Meet Dr. Meredith Palmer

What do you study? 
My research focuses on predator-prey interactions—specifically, how predators such as lions, hyenas, cheetahs, wild dogs, leopards, and wolves change prey behavior and demography in ways that impact species coexistence and ecosystem functioning.

What are you working on right now? 
I am currently utilizing a combination of experimental and empirical studies to investigate how large mammalian prey mitigate risk from multiple interacting predators, particularly in ecosystems where predator-predator and predator-prey relationships are re-establishing thanks to conservation and restoration efforts. My work takes place in parks and reserves in Tanzania, Mozambique, Botswana, and South Africa.

Why do you do this work?
My research helps to reveal how ecological communities are structured, allowing us to predict to consequences of large predator extinction and providing guidance on how to recover these ecological relationships through restoration efforts.