About

The Youngflesh Lab in the Department of Biological Sciences at Clemson University works at the intersection of ecology and data science to understand the processes that structure population and community dynamics. Working from local to global scales, we seek to characterize when and why ecological theory generalizes across systems. We view these questions largely through the lens of global change, asking how biological and environmental properties shape the vulnerability of natural systems to change as well as our ability to predictable.

Research in the lab connects theory to ecological 'big data' through the development of statistical approaches, reproducible analytical pipelines, and data resources for the broader community. We use tools such as hierarchical Bayesian and AI-based models to integrate information from a variety of sources, including participatory science projects, satellites, and field-based monitoring. While the conceptual basis of this work is broadly relevant across taxa, we explore these questions primarily through the study of birds and marine mammals.

The Youngflesh Lab is led by Dr. Casey Youngflesh, an Assistant Professor at Clemson University. We are looking to build a diverse, collaborative team with a shared interest in applying leading-edge quantitative approaches to understand ecological systems. Prospective Ph.D. students and postdoctoral researchers should check the Opportunities page for more information.