Dr. Leslie Potts
USA
Eco-physiology Post-Doctoral Scholar
I specialize in how arthropods deal with the stress of temperature shifts as a result of climate change. I am interested in how arthropods will respond to global climate change through a cascade from their own individual physiology to the ecosystem. Understanding how individual arthropods may respond to temperature regime shifts can help us understand their interactions with other organisms in their environment and ultimately the nutrient flows in their ecosystems. I recently accepted a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks where I will be focusing on the ecosystem-level shifts as a result of temperature warming caused by climate change. Besides my research questions, I have a passion for teaching and encouraging a science interest from all backgrounds and diversities. I identify as a first-generation college student and as a woman in STEM. Throughout my career, I have recognized the lack of diversity in the sciences, both academically and demographically. I want to help foster a love of science through understanding the natural world, especially in women and under-represented groups. I feel science can only benefit from a collaboration of diverse minds and backgrounds, and it is time to see a more represented academic culture.