John McAlister joined the Levin Lab in 2026. He is a postdoctoral research associate in the Program in Applied and Computational Mathematics whose research focuses on game-theoretic modeling with explicit spatial or relational structure. He earned a BS in Zoology and a BS in Mathematics at The Ohio State University, then went on to the University of Tennessee - Knoxville to pursue a PhD in Mathematics with a focus in mathematical ecology. In the Levin lab, he uses tools from differential and nonlocal equations to develop new models of collective behavior that account for the relational structure of populations. These models help show how spatial patterns at the population scale arise from interactions on the individual scale.   Outside of his research, John enjoys running and powerlifting, and he is a big fan of Ohio State Football.