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University research directory
Research labs at
University of Hawai’i at Mānoa.
Compare 5 listed faculty-led profiles, explore their research interests, and follow the evidence in their selected work. These listings are a starting point for discovery and do not establish recruiting availability.
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Review each lab’s official website and recent publications. Compare the methods used, the questions being asked, and the practical requirements of any published opening. Unclaimed profiles are independently curated; the university has not approved or endorsed them.
How to compare research labs ↗Official university website ↗5 research-led lab profiles
Browse labs by their listed college affiliationCoastal Systems Ecology Lab
University of Hawai’i at Mānoa
Megan J. Donahue · HIMB Director and Researcher
Reef communities vary across space, and those differences matter when assessing their resilience. Donahue’s Coastal Systems Ecology Lab studies marine ecology in the Pacific Islands, using quantitative modeling to investigate populations and communities. Projects examine coral demography, connections among reef communities, and environmental influences on the erosion of reef structures by living organisms. The group also investigates spatial variation in coral disease. Its research connects ecological mechanisms with coastal ecosystem health, providing information relevant to local management decisions and forecasts of ecosystem change.
Concurrency Research Group
University of Hawai’i at MānoaHenri Casanova · Professor
Testing a distributed computing system can become expensive before its design is even settled. Casanova’s Concurrency Research Group develops simulation models, algorithms, and systems for parallel and distributed computing. Research includes scheduling parallel applications and simulating the platforms on which they run. The group’s work on SimGrid addresses distributed applications operating in heterogeneous environments. By connecting application behavior with models of computing resources, this research provides ways to investigate how complex systems perform and compare design choices through simulation.
Insect Biodiversity and Systematics Laboratory
University of Hawai’i at MānoaDaniel Rubinoff · Professor of Entomology
Hawaiʻi’s insects reveal both remarkable evolutionary diversity and the pressures created by invasive species. Rubinoff’s laboratory uses DNA sequence information, morphology, ecological studies, and field and laboratory work to investigate these organisms. Research addresses relationships among native and introduced insects, the routes through which invasions occur, and causes of declines in native insects and plants. The group connects systematics with conservation planning and land management, using evidence about species identities and ecological relationships to inform efforts to protect biodiversity.
Kim Binsted Research Group
University of Hawai’i at MānoaKim Binsted · Professor
A successful space mission depends on people functioning together as well as on its technology. Binsted’s research interests include artificial intelligence, human computer interfaces, and long duration human space exploration. Her HI-SEAS research has examined life in an isolated Mars analog habitat on Mauna Loa. Studies investigated crew dynamics, morale, stress, food, and performance during extended confinement. This work explores how crew selection and support can influence team functioning, connecting computing and human behavior with the practical challenges of sustained exploration far from Earth.
Marguerite Butler Research Group
University of Hawai’i at MānoaMarguerite Butler · Professor
Why do animals take different forms, and what do those differences allow them to do? Butler studies the relationship between body design, environmental demands, and evolutionary history. A particular focus is sexual dimorphism: differences between females and males that affect function or ecology. Examining these differences offers a way to investigate the biological meaning of variation in form. Her research connects animal functional morphology with adaptive evolution, asking how the shapes organisms inherit and the pressures they encounter together influence their ecological roles.
Showing 1–5 of 5 labs