Research Research Areas Environmental Genetics Wildlife Ecology & Trophic Cascades Human Livelihoods & Tropical Conservation Salmon, Humans & Wildlife Disease Ecology Publications People Software Courses Join Us ♥ Donate

Department of Fisheries, Wildlife & Conservation Sciences

The Levi Lab

Molecular and quantitative ecology at the interface
of wildlife science, conservation, and human systems

Explore Our Research Meet the Team

Scroll

Support our research. Gifts to the Carnivore Ecology and Conservation fund at the OSU Agricultural Research Foundation support our work on coastal wolves in Alaska, jaguars in the Brazilian Pantanal, Humboldt martens on the Oregon coast, and macaws in Guatemala.

About the Lab

Basic & Applied Research
Across Three Continents

We apply molecular and quantitative methods to address fundamental and pressing problems in wildlife ecology, biodiversity science, and conservation—from the Neotropics to Alaska to Oregon.

Our work spans environmental genetics, trophic cascades, salmon ecology, disease ecology, and human-wildlife systems. We develop novel molecular tools, statistical models, and AI-assisted approaches to understand and protect the natural world.

140+

Publications

5

Research Areas

10K+

Carnivore Scats Analyzed

20+

Lab Members

Lab field work in old-growth forest

Field research in Pacific Northwest old-growth forests

Environmental Genetics

eDNA, DNA metabarcoding, noninvasive genotyping, and population genetics applied across aquatic and terrestrial systems.

Wildlife Ecology & Species Interactions

How do top predators structure ecosystems? We study carnivore communities and their far-reaching indirect effects on prey and habitat.

Human Livelihoods & Tropical Conservation

Managing Neotropical wildlife to support human livelihoods while conserving biodiversity across hunting landscapes.

Salmon, Humans & Wildlife

Quantifying salmon's role in ecosystems and the tradeoffs between fishery harvest and wildlife needs from bears to wolves.

Disease Ecology

Are intact wildlife communities good for our health? We examine how deforestation and biodiversity loss drive zoonotic disease emergence.

Latest Work

Recent Publications

Our research appears in leading journals including PNAS, Annual Review of EES, Nature Scientific Reports, and Ecology.

View All Publications

2026

Diets, dominance hierarchies, and kleptoparasitism drive asymmetrical interactions between wolves and cougars

Binder, W., Ruprecht, J.S., Rabe, J., Metz, M.C., Hutchinson, R., Stahler, D.R., et al.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 123(6):e2511397123

2026

Comparing accuracy and biases of DNA metabarcoding, hybridization capture, and metagenomic sequencing for quantifying herbivore diets

Eriksson, C.E., Shipley, L., Clark, D.A., Levi, T.

Molecular Ecology Resources 26(5):e70175

2026

Leveraging next-generation tools for genetic assessment and demographic monitoring in threatened and elusive Humboldt martens

Hallerud, M.A., Moriarty, K., Pilgrim, K.L., Quinn, C.B., Eriksson, C.E., Schwartz, M.K., Levi, T.

Evolutionary Applications 19(7):e70277

2026

Drought and growing season phenology over 35 years modulates species interactions among domestic and wild herbivores

Ruprecht, J., Forrester, T.D., Brown, C.L., Mengak, L.F., Wisdom, M.J., Clark, D.A., et al.

Journal of Animal Ecology 95(7):1194

2026

Individual identification of prey in carnivore scats

Eriksson, C.E., Bianco, M., Ruprecht, J., Clark, D.A., Levi, T.

Molecular Ecology Resources 26(5):e70164

Opportunities

Join Our Team

We welcome curious, driven scientists interested in wildlife ecology, conservation genetics, quantitative methods, and beyond.

Prospective Students & Postdocs Meet the Lab