Alex BaecherAssistant Professor

• B.S., Biology, University of Arkansas
• M.S., Biology, Eastern Kentucky University
• Ph.D., Interdisciplinary Ecology, University of Florida

The Qμest Lab is an applied quantitative ecology research group studying the processes that govern the distribution of biodiversity across space and time — from beneficial species to invasive and disease-vector species alike. We integrate field studies, laboratory experiments, large observational datasets, modern statistical and forecasting tools, and high-performance computing to address the following interrelated questions:

1. How are species' ranges shifting in response to climate change, and can we anticipate where they're headed next?
2. Can we forecast biological invasions and disease transmission before they unfold?
3. How can citizen science data be combined with rigorous field sampling to model population change at scale?
4. How do fine-scale microclimatic processes shape the physiology and distribution of ectotherms?

Beyond our own research, the lab is committed to scientific transparency and reproducibility, and to fostering an open, equitable environment for training the next generation of quantitative ecologists.

If you're interested in learning more about these projects or in joining the Qμest Lab, visit the lab website for details on opportunities for prospective postdoctoral researchers, graduate students, and undergraduates. You can also contact Dr. Baecher directly at alexbaecher@emory.edu.

Select publications (last 5 years) — Qμest Lab members in bold; see Google Scholar for full list

• Oliveira BF, Bertrand R, Pinsky ML, ..., Baecher JA, ..., Comte L. 2026. Species range shifts often speed ahead of their modeled climatic niches. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2515903123
• Anand VA, Baecher JA, Burkett-Cadena N, Thorson JT, Sánchez Y, Tavares YN, Bauer AM, Guralnick R, Campbell LP. 2025. Linking hosts, landscapes, and climate to advance zoonotic arbovirus forecasting. Scientific Reports. doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-46902-2
• Baecher JA, Anand VA, Guralnick R, Bauer AM, Tavares YN, Sánchez Y, Thorson JT, Campbell LP. 2025. Toward ecological forecasting of West Nile virus in Florida: Insights from two decades of sentinel chicken surveillance. Science of the Total Environment. doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.180308
• Baecher JA. 2024. The environmental filtering paradigm and non-filtering community assembly processes. Journal of Biogeography. doi.org/10.1111/jbi.14973
• Klinges DH, Baecher JA, Lembrechts JJ, Maclean IMD, Lenoir J, Greiser C, Ashcroft M, Evans LJ, et al., Scheffers BR. 2024. Proximal microclimate: Moving beyond spatiotemporal resolution improves ecological predictions. Global Ecology and Biogeography. doi.org/10.1111/geb.13884
• Lawlor JA, Comte L, Grenouillet G, Lenoir J, Baecher JA, et al., Sunday J. 2024. Mechanisms, detection and impacts of species redistribution under climate change. Nature Reviews Earth & Environment. doi.org/10.1038/s43017-024-00527-z
• Comte L, Bertrand R, Diamond S, Lancaster LT, Pinsky ML, Scheffers BR, Baecher JA, et al., Lenoir J. 2024. Bringing traits back into the equation: A roadmap to understand species redistribution. Global Change Biology. doi.org/10.1111/gcb.17271
• Baecher JA, Johnson SA, Roznik EA, Scheffers BR. 2023. Experimental evaluation of how biological invasions and climate change interact to alter the vertical assembly of an amphibian community. Journal of Animal Ecology. doi.org/10.1111/1365-2656.13899
• Basham EW, Baecher JA, Johnson SA, Klinges DH, Scheffers BR. 2022. Vertical stratification patterns of tropical forest vertebrates. Biological Reviews. doi.org/10.1111/brv.12896