Elizabeth Borer
Professor of Ecology
Distinguished McKnight University Professor
Wardle Chair of Microbial Ecology
Global change research program
Research in my lab broadly addresses the question: How do global changes, including atmospheric pollution and species invasions and extinctions, change the composition and function of ecological communities?
My interests in this question are broad, and my work ranges from transcontinental species invasions to interactions among microbes sharing a host.
My current work focuses on how environmental changes
(1) control grassland biodiversity, species interactions, and ecosystem function and
(2) affect microbial communities within hosts and across landscapes, including
(3) disease transmission and risk.
I use ecological theory to guide my work, with the goal of developing a predictive understanding of these issues. Although my interests reach far beyond grasslands, much of my empirical work involves studying plants, insects, microbes, and disease in grasslands.
Much of my research and mentoring is done in collaboration with Dr. Eric Seabloom. Follow this link to go to our joint lab website.
Diversity
I am committed to creating and sustaining a diverse, inclusive, and supportive environment in the lab and in the larger scientific community. This commitment is fully consistent with the University of Minnesota's College of Biological Sciences that promotes a self-aware science community, active institutional efforts and individual advocacy to remove barriers for the success of all community members across differences, including race, ethnicity, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, geography, and socioeconomic status or background.
I go beyond this by clarifying that, for me, this is not just a list. I value each of these forms of diversity and their intersections because I believe that creative progress in a field requires diversity of thought and experiences. Importantly, I act on my commitment to fostering an inclusive scientific community by active attention to the needs arising from the lived experience of each individual in my lab. I am committed to working with each student and postdoc I mentor to identify, understand, and remove barriers, to explore opportunities, and to develop actionable plans to support their success.
email: borer AT umn.edu
Phone: 612.624.9529
Skype: elizabeth_borer
Fax: 612.624.6777
Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior
1479 Gortner Avenue,
140 Gortner Laboratory,
St. Paul, MN 55108