My research has used quantitative approaches to study the social structure and dynamics of wildlife populations and their implications for infectious disease dynamics
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I did my PhD research supervised by Stuart Bearhop studying the causes and consequences of social structure in non-breeding, staging populations of light-bellied brent geese (Branta bernicla hrota) in Ireland and Iceland. I then did a post-doc with Robbie McDonald examining how the social structure of European badger populations impacts bovine tuberculosis epidemiology in the UK. Bovine TB is an important agricultural disease in the UK and badgers represent a primary wildlife reservoir of infection. Most recently I have worked with Dave Hodgson on varied projects, many focussed on understanding how the demography, life history and sociality of hosts can influence infectious disease dynamics.
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I have used my quantitative skills to contribute to diverse research in ecology, epidemiology and animal behaviour. My current major research themes include:
Epidemiology and disease ecology
I am interested in explaining the role of host behaviour, demography and life-history influences infectious disease dynamics. As well as my postdoc work on European badgers and bovine tuberculosis, I have contributed a variety of studies studying wild host-parasite systems including using network modelling of infection in domestic dogs in Chad and southern resident killer whales in North America. I have also helped employ network analysis to study the implications of livestock movement networks for disease. Recently, my research has examined the role of host life history on the fast-slow continuum (pace-of-life) on long-term infectious disease dynamics.
A particularly interesting trade-off for social animals is balancing the risk of infection with the gathering of information. Together with Julian Evans, Neeltje Boogert and Dave Hodgson I reviewed how animal social systems might be structured to mediate this trade-off. We are now conducting modelling work to test how this trade-off might shape the evolution of animal social networks.
This year I have used my interest in the role of social contagions in the spread of infectious disease to contribute (alongside experts in public health and human behaviour) to research modelling how social and individual learning impacts the effectiveness of mitigation against the COVID-19 pandemic. You can read some of our initial work here.
I am interested in explaining the role of host behaviour, demography and life-history influences infectious disease dynamics. As well as my postdoc work on European badgers and bovine tuberculosis, I have contributed a variety of studies studying wild host-parasite systems including using network modelling of infection in domestic dogs in Chad and southern resident killer whales in North America. I have also helped employ network analysis to study the implications of livestock movement networks for disease. Recently, my research has examined the role of host life history on the fast-slow continuum (pace-of-life) on long-term infectious disease dynamics.
A particularly interesting trade-off for social animals is balancing the risk of infection with the gathering of information. Together with Julian Evans, Neeltje Boogert and Dave Hodgson I reviewed how animal social systems might be structured to mediate this trade-off. We are now conducting modelling work to test how this trade-off might shape the evolution of animal social networks.
This year I have used my interest in the role of social contagions in the spread of infectious disease to contribute (alongside experts in public health and human behaviour) to research modelling how social and individual learning impacts the effectiveness of mitigation against the COVID-19 pandemic. You can read some of our initial work here.
Animal Social Networks
Much of my research applies social network methods to study animal social behaviour. I employ a variety of statistical and agent-based modelling approaches to understand the causes and consequences of social structure and dynamics. In addition to applying these approaches to study wildlife disease, I have also used them in other contexts such as my work examining the dominance networks of free-living dogs.
I am interested in improving and diversifying social network methods for ecology. Recently, I developed an R package to generate and analyse social and movement networks from capture-mark-recapture datasets.
I am particularly interested in the application of cross-disciplinary network approaches to study animal social networks and have written papers reviewing the use of exponential random graph models and stochastic actor-oriented models to animal behaviour data. I have also been involved in an overview of using statistical network models for hypothesis testing in wildlife epidemiology. Key external collaborators with this work include David Fisher and Amiyaal Ilany. Together with Kelly Finn, Mason Porter and Noa Pinter-Wollman I have also explored the possibilities in applying multilayer network analysis to study animal behaviour, as well applying these approaches in my own empirical research. I have also contributed to a review outlining how multilayer networks can be used in veterinary epidemiology, in collaboration with Kim Vanderwaal, Amy Kinsley and Gianluigi Rossi.
I have also been involved in various projects examining statistical inference in animal social networks. Key collaborators in this work include Michael Weiss, Dan Franks, Julian Evans and David Fisher. In 2019 I participated in a NIMBIOS working group at the University of Tennessee on the topic of null models in animal social behaviour.
Much of my research applies social network methods to study animal social behaviour. I employ a variety of statistical and agent-based modelling approaches to understand the causes and consequences of social structure and dynamics. In addition to applying these approaches to study wildlife disease, I have also used them in other contexts such as my work examining the dominance networks of free-living dogs.
I am interested in improving and diversifying social network methods for ecology. Recently, I developed an R package to generate and analyse social and movement networks from capture-mark-recapture datasets.
I am particularly interested in the application of cross-disciplinary network approaches to study animal social networks and have written papers reviewing the use of exponential random graph models and stochastic actor-oriented models to animal behaviour data. I have also been involved in an overview of using statistical network models for hypothesis testing in wildlife epidemiology. Key external collaborators with this work include David Fisher and Amiyaal Ilany. Together with Kelly Finn, Mason Porter and Noa Pinter-Wollman I have also explored the possibilities in applying multilayer network analysis to study animal behaviour, as well applying these approaches in my own empirical research. I have also contributed to a review outlining how multilayer networks can be used in veterinary epidemiology, in collaboration with Kim Vanderwaal, Amy Kinsley and Gianluigi Rossi.
I have also been involved in various projects examining statistical inference in animal social networks. Key collaborators in this work include Michael Weiss, Dan Franks, Julian Evans and David Fisher. In 2019 I participated in a NIMBIOS working group at the University of Tennessee on the topic of null models in animal social behaviour.
Visual media and human-nature interactions
Inspired a trip to cinema to watch the live-action remake of the Jungle Book, together with Sarah Crowley, Anna Woodhead and Ana Nuno I wrote a Conservation Biology paper discussing the potential positive and negative effects of the movie industry for conservation. You can read media articles about this work on the Wildlife Society, Le Figaro and Deutsche Welle websites.
Sarah and I have continued this research interest and are now organising a special issue on the topic of visual media and human-nature relationships in the BES journal People and Nature. We are busy pursuing our own research on the topic too.
Inspired a trip to cinema to watch the live-action remake of the Jungle Book, together with Sarah Crowley, Anna Woodhead and Ana Nuno I wrote a Conservation Biology paper discussing the potential positive and negative effects of the movie industry for conservation. You can read media articles about this work on the Wildlife Society, Le Figaro and Deutsche Welle websites.
Sarah and I have continued this research interest and are now organising a special issue on the topic of visual media and human-nature relationships in the BES journal People and Nature. We are busy pursuing our own research on the topic too.
