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Photo of baby elephant, Photo copyright Elizabeth Hadly

Welcome to the Hadly Lab

Our mission is to understand, describe, and predict how biodiversity responds to change in the Anthropocene.

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We are a laboratory for life in the Anthropocene.

We envision a world that puts diversity first, in all living systems, wild and human. Just like biodiversity in the ecosystems we study, diversity in any system confers strength, resilience, and beauty. We actively bring together and integrate a diverse set of people, perspectives, scientific methods, tools, ecosystems and time-scales. Diversity statement and resources 

Group launching a boat into a lake

Research

Our research explores the ecology and evolution of animals.  Using a variety of techniques, we sense patterns in nature to understand how the rapidly changing world of the Anthropocene is influencing the fate of biodiversity on Earth.

Instructor and students standing in a desert

Teaching

For us, teaching means learning together. Whether we are teaching, mentoring or communicating in a Stanford classroom or in Yellowstone, we seek to listen, understand, and create a shared vision of how healthy natural systems will support a thriving human society.

Students using genomics equipment at a lab bench

Tools

Data from genomes, the fossil record, camera traps, satellites, bat detectors and more allow us to sense the environment and the animals all around us - and how they respond to disturbance. We are developing novel field-ready technology and we are actively seeking collaborators.

illustration of earth on a precipice

What is the Anthropocene? Why are we concerned?

The world has reached a moment where human impact is as significant as the geologic forces of the past— this is called The Anthropocene. One million species are at risk of extinction, jeopardizing the natural world that makes our life possible and beautiful. We are studying these changes and communicating the findings so that we have the science and tools to better predict what's to come - and so we can all take action to create a future we can look forward to. 

Read how our research is defining the start of this new geological epoch -- and what this will mean for humanity
Elizabeth A. Hadly photo

Principal Investigator, Paul S. & Billie Achilles Professor of Environmental Biology and Faculty Director of Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve

Principal Investigator

Dr. Elizabeth Hadly

Elizabeth Hadly is a global change scientist who has studied the impacts of environmental change for the past four decades.  Addressing the biology of species from both evolutionary and ecological perspectives, she studies primarily extant species to understand the past, present, and future of biodiversity.  Uniquely, her research spans the decadal to millennial time scale, and integrates lab and field research, increasingly important in understanding the Anthropocene and tipping points for Planet Earth. She currently serves as faculty director of Stanford’s Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve.

Read more about Liz  

Meet the Team

Our current PhD students, postdocs and staff. Click on the link below to read about our undergraduates, community members and collaborators who are active and essential members of the Hadly Lab:

Hadly Lab Community and Alumni 

Elizabeth A. Hadly photo

Principal Investigator, Paul S. & Billie Achilles Professor of Environmental Biology and Faculty Director of Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve