Chen JinLin

Work Experience:

(1) 2025-04 - present，Nanjing University, Tenure-track Assistant Professor

(2) 2023-01 - 2024-12, University of Oxford,  Department of Biology, Postdoc

Education:

(1) 2018-10 - 2022-12, University of Oxford, Zoology, PhD

(2) 2013-09 - 2018-07, Peking University, Biological Sciences, Bachelor

Climate change is drastically reshaping species distributions and populations, with cascading ecological impacts already disrupting human societies—and intensifying. Community responses are often not gradual, their nonlinear nature challenge traditional methods to predict the vulnerability and sensitivity of biodiversity to climate change. Our research group focuses on the empirical research conducted in the field and lab, in combination with molecular techniques and mathematical modelling. Using invertebrate systems (especially fruit fly – parasitoid communities), we investigate (1) the eco-evolutionary dynamics of biological communities driven by extreme climatic events, (2) mechanisms regulating coexistence and numerical dynamics within species interaction networks, (3) insect distribution and their ecological functions under global changes.

Opportunities:

We welcome prospective students (undergraduates, Master's and PhD) to apply by sending me your CV and a brief personal statement (outlining your research interests, motivations, and relevant background). We are also actively recruiting a lab manager and postdocs—please contact me for details (jlchen(AT)nju.edu.cn). 

In submission

Bright, N. L., Chen, J., & Terry, J. C. D. (2024). Transgenerational effects impact the vulnerability of a host-parasitoid system to rising temperatures. bioRxiv, 2024-08.

Chen, J., & Lewis, O. T. (2024). A cryptic host-parasitoid interaction reduces the impact of heatwaves on host populations. 

Publications

Li, J., Smith, C. A., Chen, J., Bates, K. A., & King, K. C. (2025). Warming during different life stages has distinct impacts on host resistance ecology and evolution. Ecology Letters, 28(2), e70087.

刘田田, 陈金琳, 陈飞, 高欢欢, 习新强. (2025). 两种果蝇蛹期寄生蜂的冷、热昏迷反应. 昆虫学报, 68(1), 89-97

Chen, J., & Lewis, O. T. (2024). Limits to species distributions on tropical mountains shift from high temperature to competition as elevation increases. Ecological Monographs, 94(1), e1597.

Chen, J., & Lewis, O. T. (2023). Experimental heatwaves facilitate invasion and alter species interactions and composition in a tropical host‐parasitoid community. Global Change Biology, 29(22), 6261-6275.

Terry, J. C. D., Chen, J., & Lewis, O. T. (2021). Natural enemies have inconsistent impacts on the coexistence of competing species. Journal of Animal Ecology, 90(10), 2277-2288.