Stephanie Glendinning
University of Sheffield
Supervisor: Dr Stuart Campbell
Project Title: Providing for our pollinators: Investigating how urbanisation affects the ecology of flower-feeding insects
Research Interests: As cities and towns sprawl outwards into the countryside, urban areas are becoming an ever-increasingly important habitat for many species. My PhD project will investigate the impact of urban stressors, such as reduced plant diversity, pollution and the urban heat island effect, on insect pollinator diversity and abundance, particularly the often overlooked Diptera and Lepidoptera. I am also interested in the impact of urbanisation on nectar and pollen production and quality.
Harriet Williams
University of Liverpool
Supervisor: Dr Karl Bates
Project Title: Function, ecology and macroevolution of the mammalian masticatory system
Research Interests: I am interested in the evolution of masticatory system within animals, particularly within mammals, and how they have changed and adapted throughout evolutionary history.
My PhD research involves studying the patterns of disparity and convergence in muscle morphology and function, using both hard and soft tissues (bone and muscle) within the masticatory system of mammals. This data can then be used to establish the relative nature and timing of adaptive changes across the evolutionary tree.
Jack Archer
University of Liverpool
Supervisor: Greg Hurst
Project Title: Investigating symbiont impacts on natural enemy susceptibility in ladybird beetles
Research Interests: Many insects carry heritable symbionts, bacteria that pass from parent to offspring, and these are particularly common in ladybird beetles. Past work on ladybird symbionts has emphasised reproductive parasite phenotypes such as male-killing, but it is likely that they are also an important component of defence against natural enemy attack (protective symbiosis). Here, symbionts would represent an important determinant of individual resistance and in the dynamics of the host-parasite interaction. Reciprocally, the symbiont dynamics would be driven partly by the parasite. The impact of nematodes on host fertility additionally make this an important consideration in use of ladybirds as greenfly control measures.
Rosie Wool
University of Sheffield
Supervisor: Prof. Rob Freckleton
Project Title: The impacts of liana cutting intensity on biodiversity and carbon in logged Bornean forests
Research Interests: My research interests centre around land use change and the complex effects it has on ecosystems. This PhD project will focus on the impacts that lianas, an epiphytic and fast-growing vine species, have on the logged tropical rainforests of Borneo. I plan to hone in on how carbon stocks, tree growth, recruitment and survival, and acoustic and faunal diversity are modified by a range of liana cutting intensities. I then aim to use my research into carbon-biodiversity synergies and trade-offs to inform restoration initiatives.
Andrea Ceribelli
University of Liverpool
Supervisor: Sharon Zytinska
Project Title: Aphid protective symbionts as unseen drivers of population and community dynamics and the impact for biological control
Research Interests: Entomology, Ecology, Plant sciences, Bio-interactions, Insect behaviour
Georgia Ellen Carr
University of Liverpool
Supervisor: Dr Stephen Cornell
Project Title: Exploring the incentivisation and biodiversity returns of treescapes using agent based models
Research Interests: My research interests circulate around human-environment interactions. In particular, I have a strong interest in conservation, looking towards how research can improve our understanding of environments, their dynamics, and the future.
Treescapes are highly important landscapes within the UK which promote ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration. With current environmental policies such as the Net-Zero Strategy and the 25-year environment plan, these landscapes will likely increase in abundance due to promotion of climate change mitigation and biodiversity enhancement. Therefore, it is important to improve understanding of the socio-environmental feedbacks between humans and treescapes to enable the best possible conservation policies. My PhD project aims to use agent-based modelling techniques to assess spatiotemporal interactions between human decisions, policies, and natural populations residing in treescapes. The findings produced in this study can then support design of effective conservation policies, due to increasing understanding of economic drivers, human decisions, and ecological dynamics.
Lorna Glenn
University of Liverpool
Supervisor: Marcus Blagrove
Project Title: The effect of extreme environmental temperature spikes on mosquito longevity, fertility and ability to transmit viruses
Research Interests: I am interested in mosquitoes and virology, particularly the influence of climate change and its impending impacts on the thermal and geographical ranges for both mosquitoes and their viruses.
My PhD project will allow me to explore the effect of heat waves and extreme temperatures on mosquitoes’ life cycle, reproduction, and ability to transmit viruses. I’ll do this in both a laboratory and field setting to ensure that I can perform fully controlled experiments as well as attain real-world applicable data. With the addition of climate modelling, I will aid in the real-world influence of prediction and management of vector-borne diseases in the face of climate change.
Jonny Timperley
University of Liverpool
Supervisor: Professor Kate Parr
Project Title: Developing bio-acoustic monitoring: can current challenges be overcome?
Research Interests: I am interested in the conservation of biodiverse ecosystems, and more specifically, I am passionate about conducting research on insects and African habitats. During my MPhil, I studied the impacts of oil palm agriculture on arthropods in Liberia, and for this PhD, I am now focusing on the development of bio-acoustic monitoring of insects in Kenya. This research is exciting as I am aiming to develop a new and improved method of sampling above- and below-ground insects, which could considerably aid efforts to conserve these functionally important taxa.
Alessia Lavigne
University of Sheffield
Supervisor: Dr Nicola Hemmings
Project Title: Identifying the drivers of reproductive failure in threatened turtles and tortoises
Research Interests: Reproductive Biology and Physiology
Connor Peach
University of Sheffield
Supervisor: Dr Tom Webb
Project Title: Multiple dimensions of biodiversity in the benthos: implications for marine spatial planning
Research Interests: Shelf seas are among the most productive ecosystems on Earth, with the benthic invertebrates found throughout them forming a significant and highly diverse component of marine food webs, establishing complex communities, and acting as indicators of environmental change. My research aims to quantify variation within marine benthic communities across both space and time, investigating the alterations to taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic diversity in response to anthropogenic and environmental drivers. The creation of linkages between benthic community change and complementary spatial data products will enable an assessment of multiple dimensions of diversity, seabed habitats, and marine protected area networks, highlighting spatial priorities to protect benthic biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in a changing environment.
Gracie Adams
University of Sheffield
Supervisor: Dr Mirre J. P. Simons
Project Title: Alternative splicing as an evolutionary driver of phenotypic plasticity
Research Interests: During my PhD I will combine my interests in evolutionary biology, alternative splicing, population-level studies and novel sequencing technologies to answer questions about phenotypic plasticity we previously did not have the tools to answer. I will use the model organism Drosophila melanogaster, of which we have hundreds of inbred lines, to ascertain how different levels of genomic variation in populations contribute to phenotypic plasticity. I will assess how the genome shapes responses to the environment via alternative splicing in order to shed light on how populations can adapt to climate change based on their genome.
Molly Frost
University of York
Supervisor: Prof. Piran White
Project Title: Biodiversity and ecosystem service impacts of grey squirrels in current and future treescapes
Research Interests: The UK Government has committed to significant woodland expansion and invasive grey squirrels pose a threat to these ambitions through their detrimental impacts on trees and red squirrels. In addition to this, grey squirrels are likely to have adverse impacts on wider aspects of biodiversity and ecosystem services, but these are less well understood and recognised as an important knowledge gap.
I undertake solution-focused ecological and conservation research with a focus on wildlife ecology and ecosystem management. My PhD research is to determine the impacts of grey squirrels on biodiversity and ecosystem services using a range of desk- and field-based approaches. I quantify factors affecting associations between grey squirrel populations and biodiversity and ecosystem services at local and UK scales; and estimate the benefits to these which could be achieved by traditional and novel forms of grey squirrel management, including fertility control.
As well as CASE partner Forestry Commission, I work closely with the conservation ecology group within the Department of Biology; the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology; the UK Squirrel Accord; and the Botstiber Institute for Wildlife Fertility Control.
Jenny Cudmore
University of York
Supervisor: Dr Jon Hill
Project Title: Trees vs Tsunamis
Research Interests: My research aims to numerically simulate tsunami waves and storm surges passing through mangrove forests. I will perform numerical experiments with waves of varying heights passing through ‘forests’ of cylinders, acting as trees. These cylinders will later be replaced with 3D models of real mangrove trees. I hope to determine the optimum arrangement of trees to reduce the impact of these waves, and to quantify the protection they provide.
Nina Bosch
University of York
Supervisor: Dr Elizabeth Wandrag
Project Title: The ecological and functional consequences of fire in heathlands
Research Interests: Plants and fungi form intimate partnerships that have allowed both kingdoms to succeed throughout evolutionary history. Yet, how these partnerships work and adapt to influence ecosystem-level change is poorly understood. I am really interested in the dynamism of fungal partnerships with plants and how tuning into them can help us address global challenges.
Functional ecology; ecosystem restoration; mycology; fungal interactions; nutrient cycling; soil ecology; fire and disturbance ecology
Ki Crabtree
University of York
Supervisor: Dr. Sam Cobb
Project Title: Balance and mass distribution of the head in bipeds
Research Interests: One of the defining traits of being human is the ability to walk on two feet: habitual bipedalism. It is frequently hypothesised that this arose as a response to environmental disruptions in our early evolution. How the postcranial anatomy of humans and our ancestors has adapted to the functional demands of bipedal locomotion has been investigated on multiple occasions. However, less research has been conducted surrounding how head and neck anatomy has changed as a response to habitual bipedalism. My PhD research therefore focuses on investigating how the relationship between the vertebral axis and the centre of mass of the head in early human ancestors has changed as a result of bipedal locomotion. This will involve quantifying how this varies within living humans compared to extant great apes; reconstructing the position of the centre of mass in fossil human ancestors; and modelling the functional role of the nuchal musculature in supporting the heads of human ancestors. This research topic is interesting to me as I have previously researched the relationship between craniofacial form and masticatory performance in fossil humans for my Master’s thesis. Therefore, I am keen to investigate craniofacial biomechanics from a different perspective, to further our understanding of the evolutionary processes that have shaped us as a species.
Jacob Wylie
University of Sheffield
Supervisor: Tim Daniell
Project Title: Understanding the Mechanisms of Mycorrhizal Suppression of Nitrous Oxide Emission: An Integrated Approach
Research Interests: I’m particularly interested in both soil ecology and sustainable agriculture. This project ties both of these together as it tries to gain insight into how mycorrhizal fungi can suppress nitrous oxide emissions from agricultural soils.
Ashwin Suryanarayanan
University of Liverpool
Supervisor: Dr Stuart Wigby
Project Title: Mating strategies in changing environments
Research Interests: I am interested in inter-individual interactions, how ecology and life history shape the behavioural strategies that individuals employ while interacting with others, and the ultimate consequences of these behavioural interactions on an individual’s fitness. In addition, I am also interested in studying the consequences of different environmental stressors on an individual’s survival and reproductive success, and the behavioural strategies that individuals employ when exposed to different environmental stressors.
Post-copulatory sexual selection (PCSS) is a widespread phenomena where sexual selection takes place after mating via sperm competition and cryptic female choice. Prior studies of PCSS have usually been conducted in unnaturally benign lab conditions that might mask the adaptive benefits of behavioural strategies that individuals employ in the context of mating. My project will focus on the effects of different environmental stressors like (i) thermal stress, (ii) nutritional restriction, and (iii) disease, on male ejaculate strategies and its subsequent consequences on PCSS in Drosophila fruit flies. The results from our work will throw light on the adaptive benefits of different behavioural strategies that individuals apply in the context of mating.
Kay Hamilton
University of Sheffield
Supervisor: Professor Bob Johnston
Project Title: Environmental histories of grazing and the sustainability of montane ecosystems: a case study in Snowdonia, North Wales
Research Interests: Palynology; palaeoecology; palaeoclimate; past land management; subsistence economies; Holocene transition periods
Kian Hayles-Cotton
University of York
Supervisor: Professor Jane Hill
Project Title: Resilient Woodlands to Support Biodiversity Recovery
Research Interests: My research primarily focuses on how UK woodlands can be managed to increase their resilience to environmental stresses, by building strong webs of species interactions between plants, insects and birds. I have previously worked on research characterising and assessing montane plants in the Hajar Mountains of Oman. I take a strong interest in how species are distributed and the communities they form, as well as how climate change will affect these processes into the future. I am particularly passionate about using science
to develop effective conservation practices.
Nina Overtoom
University of York
Supervisor: Dr. Sylvia Toet
Project Title: Climate change impacts on peatlands: unlocking the processes
Research Interests: sustainable land-use, plant-soil interactions, climate change, peatlands, afforestation and reforestation
Elayna Daniels
University of Liverpool
Supervisor: Dr. Jonathan Green
Project Title: Understanding risks to non-breeding seabirds from offshore wind farms
Research Interests: My research interests include animal behaviour, ecology, and sustainability. My PhD explores the ways that offshore wind farms (OWF) impact seabirds using a variety of methods, including stable isotope analysis of feathers and prey fish species, seabird tracking, and individual-based modelling. This project focuses on studying seabirds during the non-breeding life stage, which is rarely studied but critical to population survival and stability. Hopefully, this work will inform OWF planning and decision-making and contribute to protection of vulnerable seabird species.
Ben Alston
University of Sheffield
Supervisor: Dr Alison Wright
Project Title: Evolution and genomics of exaggerated sexual ornaments in stalk-eyed Flies
Research Interests: I am interested in the evolution and genomic bases of sexually selected traits. These phenotypes evolve as a consequence of sexual selection, and can result in distinctive phenotypes, especially in males. In particular, exaggerated sexual ornaments often act as honest signals of male condition, allowing females to select males with ‘good genes’.
My project uses stalk-eyed flies as a model system to explore the genetic architecture of sexual ornamentation. In many of these species, male eyestalks act as honest quality indicators, where females show preference for males with the larger eye-spans. However, the genomic basis of this classic example of sexual selection is poorly understood. Using comparative transcriptomics and single cell RNA-seq, I will be observing sex-specific changes in expression over the course of these insects’ development. My aim is to both identify the genes responsible for this sexually selected trait and improve our understanding of its links to male condition.
Robert MacDonald
University of Sheffield
Supervisor: Chris Cooney
Project Title: Understanding the links between animal sexual traits and environmental change
Research Interests: A key priority for wildlife conservation is to understand how organisms respond to environmental change, both in terms of the vulnerability of species to extinction and their evolutionary response to novel environmental conditions. However, our understanding of how environmental change interacts with sexual selection to influence the evolution of sexual traits and determine extinction risk is limited. This project aims to examine whether and how environmental change is driving the contemporary evolution of sexual traits, assess the importance of sexual traits in determining extinction risk, and investigate the consequences of environmental change for the future of animal sexual trait diversity in the Anthropocene.
Jamie Hartup
University of Liverpool
Supervisor: Dr Freddie Draper
Project Title: Quantifying and conserving West Papuan wetland forests
Research Interests: I’m interested in how we target and implement effective actions to conserve and restore nature whilst meeting human needs. Forests in West Papua are some of the last unknowns of tropical forest ecology, with enormous value for biodiversity and climate change mitigation. However, they are also at risk from deforestation, primarily for oil palm cultivation. We need to understand what is there, how it is threatened, and explore pathways to protect it. This is (very broadly) what I’ll be working on with a focus on wetland forests.
Before this PhD, I researched tropical REDD+ projects and ways to improve carbon credit schemes to fund forest conservation at The Cambridge Centre for Carbon Credits. I have also worked on topics ranging from oil palm replanting in Borneo, to water-efficient crop varieties in the US, to forest restoration in Europe, to the potential for agrobiodiversity conservation across sub-Saharan Africa.
Twitter: @JamieHartup
ORCID: 0000-0003-0632-2660
Violette Pepper
University of York
Supervisor: Dr Benjamin R. Lichman
Project Title: The evolution of plant chemical defence
Research Interests: Every living organism produces terpenoids, but plants produce them in far greater volume than any other kingdom. My project focusses on ‘specialised terpenes’, the chemicals that plants deploy in defence against biological enemies such as herbivores. In particular, I’ll be diving into the timing behind their production, and whether this corresponds with key life-history events within the grass family. Using mass-spec, I’ll be assessing the type and quantity of terpenes produced, which I will use to unravel the genetic, and later enzymatic basis of terpene production in grass. The motivation behind this research is in food security: gaining a greater understanding of the volatile arms-race between crop plants and their biological enemies can inform how we breed future crops with improved defence mechanisms.