PEOPLE
Reuben Keller, PhD
Associate Professor
I have been a Professor in the Institute of Environmental Sustainability at Loyola University Chicago since 2011. My research is focused on aquatic invasive species and I strive to find and support projects that address immediate issues for policy and management while also answering fundamental questions for ecology. Much of the lab's current work is focused on how invasive aquatic species are moving through the Chicago Region. This research includes field observation and experiments, lab experiments, and computer modeling.
I grew up in Melbourne, Australia, and completed my undergraduate degrees at Monash University. In 2001 I moved to the U.S. to work on my PhD in David Lodge’s lab at the University of Notre Dame. I completed that in 2006 and then held post-doctoral research positions at Cambridge University, University of Notre Dame, and University of Chicago.
Current Lab Members
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Capt Rachel Egly, MS
Research Associate
As lab manager, I oversee the day-to-day efforts of the lab and mentor students while completing research. Projects I am currently working on include ongoing removal efforts for invasive red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) in the North Branch of the Chicago River and testing of the effects of a lab-scale electric barrier on invasive invertebrates.
John Bieber, MS
Research Associate
As a Research Associate in the Keller Lab, I am mainly focused on working to implement a rapid assessment tool (RAT) for use in Illinois. I also work with invasive species such as the red swamp and rusty crayfish, as well as Scud to research the physiology and behavior of invasive species in the Chicago River.
Alex Quebbeman
Master's Student
For my thesis research, I am developing sampling methods for invertebrates and macrophytes in Chicago’s harbors. I am also analyzing the gut tracts of invasive scud (Apocorophium lacustre) found in the Chicagoland area to determine their diet and potential impact on food webs.
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Tava Oosterbaan
Master's Student
For my research, I am studying microplastic presence in red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) and zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) in the North Shore Channel of the Chicago River. I am assessing impacts on the local food web, such as invasive invertebrates serving as vectors for microplastic movement into higher trophic levels.
Megan Cunnison
Master's Student
I am developing a single-species environmental DNA assay for starry stonewort, an invasive macroalgae. I am using the eDNA assay along with SCUBA surveys to record starry stonewort distribution and growth form in Chicago's Lake Michigan harbors.
Emilianna Perrault
Master's Student
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Cassidy Draper
Master's Student
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Penelope Reynolds
Undergraduate
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Natalie Arnold
Undergraduate
I am a fourth-year undergraduate Environmental Science major with a minor in Statistics at Loyola University Chicago. In the lab, I assist Megan Cunnison with the development and optimization of an eDNA assay for invasive macroalga starry stonewort (N. obtusa) and enjoy helping with various fieldwork efforts across lab projects.
Jackson Rohrbaugh
Undergraduate
I am a second year undergraduate student majoring in Environmental Science with a concentration in Conservation and Restoration Ecology. I assist in the research of temperature effects on competitive behavior between two species of invasive crayfish.
Jens Istvan
Undergraduate
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Lab Alumni
Victoria Prescott
Victoria’s work looked at the potential for invasive aquatic species in the Great Lakes region to change their distributions under scenarios of climate change. She began by testing a range of approaches to species distribution modeling and then applied the highest performing models to a range of species, creating predictions for distribution through 2070.
Post-doc
May 2017 – April 2018
Abigail Jacobs
Abby was the first Master’s student to work in the Keller lab. She created a comprehensive database documenting the arrival, establishment, and impacts, of non-native aquatic species in Illinois. The work was published in the journal Biological Invasions.
Master's Student
August 2012 – October 2014
Ellen Cole
Ellen was co-advised by Kelly Garbach and Keller, and her work looked at the design, implementation, and effectiveness, of outreach programs designed to prevent the arrival and spread of aquatic invasive species. This work was published in two papers, both in Journal of Environmental Management.
Master's Student
August 2013 – June 2016
Erin O’Shaughnessey
Erin conducted field and lab research on invasive crayfishes in the Chicago region. For one project she looked at competitive interactions between the invasive rusty and red swamp crayfish, and for another she looked at distributions of crayfish across the Chicago region. Her work has been published in Biological Invasions, and another paper is on the way.
Master's Student
June 2016 - February 2019
Carter Cranberg
Carter's research combined field work and data analysis to help build species distribution models (SDMs) for aquatic invasive species (AIS) in the Chicago-land area. One of his projects entailed sampling small lentic bodies in Cook and Lake counties to develop a framework of local macrophyte and crayfish populations. The other project he was involved in consisted of updating an Illinois AIS database. The database aggregated all recorded instances of AIS in Illinois and analyzed their occurrences.
Master's Student
August 2019 – April 2021
Colette Copic
Colette's thesis research examined abiotic factors that have the potential to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive invertebrates. Specifically, they tested the behavioral impacts a dissolved CO2 barrier would have on invasive invertebrates in the Chicago area. Additionally, they were interested in understanding how water quality and anthropogenic pollution affects the distribution of a non-native amphipod, Apocorophium lacustre.
Master's Student
August 2019 – April 2021
Natalia Szklaruk
Natalia's thesis research examined the impacts of anthropogenic pollution and water quality found in the Chicago Area Waterway System on the potential spread and survival of invasive invertebrates, such as Apocorophium lacustre, Procambarus clarkii, and Hemimysis anomala. This involved measuring changes in antioxidant activity, behavior, and oxygen consumption. Additionally, she developed sampling methods to help determine presence and increase detection rates of invasive macrophytes, crayfishes, mollusks, and other invertebrates in Illinois waterbodies.
Master's Student
August 2021 – June 2023
Grant Dlesk
Grant's thesis involved understanding the impact of invasive crayfish like rusty crayfish (Faxonius rusticus) and red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) on the food web of the Chicago River. To address this, he used stable isotope analysis to determine the niche width and trophic position of both species, as well as looked at the stomach contents of fish within the river to investigate how these invaders impact fish diets. Additionally, he also studied wastewater effluent to determine if it influenced the carapace bacterial communities of red swamp crayfish and if they serve as potential vectors for sewage-derived pathogens to spread up the food chain.
Master's Student
August 2022 – June 2024