New Postdoctoral Fellow starts at WLU

Dr. Megan L. Larsen, a microbial evolutionary ecologist specializing in cyanobacteria and harmful algal blooms, joined the Laurier-based FORMBLOOM team in September. She is leading several projects related to predicting the environmental factors that lead to the progress of harmful algal blooms.

Larsen recently completed a one-year postdoctoral position at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Water Sciences Laboratory (WSL) where she provided expertise in specialized methods for water quality analysis and oversaw technical training within the facility. Her research at the WSL focused on emerging and persistent contaminants in groundwater and surface waters such as pesticides, nitrates, and cyanobacterial toxins across Nebraska. Larsen received her PhD from Indiana University in 2016. Her dissertation work focused on how ratios of elements such as nitrogen and phosphorus shape the ecological, evolutionary, and molecular interactions between bacteria and phage.

Read more about Larsen’s research, professional development for students, and scientific outreach on her personal webpage.