Ph.D.
Research Scientist
shekar@mail.ru
Research interests:
My research combines population ecology, conservation biology, and wildlife management, with a particular focus on threatened small mammals.
For more than twenty years, I have studied the Speckled Ground Squirrel (Spermophilus suslicus), a species listed in both the Red Data Book of Russia and the IUCN Red List. This species has experienced dramatic declines throughout much of its range and has disappeared from several regions, including the Moscow Region. Since 2023, I have been participating in a collaborative project to establish a conservation, breeding, and reintroduction centre for the species in the Voroninsky State Nature Reserve.
Previously, my research focused on the ecophysiology and behaviour of dwarf hamsters (Phodopus spp.), investigating how photoperiod influences reproduction, immune function, activity, and physiological adaptations. I also studied female mate choice and reproductive behaviour in these species.
Earlier in my career, I conducted field studies on the population ecology of tropical rodents in southern Vietnam, which formed the basis of my Ph.D. dissertation on the Red Spiny Rat (Maxomys surifer).
My first research projects addressed the ecology of zoonotic diseases, particularly cutaneous leishmaniasis, where I investigated vector ecology and methods for controlling vector populations in human-modified environments. This experience fostered my long-standing interest in the effects of human activities on wildlife populations and ecosystems.