Research Team

Rebecca North, Ph.D.

Rebecca is an aquatic ecologist and biogeochemist, with expertise on nutrient and algal dynamics in water bodies. She left the great white North and joined the School of Natural Resources at the University of Missouri in 2016. Her PhD in limnology was obtained at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada where she worked on eutrophication issues in the African and North American Great Lakes.

Andrea Price, Ph.D., Senior Research Specialist

Andrea Price earned her PhD in 2016 from McGill University in Physical Geography. She completed both her MSc and BSc from the University of Victoria in Earth and Ocean Sciences. Her graduate studies focused on using organic-walled microfossils as indicators of water quality in coastal regions around North America. She is currently a Senior Research Specialist in the North Limnology Lab and the Project Manager for the Statewide Lake Assessment Program. She moved to Missouri in 2022 and is enjoying getting to know Missouri’s lakes and cycling paths.

Josh Bruegge, Field Manager

Josh is an aquatic ecologist and joined the North Limnology Lab in 2025 as field manager. He received a B.S. from Iowa State University and M.S. from Eastern Illinois University. Josh has worked as a fish ecologist at the University of Missouri, Illinois Natural History Survey, and Missouri Department of Conservation where he has focused on community- and population-level assessments of conservation issues for imperiled stream fishes. Outside of work, Josh can be found in a boat on the Missouri River or a kayak on some Ozark stream.

Zohreh Mazaheri Kouhanestani, Ph.D. Student

Zohreh is a Ph.D. student in the Water Resources program of the School of Natural Resources under the supervision of Dr. Rebecca North. She received a B.S. of Fisheries Sciences from Isfahan University of Technology and a M.Sc. of Aquatic Ecology from the Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Iran. Prior to joining MU, she worked as a Data Analyst at the Soil and Water Research Institute. Her past research consisted of the studying ichthyoplankton and phytoplankton communities in Coastal ecosystems as well as host-parasite relationship in stream fish species. She is going to investigate the impact of flood on Cyanobacteria Harmful Algal Blooms (CyanoHABs) and the associated toxins in Missouri lakes and reservoirs. Outside of the lab, she enjoys cooking, hiking, and hopefully exploring the nature of Missouri.

Amelia Littrell, B.S. - Natural Resource Science and Management

Amelia is a graduate from the University of Missouri in Natural Resources, with an emphasis in Fisheries and Wildlife. She joined the lab in Fall 2024 and has been working mostly in the lab as well as in the field. She is interested in a career in outdoor education and outreach, and really appreciates the versatility and new skills this job has come to offer. Outside of the lab, Amelia enjoys hiking and learning more about Missouri’s resources.

Psalm Amos, Research Technician

Psalm earned his MS in Environmental Science from Iowa State University in 2023. His research interests are lake water quality and monitoring pollution in bodies of water. His graduate studies delved into surveying microplastic concentrations in Iowa lakes it's relation to abiotic, biotic, and anthropogenic factors. He is new to the state of Missouri and joined the lab in December 2025. He enjoys backpacking internationally, reviewing movies, reading, and gaming.

Kari Leake, Field Technician

Kari earned her B.S. in Natural Resource Science and Management from the University of Missouri in 2025. She joined the North Limnology Lab as an undergrad in 2024 as a field and lab technician. During her time as a student in the lab, she focused on analyzing cyanotoxins and researched using remote sensing to estimate chlorophyll concentrations in Missouri reservoirs. Post graduation, she now primarily conducts fieldwork and lab analyses.