My name is René Shahmohamadloo and I am a both a Liber Ero Postdoctoral Fellow and NSERC Postdoctoral Fellow at Washington State University. My mentorship team includes Seth Rudman and John Fryxell.

My research focuses on understanding the adaptive responses of organisms to human-altered environments, integrating toxicological, population ecology, and evolutionary mechanisms to address pressing questions in organismal biology and conservation. Having received my PhD training in toxicology, I’ve found dedicating my postdoc to expanding my knowledge in evolutionary biology, genomics, and population ecology to be truly riveting.

My career goal is to advance scientific understanding of the interplays between evolutionary biology and toxicology and to leverage this knowledge to address emerging threats and persistent conservation challenges for biodiversity. From combating harmful algal blooms underwater to addresing pesticide resistance evolution on land, my approach is inherently interdisciplinary. It necessitates a holistic understanding of ecological, evolutionary, and biochemical dynamics. Moreover, I am committed to driving actionable regulatory change, shaping policies that safeguard ecosystems and promote the well-being of both humans and wildlife.

Let’s work together to advance scientific understanding and address conservation challenges with expertise and collaboration.

Publications

( ‡ co-first authors | † undergraduate or graduate mentee )

Preprints

Shahmohamadloo, R.S., Fryxell, J.M., Rudman, S.M. (2024). Transgenerational epigenetic inheritance increases trait variation but is not adaptive. doi: 10.1101/2024.04.15.589575

Shahmohamadloo, R.S.‡, Tissier, M.L.‡, Guzman, L.M.‡ (2024). Risk assessments underestimate threat of pesticides to wild bees. doi: 10.1101/2023.09.15.557615

Shahmohamadloo, R.S.‡, Rudman, S.M.‡, Clare, C.I., Westrick, J.A., De Meester, L., Fryxell, J.M. (2024). Intraspecific genetic variation is critical to toxicological responses and environmental risk assessments. doi: 10.1101/2023.06.06.543817

Peer-reviewed

Shahmohamadloo, R.S., Frenken, T., Rudman, S.M., Van West, P., Ibelings, B.W., Trainer, V.L. (2023). Diseases and Disorders in Fish due to Harmful Algal Blooms. Climate Change on Diseases and Disorders of Finfish in Cage Culture (3rd Ed). CABI, Oxfordshire, UK. doi: 10.1079/9781800621640.0010 (PDF)

Shahmohamadloo, R.S., Bhavsar, S.P., Ortiz Almirall, X., Marklevitz, S.A.C., Rudman, S.M., Sibley, P.K. (2023). Cyanotoxins accumulate in Lake St. Clair fish yet their fillets are safe to eat. Sci. Total. Environ., 874, 162381. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162381 (PDF)
Media coverage: The Globe and Mail, CBC News, The Weather Network

Shahmohamadloo, R.S., Bhavsar, S.P., Ortiz Almirall, X., Marklevitz, S.A.C., Rudman, S.M., Sibley, P.K. (2023). Lake Erie fish safe to eat yet afflicted by algal hepatotoxins. Sci. Total. Environ., 861, 160474. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.160474 (PDF)
Media coverage: The Globe and Mail, CBC News, The Weather Network

Hataley, E.K.†, Shahmohamadloo, R.S., Ortiz Almirall, X., Harrison, A.L., Rochman, C.M., Zou, S., Orihel, D.M. (2022). Experimental evidence from the field that naturally weathered microplastics accumulate cyanobacterial toxins in eutrophic lakes. Environ. Toxicol. Chem., 41(12), 3017-3028. doi: 10.1002/etc.5485 (PDF)

Shahmohamadloo, R.S., Febria, C.M., Fraser, E.D.G., Sibley, P.K. (2022). The Sustainable Agriculture Imperative: The need for an Agrosystem Approach to Meet the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. Integr. Environ. Assess. Manag., 18(5), 1199-1205. doi: 10.1002/ieam.4558 (PDF)
Media coverage: The Rockefeller Foundation, Farmtario, U of G News
Semi-finalist video: Video file

Shahmohamadloo, R.S., Ortiz Almirall, X., Simmons, D.B.D., Bhavsar, S.P., Poirier, D.G., Sibley, P.K. (2022). Fish tissue accumulation and proteomic response to microcystins is species-dependent. Chemosphere, 287, 132028. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.132028 (PDF)

Shahmohamadloo, R.S., Ortiz Almirall, X., Simmons, D.B.D., Lumsden, J.S., Bhavsar, S.P., Watson-Leung, T., Vander Eyken, A.†, Hankins, G.†, Hubbs, K.†, Konopelko, P.†, Sanarcki, M.†, Strong, D.†, Sibley, P.K. (2021). Cyanotoxins within and outside of Microcystis aeruginosa cause adverse effects in Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Environ. Sci. Technol., 55(15), 10422-10431. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.1c01501 (PDF)

Guo, Y., O’Brien, A.M., Lins, T.F., Shahmohamadloo, R.S., Ortiz Almirall, X., Rochman, C.M., Sinton, D. (2021). The Effects of Hydrogen Peroxide on Cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa in the Presence of Nanoplastics. ACS ES&T Water, 1(7), 1596-1607. doi: 10.1021/acsestwater.1c00090 (PDF)

Shahmohamadloo, R.S. (2020). Mentoring with trust. Science, 369(6508), 1270. doi: 10.1126/science.369.6508.1270 (PDF)

Anaraki, M.T., Shahmohamadloo, R.S., Sibley, P.K., MacPherson, K.A., Bhavsar, S.P., Simpson, A.J., Ortiz Almirall, X. (2020). Optimization of an MMPB Lemieux Oxidation method for the quantitative analysis of microcystins in fish tissue by LC-QTOF MS. Sci. Total Environ., 737, 140209. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.140209 (PDF)

Shahmohamadloo, R.S., Simmons, D.B.D., Sibley, P.K. (2020). Shotgun proteomics analysis reveals sub-lethal effects in Daphnia magna exposed to cell-bound microcystins produced by Microcystis aeruginosa. Comp. Biochem. Phys. D., 33, 100656. doi: 10.1016/j.cbd.2020.100656 (PDF)

Shahmohamadloo, R.S., Ortiz Almirall, X., Bhavsar, S.P., Poirier, D.G., Sibley, P.K. (2020). Assessing the toxicity of cell-bound microcystins on freshwater pelagic and benthic invertebrates. Ecotox. Environ. Safe., 188, 109945. doi: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2019.109945 (PDF)

Shahmohamadloo, R.S., Ortiz Almirall, X., Holeton, C., Bhavsar, S.P., Poirier, D.G., Sibley, P.K. (2019). Adopting a culture technique to produce and sustain high concentrations of microcystins by Microcystis aeruginosa in laboratory. MethodsX, 6, 2521-2535. doi: 10.1016/j.mex.2019.10.024 (PDF)

Gene, S.M.†, Shahmohamadloo, R.S., Ortiz, X., Prosser, R.S. (2019). Effect of Microcystis aeruginosa-associated microcystin-LR on the survival of 2 life stages of freshwater mussel (Lampsilis siliquoidea). Environ. Toxicol. Chem., 38(10), 2137-2144. doi: 10.1002/etc.4527 (PDF)

Shahmohamadloo, R.S., Lissemore, L., Prosser, R.S., Sibley, P.K. (2017). Comparative evaluation of four biosolids formulations on the effects of triclosan on plant-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal interactions in three crop species. Sci. Total. Environ., 583, 292-299. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.01.067 (PDF)

Shahmohamadloo, R.S., Lissemore, L., Prosser, R.S., Sibley, P.K. (2016). Evaluating the effects of triclosan on three field crops grown in four formulations of biosolids. Environ. Toxicol. Chem., 36(7), 1896-1908. doi: 10.1002/etc.3712 (PDF)

Prosser, R.S., Lissemore, L., Shahmohamadloo, R.S., Sibley, P.K. (2015). Effect of biosolids-derived triclosan and triclocarban on the colonization of plant roots by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Sci. Total. Environ., 508, 427-434. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.12.014 (PDF)