Last Updated: 13 November 2024

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

Current positions

• 2024– Research Associate. Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History
• 2022– Affiliated Faculty. Science and Resilience Institute at Jamaica Bay, New York City
• 2019– Assistant Professor. Department of Biology, Brooklyn College, City University of New York (CUNY)
• 2019– Faculty member. Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and Behavior (EEB) PhD Subprogram, The Graduate Center, City University of New York (CUNY)
• 2013– Associate Research Fellow. CABDyN Complexity Centre at Saïd Business School, University of Oxford

Previous positions

• 2016–2019 Research Fellow. National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center (SESYNC)
• 2016–2017 Postdoctoral Researcher. Fagan Lab, Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park
• 2013–2015 Research Fellow. Centre for Biodiversity and Environment Research, University College London
• 2013–2014 Consultant. Urban Pollinators Project, Memmott Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol
• 2011–2013 Postdoctoral Researcher. Allesina Lab, Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Chicago

Education

• 2007–2010 DPhil Condensed Matter Physics, University of Oxford (Wolfson College). Department of Physics and CABDyN Complexity Centre at Saïd Business School
• 2003–2007 MPhys Undergraduate Master of Physics, First Class Honours, University of Oxford (St. Anne's College)

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)

24. 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


23. Staniczenko, P.P.A. & Panja, D. 2023
    Temporal origin of nestedness in interaction networks
    PNAS Nexus, 2, pgad412
    Link  Code


22. 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


21. 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


20. 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


19. 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


18. 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


17. 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


16. 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


15. 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


14. 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


13. 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


12. 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


11. 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


10. 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


9. 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


8. 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


7. 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  


6. Caravelli^‡,*, F. & Staniczenko*, P.P.A. 2016
   *Joint first authors
   Bounds on transient instability for complex ecosystems
   PLOS ONE, 11, e0157876
   Link


5. 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  


4. 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


3. 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


2. 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


1. 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


0. 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.