Research Interests
My main research interests are population ecology, reproductive behaviour and breeding management. My research in the past has predominantly involved monitoring animal behaviour and physiology in order to inform management practices to maintain stable populations. During my intercalated master’s program, I studied the habitat preference behaviours of a variety of passerine species in the UK and South America. I also undertook a one-year internship in the endocrinology lab at Chester Zoo where I worked on developing a non-invasive pregnancy diagnosis tool for equid species in captivity. After graduating, I then worked in the endocrinology lab as a contracted researcher to improve the tools used to monitor the reproductive health of mammals bred in captivity.
For my PhD I am researching social suppression of reproduction in mammals and the implications that this has for the captive breeding management of bush dogs (Speothos venaticus). In the earlier stages of my PhD, I used house mice as a model species to test some theoretical models of female social reproductive suppression, and I am currently working with Chester Zoo and EAZA to undertake a wide-scale project on identifying social and environmental influences on reproductive success in captive bush dogs. I am delighted to be leading such an important area of research and to be working with EAZA to ensure that my work will be impactful to bush dog collections internationally.
Education and Career
MSci, University of Glasgow (2013 – 2018)
Endocrinology lab intern, Chester Zoo (2016 - 2017)
Contracted researcher, Chester Zoo (2018 – 2019)
NERC ACCE DTP PhD studentship, Mammalian Behaviour and Evolution Group, University of Liverpool (2019 – 2023) Supervisors: Prof. Paula Stockley and Prof. Jane Hurst
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