Ecology, Conservation and Zoonosis PhD

I am keen to supervise projects that examine the effects of management and changing abiotic and biotic conditions on plant community, functional traits, physiology and multitrophic diversity. I am keen to use a range of novel approaches such as genomics, remote sensing, drones and red edge sensor camera.  Projects that I have supervised include 

• Extreme climate events and floodplain grassland plant communities: linking resilience to functional diversity (PhD)
• Understanding the demographics and genetic patterns of water voles in human modified landscapes (PhD)
• Influence of the distribution of green urban spaces on the cooling effect (MRes)

I have supervised 12 students to completion of their Post Graduate Research Degrees and I am keen to supervise more students in the fields of Biogeography and Geoinformatics. More specifically, the use and implementation of small-Unmanned Aircraft Systems (AKA UAVs, Drones, etc) for environmental monitoring, remote sensing and geographical information systems, landscape ecology, landscape change and conservation management.

I am interested in supervising postgraduate research students in the area of ecotoxicology/marine biology:  pollutants impact on marine organisms, biomarkers of stress in aquatic invertebrates, microplastics as vector for marine pollutants, transgenerational effects of aquatic pollutants.  

I am interested in supervising Masters and PhD students in the following areas: microbiology, healthcare, antibiotics, antimicrobials, bacteriophages, quorum-sensing, biofilms, water pollution, drinking water, waste water, zoonoses, environmental microbiology.

I am keen to supervise projects that examine any aspect of anthropogenic impact on the physiology, morphology and behaviour of aquatic organisms. Be that chemical or physical pollutants or barriers to migration. I am especially interested in the fisheries management aspects of this and how best to consider mitigation. Projects I have supervised are varied and range from behavioural observations of captive fish species, to microplastic ingestion of the mussel (Mytilus edulis) and the velvet swimming crab (Necora puber). In addition I am interested in aspects of aquaculture and how best to improve the sustainability of feeds. I also have an interest in the welfare of cultured individuals and how to improve habitats whilst being reared.

Example projects that I supervise include the following:

Microplastic pollution within Chichester Harbour (MRes)

Selective breeding of marine copepods (MRes)

Trophic transfer of microplastics in marine invertebrates (MRes).

Does watercress farming impact fish communities (PhD)

The impacts of sewage treatment effluents on the river shrimp Gammarus pulex (PhD).

The effects of simvastatin on the development and behaviour of early life stages of Danio rerio (Undergraduate)

Microplastic ingestion of marine copepods (Undergraduate)

The presence of microplastic fibres in the stomach of the Atlantic mackerel (Scomber scombrus) (Undergraduate)

The effects of titanium dioxide and zinc oxide on fish development and behaviour (Undergraduate).

The influence of aquarium visitors on captive elasmobranchs (Undergraduate).

Sexual dimorphism of the integument of sharks (Undergraduate).

To date I have overseen the supervision, career development and successful completion of 12 doctoral students from the UK, Italy, Portugal, Cameroon, Nigeria, Brazil and India. These PhD's have covered a range of topics such as 'Bacteriophages as Surrogates of Viral Pathogens in Wastewater Treatment Systems (Dias 2016)', Ecological Characteristics of the Enterococcal Surface Protein (esp) gene with reference to microbial source tracking (Yaliwal 2014); Low-cost physico-chemical disinfection of human excreta in emergency settings (Sozzi 2015); Bacteriophages as Indicators of Human Enteric Viruses in Mussels (Da Silva 2013); and UV Radiation Response of Bacteriophages of Human-specific Bacteroides (Diston, 2010) .

I am currently supervising a water industry-funded PhD student who is using cutting-edge source apportionment approaches to investigate drivers of pollution in Chichester, Langstone and Pagham harbours (S. England) and have just finished supervising a PhD on Pollution, plastics and plumes; understanding the behaviour of microplastics in aquatic sediments of the R. Thames catchment.

I'm keen to supervise postgraduate research (MRes/MPhil/PhDs) in the following areas: development and application of low-cost and/or rapid water quality monitoring tools; behaviour of micro-contaminants (particularly viruses) within the environment and impacts on human health; understanding environmental interactions of emerging contaminants; water and sanitation within low-income and/or emergency settings.

According to French Physiologist Claude Bernard - "The science of life is a superb and dazzlingly lighted hall which may be reached only by passing through a long and ghastly kitchen." Anyone who has undertaken a doctoral degree is likely to agree with this analogy (at least at some point during their journey). As a PhD supervisor, I see my role as someone who can potentially make the kitchen a little less ghastly, or the journey slightly less arduous. I strive to provide a highly connected, supportive, nurturing international research environment with the Environment and Public Health Research and Enterprise Group.

I am currently supervising a further 3 PhD candidates. My PhD students have originated from an equally diverse range of disciplines including Fisheries Engineering, Environmental Science, Biology, Biomolecular Science, Microbiology, Ecology, Environmental Management, Mathematics and have worked for NGO’s in Haiti (MSF), on Gates Foundation-funded research in India, on US AID-funded research into safe excreta disposal in emergencies (Cholera and Ebola treatment centres), led MRC-funded projects in Kenya, founded research groups in Brazil, and managed prestigious research laboratories in the US.

All have gone on to forge careers within the burgeoning field of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) and or microbiology, either via academia, or industry. The sustained success of our thriving research group stems from a blend of enthusiasm for the wider subject area and from a long-held desire to break down barriers, to ensure that epidemiologists mix with engineers, and microbiologists work with modellers. This has been achieved by exchanging PhD students (and Early Career Researchers) with trusted and established international project collaborators within the public, private and voluntary sectors.

I also maintain a rolling programme of group activities, training initiatives and social events for new arrivals into the group, which is increasingly populated by previous PhD students who are even better placed to support the career aspirations of our current and future Doctoral students. With unsafe water supply and sanitation responsible for an estimated 842,000 deaths per year, the WASH sector continues to face significant challenges, which are only likely to be met through interdisciplinary, cross-border collaboration by a new generation of WASH-focussed researchers, capable of confidently sharing ideas across a range scientific domains and via an increasingly complex network of stakeholders and end-users. I hope that as my students continue to emerge into the ‘dazzlingly lighted hall’ they are as well-rounded and well-placed as possible to meet this challenge.   

I am willing to supervise Post-Graduate projects in the broad field of medical and pharmaceutical microbiology, with a particular emphasis for projects involving clinically-relevant fungi.

I am interested in supervising postgraduate research students (PhD and MRes) in the following areas: wetland ecology and climate change; wetland creation and restoration; invasive wetland plants; wetlands for nature-based solutions; wetlands and environmental change.  Current or recent PhD projects include: Responses of Floodplain Grassland Plants to Extreme Climate Events; Blue Carbon’ in Seagrass meadows; Effective management of the invasive aquatic plant Australian swamp stonecrop (Crassula helmsii) in wetlands; The impact of the non-native invasive species Hydrocotyle ranunculoides (Floating Pennywort) on macrophyte communities; Impacts of climate change on Baltic coastal plant communities; and Developing a rapid assessment tool for salt marsh restoration. 

I am interested in supervising postgraduate research students in the following areas: understanding and mitigating anthropogenic impacts on species and communities, behavioural ecology and ecotoxicology; aquatic ecology and conservation; herpetology; island ecology; illegal wildlife trade.

I am interested in supervising postgraduate research students in the following areas: micro-plastics, tri-trophic interactions, field population dynamics, pollination ecology & biodiversity in the urban landscape.

Current PhD

currently none

Previous PhD

Niall Walkden (2019) Attitudes and perceptions of South African residents towards native vertebrate scavengers

Amanda Flint (2018) A temporal and spatial analysis of species co-occurrence patterns within a chalk heath community

Ute Vogler (2009) “The impact of transgenic apples on multitrophic interactions”

Johanna Häckermann (2007) “Biological elimination of Cydia molesta infestations from the orchard as a key component of an environmental friendly control”

Edward Connor (2007) “The plant’s contribution in guiding beneficial insectd to the site of caterpillar damage by chemical signalling”

Gudio Velten (2006) “Food chain legumes: combining natural resources for safe storage and favourable food processing”

Nadia Scaschighini (2004) “From the behavioural to the molecular level in insect-plant interactions: attraction of parasitic wasps by herbivore-induced plant chemical signals”

Previous MRes

Jo Middelton (2017) Ecological determinants of Lyme borreliosis risk in the South Downs National Park and the potential for one-health based interventions.

Sophie Bracken (2016) An evaluation of how a range of UK green roofs vary in terms of floral diversity and associated pollinator diversity.

Aaron White (2015) Agricultural influences on moth communities and their composition in ancient semi-natural woodlands and conifer plantations: Potential implications for management and native broadleaf re-establishment

Joanne Carnell (2015) Pollinator conservation and the value of domestic urban gardens.

Markus Jaskari (2013) Factors influencing pollination success of the Burnt Orchid Neotinea ustulata.

Robert Fowler (2011) Does pollen quality influence the floral acceptance and foraging effectiveness of bumblesbees.

Previous MSc

Severin Roffler (2006) Does the nesting material of Megachilidae bees contain antimicrobial substances? (joint MSc thesis in collaboration with Dr. M. Müller)

Susanne Brand (2005) Influence of chemical emissions of codling moth infested apples on Hyssopus pallidus.

Nayuta Brand (2004) Host location of Dinarmus basalis – the role of chemical cues emitted from beans.

Antonia Zurbuchen (2004 / 2005) Host location behaviour of Dinarmus basalis.

Johanna Häckermann (2003) The effect of seasonal variation in volatile emission from apples on the behaviour of the parasitoid Hyssopus pallidus.

Fatma Lüthi-Kivrak (2002 / 2003) Simulation of caterpillar feeding behaviour and analysis of artificially induced phytochemicals.

I am open to supervising students and researchers in any aspect of behavioural ecology, but particularly that which aids our understanding of how wild animals interact with humans. Current/previous BSc., MRes and PhD students have investigated a diverse range of topics under my supervision including: leopard population estimation using Citizen Science, novel devices for reducing domestic cat predation of garden birds, effects of supplementary feeding on urban foxes,  social interactions and stress in domestic cats, effects of deforestation on neotropical lizard and bird communities, and agricultural change and farmland bird conservation in Europe.

Happy to supervise field, questionnaire, and desk-based projects. Passionate about avian ecology and conservation science, human-nature interactions, urban ecology, and patterns and drivers of extinction risk. 

I am happy to supervise projects in the area of molecular ecology as well as amphibian ecology and conservation. I am particularly interested in phylogeography and species distribution, invasive species and the application of eDNA methods to conservation.