Dr Andrew Dean

Personal Statement

I am an ecologist who uses mathematics. By formulating mathematical models that encapsulate the processes involved in particular species interactions, and applying these models to real-life data, I develop theoretical understanding of these ecosystems and make predictions that can be tested in the field or laboratory.

I am currently studying the nematode burden of Soay sheep (Soay Sheep Project), specifically how different immune responses to parasites may determine host fitness, and the consequences these within-host interactions have for the infection dynamics of the overall population.

Previous topics include: the symbiotic relationship between algae and their protist hosts; toxin-mediated competition in bacteria; bacteria-mediated competition between aphid phenotypes.

Key words: Ecology, mathematical modelling, parasites, symbiosis, competition, MCMC, #fixedterm