Wagner Ecology Lab

Lab members

Viktoria Wagner, PhD, PI cv

2024 Associate Professor, U Alberta
2018 Assistant Professor, U Alberta
2014 Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellow, Masaryk U, Czech Republic
2011 Humboldt Postdoctoral Fellow, U Montana, U.S.A.
2011 PhD, U Halle-Wittenberg, Germany
2006 Diploma (MSc), U Göttingen, Germany

Teaching:
BIOL 208 - Principles of Ecology (2019-2022),
BIOL 430/530 - (Advanced) Statistical Design and Analysis in Biology (since 2018),
BIOL 395 - Field Botany (since 2023)

Zhenchuan Wang, PhD, Visiting Scholar

I am currently a visiting scholar in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Alberta. I completed my Ph.D. at the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences and am also an assistant researcher at Nanning Normal University in China. My research focuses on biological nitrogen fixation and its regulatory mechanisms. I am particularly interested in how nitrogen, phosphorus, trace element additions, and tree species diversity impact biological nitrogen fixation. For more details about my work, please visit my ResearchGate profile (https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Zhenchuan-Wang-2). Feel free to contact me for further information or collaboration opportunities.

Jude Bibkewich, MSc Student

I completed my Bsc in Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology at the University of Alberta. My research project focuses on assessing the ecological effect of Caragana arborescens on plant communities in the south boreal of Alberta and Saskatchewan. In my pastime, I enjoy drawing and growing a wide range of plant species.

Kaikai Fan, Visiting PhD Student

I am a visiting PhD student in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Alberta. My research focuses on how biodiversity loss affects plant community structure and ecosystem functioning. I enjoy the process of seeking answers through field experiments, allowing nature to tell us why. I am deeply curious about the natural world and fascinated by all kinds of interesting ecological questions. Outside of research, I enjoy fitness, outdoor activities, traveling, and exploring good food.

Martin Hinojosa, MSc Student

I completed my undergraduate studies in Ecosystem Engineering at the Ikiam Amazon Regional University, in Ecuador. I participated in research projects at the interface of ecology and tropical forest biology, and I am interested in many questions involving biodiversity management and conservation. My research project focuses on assessing the degree of spread of Caragana arborescens and the factors that favor its invasiveness in the Central Parkland and the Central Mixedwood subregions of Alberta.

Britton McNerlin, Msc Student

I completed my BSc in Biological Sciences with a concentration in Conservation Biology and Ecology at Arizona State University. My research project focuses on the invasiveness of small-sized nonnative annual forbs and their ecological impact on grassland and meadow communities. In my spare time, I enjoy reading, making art, and avoiding getting hit by cars while biking.

Raytha Murillo, PhD Student

I completed my BSc in Biological Sciences and MSc in Ecology and Limnology at the State University of Maringá, Brazil. My research project focuses on comparing the levels of alien plant invasion across habitats of the Alberta prairie in order to find similarities among the impacted habitats. These results will contribute to a solid theoretical framework applicable to conservation efforts and risk assessment across ecosystems. In my free time, my other interests include outdoor activities, fitness and occasional gaming.

Previous Undergraduate Research Students

Anthea Mackey (BIOL 498, Fall 2024)

Danielle Perri (BIOL 298, Winter 2024)

Haley Lacza (BIOL 399, Fall/Winter 2023/2024)

Tia Attfield (BIOL 498), Fall 2023)

Jake Mamchur (BIOL 498, Fall 2023)

Kelly Wu (BIOL 398, Fall 2023)

Emily Wong (BIOL 498, Winter 2023)

Cole Vandemark (BIOL 499, Fall/Winter 2022/23, co-supervision with James Cahill)

Kateri Robinson (BIOL 398, Fall 2022)

Hima Patel (BIOL 499, Fall/Winter 2021/22)

Cedric Villasor (BIOL 499, Fall/Winter 2021/22, co-supervision with James Cahill)

Mikaela Lazarenko (BIOL 398, Winter 2022)

Maya Juckes (BIOL 398, Winter 2022)

Kellie Yang (BIOL 299, Winter 2022)

Daniel Tucker (BIOL 499, Fall/Winter 2020/21)

Elise Hansen (BIOL 498, Winter 2021)

Cedric Villasor (BIOL 299, Winter 2021)

Rachelle Lugar (BIOL 299, Winter 2021)

Tawnee Dupuis (BIOL 499, Fall/Winter 2019/20, co-supervision with Mark Boyce)

Kenny Oppon (BIOL 499, Fall/Winter 2018/19, co-supervision with James Cahill)

Diana Johnstone (BIOL 499, Winter 2018)

Former Lab members

Ricarda Pätsch, Postdoctoral researcher

Please visit my website for more information about me: ricardapaetsch.weebly.com

Kaitlin Holden, MSc student

I completed my BSc in Environmental and Conservation Sciences at the University of Alberta. Prior to beginning my graduate studies I worked in government and the non-profit sector. I am interested in understanding the role of soil nutrients and anthropogenic disturbance in habitat invasibility. My research project compares nutrient dynamics and levels of non-native plant invasion across habitats in the Central Parkland Subregion of Alberta.

Zoey Archibald (née Zapisocki), MSc student

I am studying levels of non-native plant invasion along a latitudinal gradient of native prairie grassland in Alberta, Canada. Field data will be analyzed to determine the role of climate and anthropogenic disturbance as predictors of invasibility in prairie grassland. Prior to starting graduate studies, I worked in environmental consulting and government, and I earned my Professional Agrologist (P.Ag.) designation in 2018.
Education: BSc Environmental and Conservation Sciences, University of Alberta, 2014

Mário Sérgio Dainez Filho, visiting PhD student (U Maringá)

I completed my MSc in Ecology and Limnology at the State University of Maringá, Brazil. I am interested in understanding the processes related to aquatic plant invasions providing answers to questions such as: What are the pathways of introduction of these organisms? How do aliens affect the native biota? What does make some organisms more invasive than others? I tackle my research questions through experiments, field sampling, and data compilation and analysis.

Interested in joining us?

Undergraduate students

Accepting new undergraduate research students for Fall 2025.

Field technicians

No openings at the moment

Graduate students

No openings at the moment

Resources

Our department is equipped with greenhouses and the University operates field stations in central and southern Alberta. Soil and plant samples can be analyzed in the lab, and at NRAL and BASL. Edmonton is home to two major herbaria (ALTA at our university and the PMAEM). The U Alberta Botanical Garden is just 30min away in Devon. The city is located in a transitional zone between the temporate and boreal zones. The prairie grassland region (in the south) and the Rocky Mountains (further west) are just 2h away by car.

Lab news

16 April 2025 Raytha's new paper on the role of propagule pressure & soil disturbance on plant community invasibility is now published in the Journal of Vegetation Science.

11 April 2025 We are recruiting undergraduate research students for Fall 2025 (BIOL 298/398/399/498/499). Please reach out to Viktoria if you are a UofA student and interested.

10 April 2025 Congratulations to Britton for securing a Graduate Student Teaching award and Kateri for receiving a USRA and iSteam internship award!

1 April 2025 Welcome to the lab, Kaikai Fan (guest PhD student), Jennifer Chen and Alynna Sung (research technicians)!

28 November 2024 Job alert: We are looking for two full-time summer field technicians for June-Aug 2025. For details see here and here.

28 November 2024 Curious about research in ecology? We have one open USRA spot (summer 2025) and two open BIOL 399/499 spots (fall/winter 2025/26). For details see here.

27 November 2024 Our review paper on Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis) was accepted in the Biology of Canadian Weeds Series (Canadian Journal of Plant Sciences). Great teamwork by Emily, Jessica (Cahill lab), Raytha, Kaitlin and Cedric!

25 November 2024 Congratulations to Martin for securing an AGES scholarship!

10 November 2024 We have two new lab technicians! Great to have you on board, Alynna and Sehaj!

30 September 2024 Welcome to our new lab members Anthea (undergraduate research student), Jude (MSc student) and Zhenchuan (visiting scholar)!

16 February 2024 Congratulations to Raytha for her PhD paper accepted in the Journal of Applied Ecology!

15 February 2024 We are looking for a full-time field technician to help us with a field survey in southern Alberta (July 1 - Aug 15). Please apply to Viktoria Wagner by Feb 26.

14 January 2024 Welcome to Danielle, our BIOL 298 undergraduate research student who is conducting a seed ecology project with Elk Island National Park!

News archive