Mission

I am a systems ecologist looking at the impacts of human and climate on natural mountain ecosystems. My techniques of choice include field surveys, experimental manipulations and laboratory incubations.

Current work

My main affiliation is with the Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, where I work in Frank Hagedorn's group Biogeochemistry. As a SNSF Ambizione fellow I have established various manipulative field and greehouse studies in the Alps and the Scandes to investigate plant-soil-microbe linkages under changing environmental conditions. More about this work can be found here: https://www.wsl.ch/en/employees/gavazov.html#tabelement1-tab1

As a former member of Ellen Dorrepaal's lab, I retain affiliation and close collaboration with the Climate Impacts Research Centre (CIRC) based in Abisko, Swedish Lapland. Together with team ALTER https://www.arcticcirc.net/our-projects/alter I am investigating the impact of climate change on cold-adapted ecosystems in relation to carbon cycling and vegetation community dynamics. Important aspects of my work with CIRC are the faith of carbon from thawing permafrost soils in the circumpolar region and the associated priming effect of plant root exudation and rhizodeposition.

Biography

2018 - to present: WSL, Switzerland; research associate

2015 - 2017: CIRC Abisko, Umeå University, Sweden; Postdoc in permafrost ecology and climate change

2014 - 2015: WSL, Site Lausanne, Switzerland; Postdoc in peatlands ecology and biogeochemistry

2009 – 2013: École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland; PhD in Ecology.

2006 – 2009: Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the Netherlands; MSc in Ecology

2002 – 2005: Jacobs University Bremen, Germany; BSc in Biological Sciences.

Passions

freeride skiing, mountain biking, beach volleyball