About - Cara A. Gallagher

I'm Cara, a California native and current postdoc at the University of Potsdam in the BioMove group, under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Florian Jeltsch. My research largely focuses on using agent-based simulation models and physiological theory to understand the emergence of wildlife population and community patterns and predict the impacts of anthropogenic disturbance.

Here in BioMove, I am involved with a variety of projects, including modelling the impacts of variations in energy expenditure of small mammal species, like bank voles, understanding the role of energetics in shaping community dynamics, and assessing the advantages of social foraging strategies in bats.

In 2021, I completed my PhD in Bioscience at Aarhus University in Denmark, where I was supervised by Dr. Jacob Nabe-Nielsen and Prof. Dr. Volker Grimm. There I developed an agent-based energy budget model of harbor porpoise energetics and population dynamics. I calibrated and validated the model using data for the species then used it to predict the impacts of anthropogenic noise and climate change-induced alterations in food availability on harbor porpoises in the North Sea and inner Danish waters.

In 2016, I completed my MSc at San Francisco State University’s Romberg Tiburon Center for Environmental Studies, under the supervision of Dr. S. Jonathan Stern, Dr. Ellen Hines, and Dr. Sarah Cohen. In my time at SFSU I developed a mathematical bioenergetic model for porpoises. I used this equation-based model to assess the energetic requirements of porpoises in San Francisco Bay.

In my undergraduate degree at California State University East Bay, I worked in the research lab of Dr. James A. Murray. There I studied the physiology of the nudibranch Tritonia diomedea both on main campus and during summers at the University of Washington's Friday Harbor Marine Labs. Utilizing a diverse range of methods, my research aimed to unravel the function of an organ located on the head of the sea slug.

I am active in society and non-profit work and have been a member of the Society for Marine Mammalogy's Education committee and the Women in Marine Mammal Science initiative since 2020. I have completed numerous volunteer projects and internships with organizations such as Oceans Research in South Africa, the Oceanic Society, and the California Academy of Sciences. During my undergraduate degree, I served for 3 years as the founder and president of the SF Bay Chapter of the American Cetacean Society's Student Coalition. I am also passionate about mentorship and am able to mentor students both at my current University position and through programs such as the New York Academy of Sciences 1000 Girls, 1000 Futures program (see Outreach & Community Engagement).

Land-based tracking of southern right whales in South Africa

I'm an avid ocean enthusiast and in my free time I enjoy exploring nature with my husband Paul and dogs Ernest & Moro. Whenever possible, I try to sneak out to go kayaking, hiking, birding, scuba diving, or do some wildlife photography. I value the importance of science communication and like to develop my visual media skills to communicate my research and wider scientific issues (see Graphic Design).