I am an Associate Professor of Applied Ecology in the School of Applied Sciences and Centre for Conservation and Restoration Science. I joined Edinburgh Napier University as a Lecturer in Environmental Biology in 2013.
I was previously a postdoctoral research scientist in Upland Research Group at the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT; 2010-2013) and did my PhD at the Centre for Agri-environmental Research, University of Reading, in conjunction with the GWCT Allerton Project (2005-2009). I have a BSc in Ecological Sciences from the University of Edinburgh (2001-2005). I was inspired to pursue ecological research during summer field/lab-based research assistant posts I did at University of Glasgow (2005) and BBSRC Rothamsted Research's Insect Survey (2003, 2004).
Research Interests
Within the Centre for Conservation & Restoration Science I do research that has practical applications for conservation of threatened species and for the wider profession of ecology and environmental management. I have a wide range of interests and I apply a variety of research techniques, including observational studies, experimental work and modelling.
I have carried out applied research for a range of avian and mammalian taxa including songbirds, grouse, geese, waders, birds of prey, bats, otters, weasels, deer and ibex. I am very interested in the use of technologies for wildlife biology, developing evidence-based approaches for their use and inter-disciplinary partnerships to develop novel approaches for ecological monitoring. My research has had impact both at a UK level, and internationally through collaborations and projects based in India, Mauritius, Oman, South Africa, Germany, Panama, Canada, and the USA.
I value working with ecologists in consultancy, government or NGO to discuss problems and find evidence-based solutions and this is facilitated by active membership of my professional body, the Chartered Institute of Ecology & Environmental Management (CIEEM) since 2012. In 2023 I was appointed a Fellow of CIEEM (FCIEEM). I am also a member of the IUCN Otter Specialist Group and a Subject Editor for the journal Wildlife Biology.
Please feel free to contact me if you are interested in doing a PhD project within my lab.
Teaching and Learning
I am Programme Leader for Napier's CIEEM-accredited MSc Wildlife Biology & Conservation where my teaching is led by my research, contributing to the areas of statistics and modelling, applied ecology, biodiversity monitoring and analysis, as well as field surveying techniques and technologies. I am on the Life Sciences Subject Group Management Team. I am a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) and an External Examiner at University of Lincoln.
PhD Supervision Availability
Yes
PhD Topics
Avian ecology
Mammalian ecology
Conservation of threatened species
Wildlife monitoring technologies
Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
