Team
Asst. Prof. Eli Thoré – Principal investigator
I am an integrative biologist passionate about understanding how animals live and interact within the complexity of natural and anthropogenically altered land- and timescapes. I am deeply fascinated by biological rhythms and integrate my broad interests with expertise in behavioural ecology, ecotoxicology, and aquatic ecology to study questions across levels of biological organization. I value personal growth and actively encourage all our team members to pursue their passions and ideas, being committed to creating a supportive, collaborative, and open-minded lab environment.
I lead the Zoology section of the Editorial Preprint team of Proceedings B, and serve on the Editorial Board of Aquatic Toxicology. I am also associated with TRANSfarm, the pilot plant of KU Leuven (Belgium), and the Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (Sweden).
PhD students
Theresia Kimario – PhD student (2025–present)
Joining us from Tanzania, Theresia investigates the individual and combined effects of escalating anthropogenic disturbances—such as chemical pollution, artificial light exposure, and rising temperatures—on fish behaviour and performance. Using turquoise killifish, Trinidad guppy, or brown trout as model species, she explores how phenotypic variation among individuals might influence differential behavioural responses to these stressors across the day-night cycle. Ultimately, Theresia aims to contribute to the development of conservation strategies and sustainable aquaculture practices to maintain healthy fish populations in increasingly altered environments.
Noémie Buratto – PhD student (2024–present)
Noémie studies the impacts of chemical and microplastic pollution on mangrove ecosystems in the Caribbean, specifically focusing on the upside-down jellyfish Cassiopea xamachana. This species is unique in that it can grow both heterotrophically and autotrophically through its endosymbiotic relationship with photosynthetic dinoflagellates. Noémie investigates how pollution affects Cassiopea‘s symbiosis-driven development, behaviour, and performance during the polyp and medusa stages. Her work contributes to a broader understanding of how pollution interacts with symbioses and how it disrupts mangrove ecosystems and their inhabitants. Noémie is also guided by her co-supervisor Dr. Omayma Missawi from UNamur.
Nicole Goede – PhD student (2023–present)
Nicole focuses on how temperature influences the development of aquatic ectotherms. She uses African clawed frogs, zebrafish, and annual killifish as her study species, and employs live imaging, advanced image analysis, and machine learning to investigate how temperature shapes early embryonic development and how chemical pollutants may disrupt these processes. Her work not only tackles a fundamental question in biology but also provides valuable insights into how species might respond to the challenges of a changing climate. Nicole is in a dual PhD program between UNamur and KU Leuven, the latter in which she is supervised by Prof. Lendert Gelens and co-supervised by Prof. Luc Brendonck.
Co-supervised PhD students
Nichole Donough – PhD student (2023–current)
Co-supervised together with Prof. Luc Brendonck (KU Leuven, Belgium), Prof. Nico Smit, and Prof. Victor Wepener (North-West University, South Africa), Nichole explores the complexities of multi-stressor environments, focusing on Nothobranchius killifish. Her research investigates how these species navigate the unique challenges of temporary pool systems across aridity gradients in southeast Africa. Nichole specifically focuses on the interplay between hydrological variation, parasite infestations, and chemical pollutants, examining their effects on killifish behaviour, reproduction, and survival, as well as their broader ecological implications.
Lomarie Janse van Rensburg – PhD student (2023–present)
Co-supervised together with Prof. Luc Brendonck (KU Leuven, Belgium), Prof. Victor Wepener, and Prof. Nico Smit (North-West University, South Africa), Lomarie’s research focuses on the intricate dynamics of temporary pond ecosystems. Her work explores the interactions between Nothobranchius furzeri, fairy shrimps, and other inhabitants of these ephemeral habitats, investigating how species relationships shift across climate-related gradients in southeast Africa. Lomarie seeks to elevate the ecological relevance of N. furzeri as a model system in ecotoxicology and chemical risk assessment, contributing to sustainable waterway management in South Africa.
Interns
Amélie Pujol – Intern (Apr 2025–present)
Amélie is in a Master program at the Université de Toulon (France) and joined the LAB for an internship. She is working together with Noémie Buratto to study the growth of the endosymbiotic dinoflagellates of the upside-down jellyfish.
Manon Verneuil – Intern (Feb 2025–present)
Manon is in a Master program at Le Mans University (France) and doing her internship in the LAB. She is working together with Theresia Kimario to study how small freshwater crustaceans, notably Daphnia magna waterfleas, respond behaviourally to chemical and light pollution.
Master students
Benjamin Lapiere – Master student (Feb 2025–present)
Benjamin is in a Master program at UNamur and conducts his thesis research in the LAB, supervised together with Prof. Alice Dennis within our research unit. Using Daphnia galeata waterfleas, Benjamin is studying potential behavioural adaptation to historical eutrophication events.
Héloïse Defêche – Master student (Feb 2025–present)
Héloïse is in a Master program at UNamur and conducts her thesis research in the LAB. She is working together with Noémie Buratto to study (behavioural) responses of Hydra viridissima—small, symbiotic freshwater cnidarians—to environmental pollution.
Laurie Differding – Master student (Feb 2025–present)
Laurie is in a Master program at UNamur and conducts her thesis research in the LAB. Guided by Theresia Kimario, she is studying how activity patterns of Daphnia magna waterfleas are influenced by chemical pollution.
Lamyae Saffour – Master student (Feb 2025–present)
Lamyae is in a Master program at the University of Louvain-La-Neuve and UNamur, conducting her thesis research under guidance of Noémie Buratto in the LAB. Lamyae is studying the growth of the endosymbiotic dinoflagellates of the upside-down jellyfish and how it responds to various scenarios of environmental pollution.
Thinking about joining?
I’ve had the privilege of mentoring students on diverse research topics. If you’re a student or colleague passionate about exploring new ideas and keen to collaborate, I encourage you to reach out! Share a brief description of your interests and how they might align with the work we do—I’d love to discuss potential synergies.