Group Members

If you are interested in joining us, we are always looking for talented and experienced students to join the lab for master’s and doctoral degree programs. Please send inquiries with a brief research plan to Dr. Kass.

Jump to staff, graduate students, undergraduate students, alumni, and administrative support.

Staff

Jamie M. Kass

Associate Professor, PI
email: <kass (at) tohoku.ac.jp>

  • PhD in Biology, City University of New York, 2019
  • Masters of Environmental Management, Duke University, 2007
  • Bachelors of Science in Biology, Bachelors of Arts in English, SUNY Binghamton, 2004

Everton Miranda

Assistant Professor
email: <miranda (at) tohoku.ac.jp>

  • PhD in Ecology, University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2020
  • MSc in Ecology and Biodiversity Conservation, Mato Grosso Federal University
  • Degree in Environmental Law, Candido Mendes University
  • Bachelors in Biological Sciences, Rio de Janeiro Federal University

Jotaro Urabe

Research Fellow (Emeritus Professor)
email: <urabe (at) tohoku.ac.jp>

  • PhD, Tokyo Metropolitan University, 1988
  • Master, Tokyo University of Fisheries, 1984
  • Bachelors, Tokyo University of Fisheries, 1982

Graduate Students

Hiromichi Suzuki

D1
Focus: Limnology and ecology of zooplankton
Research: Determinants of zooplankton community structure and dynamics using field studies, experiments, and data analysis

Matthew Durant

M1
Focus: Marine conservation climate change
Research: Ecology and conservation of Pacific sharks and rays, potential benefits of marine protected areas

Megan Low

M1
Focus: Functional diversity of pollinating insects
Research: Predicting and mapping pollinator diversity and pollination service potential

Ryo Nishida

M1
Focus: Impacts of human activity on biodiversity
Research: Relationships between traditional land use practices and species’ distributions

Taro Takane

M1
Focus: Ecology and evolution of monkeys
Research: Biogeography and phylogenetic patterns of the genus Macaca

Ruiqi Zhang

M1
Focus: Plant biogeography
Research: Biogeography of color morphs for ???

Undergraduate Students

So Kaneko

B4
Focus: Threats from invasive fish
Research: Establishment risk and invasive distribution mapping of smallmouth bass in Japan

Kenshin Matsumoto

B4
Focus: Interactions between humans and wildlife
Research: Distribution of Japanese serow and potential shifts with climate change

Takumi Yamaguchi

B4
Focus: Fish ecology and biogeography
Research: Distribution of Japanese eel and associated human impacts

Yoshihiro Komatsu

B3
Focus: ???
Research: Essential biodiversity variables for grasshoppers

Tomoyo Kobayashi

B3
Focus: Conservation of marine mammals
Research: Biogeography of orcas

Yusuke Sawada

B3
Focus: ???
Research: Influence of human development on crow distributions and interspecies relationships in Corvidae

Lab Alumni

Former visiting Students

William Leighton Petty, Baylor University, JYPE Program, 2023-2024

Erick Sanchez, University of California, San Diego, JYPE Program, 2024

Anson Choi, University of California, San Diego, JYPE Program, 2024

Administrative Support

Motoko Fujishima (motoko.fujishima.b3 (at) tohoku.ac.jp) is our essential administrative assistant.