Dr. Isla Myers-Smith
Professor and Canada Excellence Research Chair in the Global Change Ecology of Northern Ecosystems, Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences, UBC
Prof. Myers-Smith’s research quantifies trends and impacts of Arctic vegetation change to answer why the Arctic is greening and how tundra ecosystems have responded to climate change to inform future projections. She uses satellite and drone-based remote sensing in combination with long-term ecological research, in partnership with international researchers, northern communities and governments, to explore processes such as increases in shrubs in tundra ecosystems and the impacts on wildlife habitats, through to abrupt permafrost thaw. Her research demonstrates a dramatic transformation of tundra ecosystems with Arctic warming and a broad spectrum of global biodiversity change during the Anthropocene. She communicates her science broadly in the media reaching global audiences. She has been elected to the Royal Society of Edinburgh and the Royal Society of Canada College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists.
