Dr. Daniele De Almeida Miranda

Research Assistant Professor
Contact: ddealmei@nd.edu
Click here for a copy of Dr Miranda's CV (PDF)

I am an aquatic ecologist and ecotoxicologist studying how human activities affect aquatic ecosystems. My research integrates fieldwork, laboratory experiments, and molecular techniques to understand how contaminants move through food webs and influence aquatic life.

My work focuses on how habitat use, life stage, and species traits shape contaminant transfer in aquatic systems, and how exposure alters gut microbiomes, metabolism, growth, and immune function in freshwater fish. By linking microbial, behavioral, and ecological data, I aim to develop trait-based approaches that help predict species’ vulnerability to stressors and inform conservation strategies.

At the University of Notre Dame, my current research examines the distribution and ecological effects of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS, or “forever chemicals”) in Lake Michigan and nearby stream ecosystems. I investigate how food web structure and feeding guilds influence contaminant flow and how these pathways shift when communities are disturbed.
Overall, my goal is to build a mechanistic understanding of how contaminants behave and impact organisms in complex, real-world environments. By integrating ecological theory with empirical research, I strive to advance our understanding of aquatic ecosystem resilience in the Anthropocene.