Tobias Landberg Ph.D — Director of Research at the Amphibian Foundation (AF)

Dr. Landberg is a curious person by nature and biologist by training. His passion to understand and help the animals he is inspired by, like snapping turtles and mole salamanders, has driven his career. Dr. Landberg previously served on AF’s Scientific Advisory Board and he joined the leadership team in 2019 as AF’s Director of Research. Dr. Landberg leads AF’s Bridge Program for Conservation Research to help address amphibian conservation while offering valuable professional experience to students during transition periods.

Trained in functional morphology and developmental plasticity, his amphibian and reptile research is at the intersection of development, ecology, and evolution.

Dr. Landberg earned his B.A. (2001) and M.S. in Organismal & Evolutionary Biology (2004) from the University of Massachusetts. He earned his Ph.D. in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology at the University of Connecticut (2010). In collaboration with fellow scientists and mentors, Dr. Landberg has studied and published on amphibians and reptiles throughout his career, including the breathing and locomotion in turtles, the development of locomotion in salamanders, the complex life history of red-eyed treefrogs, and the life history plasticity and evolution in salamanders and frogs. Turtles are one of Tobias’ favorite animals—he has been deploying remote imaging devices on snapping turtles in the wild in Connecticut for more than a decade with partners including the National Geographic Society and Mystic Aquarium.

Hobbies include sharing his love of critters with people, working with hand tools, and cooking with local produce for his wonderful wife, Emily.

Prior to joining AF, Dr. Landberg served as an assistant professor of biology at Arcadia University.

Fun fact—Dr. Landberg and AF’s Executive Director, Mark Mandica, first met in a herpetology undergraduate class at UMass, Amherst.