See below for more details on my present and past projects.
Physiological responses to stress in Cinxia butterflies
Project details coming soon!
Climatic drivers of reproduction in reindeer
Climate change is already exerting strong and wide-reaching impacts on arctic species, such as reindeer (Rangifer tarandus). Increased snowfall and thicker ice layers hinder foraging efficiency, leading to reduced individual condition - which may critically impair juvenile survival. I'm working with The Natural Resources Institute in Finland (Luonnonvarakeskus) to understand how climate change has influenced multiple measures of reproductive success in reindeer using longitudinal data spanning ~50 years, collected from a semi-captive herd in northern Lapland.
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Phenotypic variation in tuskness as an indicator of male fitness
Tusk expression is a distinctive sexually dimorphic trait unique among mammals, including in Asian elephants (Elephas maximus). Whereas both male and female African elephants can express seemingly unlimited tusk growth, only Asian elephants males exhibit tusk expression.
I'm working on what drives this variation in a semi-captive herd of working timber elephants, as part of the Myanmar Timber Elephant Project. This project combines unique historical records of thousands of Asian elephants, molecular analysis, to establish how tusks expression is related to male fitness, specifically individual health, reproductive success and longevity.
Parasite infection dynamics in Asian elephants
When a parasite infection poses a threat to fitness, hosts must differentially invest resources in order to mount an appropriate immune response. Consequently, trade-offs in resource allocation arise between different biological processes. The outcomes of these trade-offs are host-specific, as hosts vary in their ability to resist, tolerate or succumb to parasitism.
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I'm investigating parasite infection dynamics in the same working elephants by measuring changes in number of health and life-history traits along with temporal variation in internal parasite burden to identify the driving forces underlying the individual differences in host response.
I'm utilising life-time health records obtained from individual log books in the form of a longitudinal dataset compiled by Dr Khyne U Mar, with permission from the Myanma Timber Enterprise.
Parasites present a huge threat to this elephant population. They can hugely impact upon host health, causing tissue damage, malnutrition and increasing the risk of infectious disease. I'm working with local vets in the field to mitigate this impact, using my research to improve policy decisions regarding elephant health and veterinary care at a governmental level.
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