.,
Palamara, G.M., De Moraes, C.M., Mescher, M.C., Brooker, R.W.,
Butterfield, B.J., Callaway, R.M., Cavieres, L.A., Kikvidze, Z.,
Lortie, C.J., Michalet, R., Pugnaire, F.I. & Bascompte, J. 2021
Network motifs involving both competition and facilitation predict biodiversity in alpine plant communities
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA, 118, e2005759118
Link
- Baldock, K.C.R., Goddard, M.A., Hicks, D.M., Kunin, W.E., Mitschunas, N., Morse, H., Osgathorpe, L.M., Potts, S.G.,
Robertson, K.M., Scott, A.V., Staniczenko, P.P.A., Stone, G.N., Vaughan, I.P. & Memmott, J. 2019
A systems approach reveals urban pollinator hotspots and conservation opportunities
Nature Ecology & Evolution, 3, 363–373
Link
PDF
- Staniczenko, P.P.A., Lewis, O.T., Tylianakis, J.M., Albrecht, M., Coudrain, V., Klein, A.-M. & Reed-Tsochas, F. 2017
Predicting the effect of habitat modification on networks of interacting species
Nature Communications, 8, 792
Link
PDF
Supplementary Information
Code
- Staniczenko, P.P.A., Sivasubramaniam, P., Suttle, K.B. & Pearson, R.G. 2017
Linking macroecology and community ecology: Refining predictions of species distributions using biotic interaction networks
Ecology Letters, 20, 693–707
Link
PDF
Supplementary Files
Code
- Staniczenko, P.P.A., Kopp, J.C. & Allesina, S. 2013
The ghost of nestedness in ecological networks
Nature Communications, 4, 1931
Link
PDF
Supplementary Information
Code
- Staniczenko, P.P.A., Lewis, O.T., Jones, N.S. & Reed-Tsochas, F. 2010
Structural dynamics and robustness of food webs
Ecology Letters, 13, 891–899
Link
PDF
Full publication list
Current positions
Previous positions
Education
Grants
- 2024 "Wave exposure at Gansevoort Peninsula and implications for the restoration success of the eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica)" $10k. Hudson River Park CUNY Visiting Scholars Award. Principal Investigator: P.P.A. Staniczenko
- 2024 "Measuring the effects of wind-driven waves on wetland erosion and the implications for smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora) restoration in Jamaica Bay, NYC" $6k. PSC-CUNY Research Award Cycle 55. Principal Investigator: P.P.A. Staniczenko
- 2024 "Phenology and the local stability of plant-pollinator interaction networks" $2,600. Tow Research and Creativity Grant. Principal Investigator: P.P.A. Staniczenko
- 2018 "Next-generation ecological network theory and application" $20k. Santa Fe Institute Working Group. Principal Investigator: P.P.A. Staniczenko
- 2016–2018 "Predicting the effect of socioeconomic and environmental change on the structure of biotic interactions and the provision of ecosystem services" $215k.
National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center Research Fellowship.
International Competition, Principal Investigator: P.P.A. Staniczenko
- 2014–2015 "How do food webs respond to bottom-up changes driven by habitat modification?" £19,800.
British Ecological Society Large Research Grant.
Principal Investigator: P.P.A. Staniczenko
- 2013–2015
"How accurately can we predict species extinction and reintroduction?
Embracing ecological complexity to assess risk in ecosystems" 120k.
AXA Postdoctoral Fellowship.
International Competition, Principal Investigator: P.P.A. Staniczenko
- 2007–2010 "Complex Systems and Networks Research Scholarship" $80k.
Awarded by the Helsinki University of Technology, International Competition
Awards and Prizes
- 2024 Tow Mentoring award for undergraduate mentorship at Brooklyn College
- 2023 Excellence in Scholarly and Creative Achievement at Brooklyn College
- 2022 Tow Mentoring award for undergraduate mentorship at Brooklyn College
- 2022 CUNY STEM Pedagogy Institute Fellowship award to develop innovative approaches to teaching computational methods, $5k
- 2021 Roberta S. Matthews Center for Teaching and Learning Course Development Fellowship award to develop more inclusive undergraduate courses, $2k
- 2021 Faculty Fellowship Publication Program (FFPP) award to design and execute scholarly publications, $4k
- 2021 Certificate in Effective Online Teaching Practices from the Association of College and University Educators (ACUE)
- 2015 Top Referee in 2014 recognition. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
- 2010 David Ryan Prize for distinguished work by a graduate student in Physics, University of Oxford
- 2007 Data Connection Prize for the best use of software in an MPhys Thesis, University of Oxford
- 2006 Clayman Scholarship to work in quantitative finance in New York City, $10k
- 2004–2007 Scholar, highest undergraduate academic honour, St. Anne's College, University of Oxford
Academic Service
- 2024– Subject-Matter Editor, Ecological Monographs
- 2023– Reviewer for Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting Session Proposals
- 2023–2024 Chair (Elected) Theoretical Ecology Section, Ecological Society of America
- 2022–2023 Vice-chair (Elected) Theoretical Ecology Section, Ecological Society of America
- 2021 Guest Associate Editor for PLOS Computational Biology
- 2018– Recommender for Peer Community in Ecology (equivalent to a traditional journal editor but for free and public scientific publications)
- 2018 Executive Board, Inclusive Ecology Section, Ecological Society of America
- 2017– Reviewer for Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)
- 2015– Reviewer and Panelist for National Science Foundation (NSF)
- 2014– Reviewer for Natural Environment Research Council UK (NERC)
- 2010– Reviewer for over 100 manuscripts across 45 peer-reviewed journals:
Nature Communications,
Nature Ecology & Evolution,
Nature Scientific Reports,
Science Advances,
PLOS Biology,
PLOS Computational Biology,
PLOS ONE,
Proceedings of the Royal Society A,
Proceedings of the Royal Society B,
Biology Letters,
Ecology Letters,
Ecology,
Ecology & Evolution,
Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution,
Frontiers in Plant Science
Methods in Ecology & Evolution,
Theoretical Ecology,
Ecological Modelling,
Basic & Applied Ecology,
Journal of Applied Ecology,
Journal of Animal Ecology,
Journal of Natural History,
Molecular Ecology,
Landscape & Urban Planning,
Oikos,
Global Change Biology,
Ecography,
Journal of Biogeography,
Global Ecology & Biogeography,
Diversity & Distributions,
Biological Conservation,
Current Biology,
Journal of Theoretical Biology,
Theory in Biosciences,
Diversity,
Complexity,
PeerJ,
Microbiome,
Computer Methods and Programs in Biomedicine,
Physical Review Letters,
Physical Review Research,
Physical Review E,
Physical Review X,
PRX Life,
Journal of the Royal Society Interface
Institutional Service
- 2024– Biology Program Nominations Committee. CUNY Graduate Center
- 2020– Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and Behavior (EEB) Steering Committee. CUNY Graduate Center
- 2020– Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and Behavior (EEB) Admissions Committee. CUNY Graduate Center
- 2019–2023 Chair, Committee on Review of Student Records. Brooklyn College, CUNY
- 2019–2023 University Faculty Council. Brooklyn College, CUNY
- 2019–2020 University Faculty Senate. CUNY
- 2018–2022 Special Member of the Graduate Faculty in the Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture. University of Maryland, College Park
- 2017–2019 Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion Committee, Faculty Representative (Elected). University of Maryland, College Park
- 2017–2019 Mentoring Sub-Committee, Chair. University of Maryland, College Park
- 2017–2019 University Senate, Postdoc Representative (Elected twice). University of Maryland, College Park
- 2004–2005 Physics Joint Consultative Committee, Undergraduate Representative (Elected). University of Oxford
Outreach
- 2024 Speaker. Ask-a-Scientist, 3 October, Pier 57 at Hudson River Park
- 2020 Educational Video. Writer, producer, and presenter of Introduction to Ecological Networks
- 2019 Panelist. Transitioning to a Faculty Position, Postdoctoral Research Symposium, 13 September, University of Maryland, College Park
- 2018 Panel Moderator. Transitioning to a Faculty Position, Postdoctoral Research Symposium, 17 September, University of Maryland, College Park
- 2018 Planning Committee. Graduate Career Pathways Conference, 20 April, University of Maryland, College Park
- 2018 Judge. Graduate Research Appreciation Day, 4 April, University of Maryland, College Park
- 2017 Judge. Graduate Research Appreciation Day, 5 April, University of Maryland, College Park
- 2009 Exhibition Curator. Transforming Space, Denys Wilkinson Building, 7–9 May, University of Oxford
- 2009 Workshop Organiser. Process in Physics and Art, 12 February, Department of Physics and Ruskin School of Art, University of Oxford
- 2008 Highschool Mentor. Maths, ages 10–12, Cherwell School, Oxford
Teaching
- 2020– Organizer. BIOL7910G: Biology Colloquium, 14 weeks. Arrange seminar series and mark student summaries of talks,
Brooklyn College, City University of New York
- 2020– Lecturer. BIOL3030W: Scientific Writing, 14 weeks. Communicating science to decision-makers and the public (originated course),
Brooklyn College, City University of New York
- 2020– Lecturer. BIOL3083: Principles of Ecology, 14 weeks. Fundamental topics in ecology (originated course),
Brooklyn College, City University of New York
- 2019– Lecturer. BIOL76001: Ecology, 14 weeks. Fundamental and contemporary topics in ecology (originated course),
CUNY Graduate Center
- 2019– Lecturer. BICM87001: Bioinformatics with computing practicum, 14 weeks. Scientific computing for biologists (4 weeks, originated course),
CUNY Graduate Center
- 2019– Lecturer. Introduction to Social and Ecological Networks Analysis, one week. NSF Advanced Training Course, National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center (SESYNC)
- 2019 Lecturer. Statistics and Scientific Computing, two-day course.
NSF Brooklyn Urban Ecology and Environment (BUEE) Program
- 2014 Lecturer. Introduction to Ecological Modelling, 5–7 November.
NERC Advanced Training Short Course, University College London
- 2014 Lecturer. Workshop on Networks in Ecology, 19–23 May. Norrbyn, Sweden
- 2008–2010 Lecturer. Quantitative Methods in Biology, two-day course.
MSc Integrative Biosciences, University of Oxford
- 2008–2009 Demonstrator. Introduction to C programming, four-day course.
MPhys Physics, University of Oxford
Supervision
- 2024 Undergraduate project mentor, Ariella Weiner. Staniczenko lab, Brooklyn College, City University of New York
- 2024– PhD committee, Sulaimon Lawal. Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and Behavior (EEB), Queens College, City University of New York
- 2023– Undergraduate project mentor, Adelia Honeywood. Staniczenko lab, Brooklyn College, City University of New York
- 2023– PhD supervisor, James Herlan. Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and Behavior (EEB), City College, City University of New York
- 2023 Undergraduate project mentor, Alex Colasanti. Staniczenko lab, Brooklyn College, City University of New York
- 2023– PhD committee, Rhema Uche-Dike. Richard Gilder Graduate School, American Museum of Natural History
- 2022 Undergraduate project mentor, Torie Robinson. Staniczenko lab, Brooklyn College, City University of New York
- 2021 Undergraduate project mentor, Mitchell Borshch. Brooklyn College Cancer Center, City University of New York
- 2021–2024 PhD committee, Andriele Silva. Biochemistry, Brooklyn College, City University of New York
- 2020– PhD committee, Laura Boggess. Plant Sciences, New York Botanical Garden
- 2020–2024 PhD committee, Connor French. Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and Behavior (EEB), City College, City University of New York
- 2020– PhD co-supervisor, Grégoire Proudhom. Entomology, Czech Academy of Sciences
- 2020–2023 PhD committee, Erica Johnson. Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and Behavior (EEB), City College, City University of New York
- 2020–2023 PhD committee, Aislyn Keyes. Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Boulder Colorado
- 2020–2022 Supervisor, Chia-Hua Lue. Postdoctoral researcher, Staniczenko lab, Brooklyn College, City University of New York
- 2020 Undergraduate project mentor, Chrismal Abraham. Computer and Information Sciences, Brooklyn College, City University of New York
- 2019–2022 PhD committee, Jennifer Zhu. Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and Behavior (EEB), Baruch College, City University of New York
- 2019 NSF Summer REU mentor, Quiana Berry. Brooklyn Urban Ecology and Environment (BUEE) Program
- 2019–2023 PhD committee, Gonzalo Enrique Pinilla Buitrago. Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and Behavior (EEB), City College, City University of New York
- 2018–2022 PhD committee, Humberto Castillo Gonzalez. Plant Sciences and Landscape Architecture, University of Maryland, College Park
- 2018 Undergraduate project mentor, Peter Thompson. Statistics, University of Maryland, College Park
- 2017 Undergraduate project mentor, Samantha Berman. Biology, University of Maryland, College Park
- 2015 Undergraduate research intern, Elise Damstra, Staniczenko lab, University College London
- 2015 PhD project mentor, Teresa Attenborough. Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, University College London
- 2014 PhD project mentor, Andrew Maher. Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, University College London
- 2014 Postdoctoral research mentor, Francesco Caravelli. Staniczenko lab, University College London
- 2014 Master's project mentor, Sameen Khan. Mathematics, University College London
Publications (Underlined authors were mentored students, ‡Lab member)
- Anderson, C.R., Curtsdotter, A.R.K., Staniczenko, P.P.A., Valdovinos, F.S. & Brosi, B.J. 2024
The interplay of binary and quantitative structure on the stability of mutualistic networks
Integrative and Comparative Biology, 64, 827–840
Link
- Staniczenko, P.P.A. & Panja, D. 2023
Temporal origin of nestedness in interaction networks
PNAS Nexus, 2, pgad412
Link
Code
- French, C.M., Bertola, L.D., Carnaval, A.C., Economo, E.P., Kass, J.M., Lohman, D.J., Marske, K.A., Meier, R., Overcast, I., Rominger, A.J., Staniczenko, P.P.A. & Hickerson, M.J. 2023
Global determinants of insect mitochondrial genetic diversity
Nature Communications, 14, 5276
Link
PDF
- Graham, N.R., Krehenwinkel, H., Lim, J.Y., Staniczenko, P.P.A., Callaghan, J., Andersen, J.C., Gruner, D.S. & Gillespie, R.G. 2023
Ecological network structure in response to community assembly processes over evolutionary time
Molecular Ecology, 32, 6489–6506
Link
- Lue‡, C.-H., Abram, P.K., Hrcek, J., Buffington, M.L. & Staniczenko, P.P.A. 2023
Metabarcoding and applied ecology with hyper-diverse organisms: recommendations for biological control research
Molecular Ecology, 32, 6461–6473
Link
- Fagan, W.F., Swain, A., Banerjee, A., Ranade, H., Thompson, P.R., Staniczenko, P.P.A., Barrett, F., Hungerford, J. & Hurwitz, S. 2022
Quantifying interdependencies in geyser eruptions at the Upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park
Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, 127, e2021JB023749
Link
- Zambrano, J., Arellano, G., Swenson, N.G., Staniczenko, P.P.A., Thompson, J. & Fagan, W.F. 2022
Analyses of three-dimensional species associations reveal departures from neutrality in a tropical forest
Ecology, 103, e3681
Link
- Lue‡, C.-H., Buffington, M.L., Scheffer, S., Lewis, M., Elliott, T.A., Lindsey, A.I.R., Driskell, A., Jandova, A., Kimura, M.T., Carton, Y., Kula, R.R., Schlenke, T.A., Mateos, M., Govind, S., Varaldi, J., Guerrieri, E., Giorgini, M., Wang, X., Hoelmer, K., Daane, K.M., Abram, P.K., Pardikes, N.A., Brown, J.J., Thierry, M., Poirié, M., Goldstein, P., Miller, S.E., Tracey, W.D., Davis, J.S., Jiggins, F.M., Wertheim, B., Lewis, O.T., Leips, J., Staniczenko, P.P.A. & Hrcek, J. 2021
DROP: Molecular voucher database for identification of Drosophila parasitoids
Molecular Ecology Resources, 21, 2437–2454
Link
PDF
- Guy*, T.J., Hutchinson*, M.C., Baldock, K.C.R., Kayser, E., Baiser, B., Staniczenko, P.P.A.,
Goheen, J.R., Pringle, R.M. & Palmer, T.M. 2021
*Joint first authors
Large herbivores transform plant-pollinator networks in an African savanna
Current Biology, 31, 2964–2971
Link
- Losapio, G., Schöb, C., Staniczenko, P.P.A., Carrara, F.,
Palamara, G.M., De Moraes, C.M., Mescher, M.C., Brooker, R.W.,
Butterfield, B.J., Callaway, R.M., Cavieres, L.A., Kikvidze, Z.,
Lortie, C.J., Michalet, R., Pugnaire, F.I. & Bascompte, J. 2021
Network motifs involving both competition and facilitation predict biodiversity in alpine plant communities
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA, 118, e2005759118
Link
- Timm, C.M., Loomis, K., Stone, W., Mehoke, T., Brensinger, B., Pellicore, M., Staniczenko, P.P.A., Charles, C., Nayak, S. & Karig, D. 2020
Isolation and characterization of diverse microbial representatives from the human skin microbiome
Microbiome, 8, 58
Link
PDF
- Thompson, P.R., Fagan, W.F. & Staniczenko, P.P.A. 2020
Predictor species: Improving assessments of rare species occurrence by modeling environmental co-responses
Ecology & Evolution, 10, 3293–3304
Link
PDF
Code
- Alexander*, S.M., Staniczenko*, P.P.A. & Bodin, Ö. 2020
*Joint first authors
Social ties explain catch portfolios of small-scale fishers in the Caribbean
Fish & Fisheries, 21, 120–131
Link
PDF
Code
- Baldock, K.C.R., Goddard, M.A., Hicks, D.M., Kunin, W.E., Mitschunas, N., Morse, H., Osgathorpe, L.M., Potts, S.G.,
Robertson, K.M., Scott, A.V., Staniczenko, P.P.A., Stone, G.N., Vaughan, I.P. & Memmott, J. 2019
A systems approach reveals urban pollinator hotspots and conservation opportunities
Nature Ecology & Evolution, 3, 363–373
Link
PDF
- Staniczenko, P.P.A., Suttle, K.B. & Pearson, R.G. 2018
Negative biotic interactions drive predictions of distributions for species from a grassland community
Biology Letters, 14, 20180426
Link
PDF
Supplementary Information
Code
- Staniczenko, P.P.A., Lewis, O.T., Tylianakis, J.M., Albrecht, M., Coudrain, V., Klein, A.-M. & Reed-Tsochas, F. 2017
Predicting the effect of habitat modification on networks of interacting species
Nature Communications, 8, 792
Link
PDF
Supplementary Information
Code
- Staniczenko, P.P.A., Sivasubramaniam, P., Suttle, K.B. & Pearson, R.G. 2017
Linking macroecology and community ecology: Refining predictions of species distributions using biotic interaction networks
Ecology Letters, 20, 693–707
Link
PDF
Supplementary Files
Code
- Bewick*, S., Staniczenko*, P.P.A., Li, B., Karig, D. & Fagan, W.F. 2017
*Joint first authors
Invasion speeds in microbial systems with toxin production and quorum sensing
Journal of Theoretical Biology, 420, 290–303
Link
- Caravelli‡,*, F. & Staniczenko*, P.P.A. 2016
*Joint first authors
Bounds on transient instability for complex ecosystems
PLOS ONE, 11, e0157876
Link
- Staniczenko, P.P.A., Smith, M.J. & Allesina, S. 2014
Selecting food web models using normalized maximum likelihood
Methods in Ecology and Evolution, 5, 551–562
Link
- Staniczenko, P.P.A., Kopp, J.C. & Allesina, S. 2013
The ghost of nestedness in ecological networks
Nature Communications, 4, 1931
Link
PDF
Supplementary Information
Code
- De Sassi, C., Staniczenko, P.P.A. & Tylianakis, J.M. 2012
Warming and nitrogen affect size structuring and density dependence in a host-parasitoid food web
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, 367, 3033–3041
Link
PDF
Supplementary Information
- Staniczenko, P.P.A., Lewis, O.T., Jones, N.S. & Reed-Tsochas, F. 2010
Structural dynamics and robustness of food webs
Ecology Letters, 13, 891–899
Link
PDF
- Staniczenko, P.P.A., Lee, C.-F. & Jones, N.S. 2009
Rapidly detecting disorder in rhythmic biological signals: A spectral entropy measure to identify cardiac arrhythmias
Physical Review E, 79:011915
Link
PDF
Supplementary Information
- Staniczenko, P.P.A. 2011
Structure, dynamics, and robustness of ecological networks
Doctoral Thesis, University of Oxford
Link
PDF
Thanks to Frederic L. Pryor
for the design idea for this website.