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Role
Senior Research Fellow
Area of work
Wildlife Health
Specialisms
Conservation
Wildlife diseases
Wildlife health education
Wildlife disease risk management
Contact details

Institute of Zoology,

Zoological Society of London,

London,

NW1 4RY

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MA VetMB MSc PhD DipECZM (Wildlife Population Health) FRCPath FRCVS

My main area of interest is the study of disease effects on free-ranging wildlife populations, particularly where these pathogens have significant welfare or conservation implications, and assessment of wildlife population health.

I am also interested in the epidemiology of disease transmission between free-ranging wildlife, domestic animals and humans, and the role which anthropogenic activity may have on influencing these processes.

My background relates principally to British native species, including:

  • clinical management of avian and mammalian wildlife casualties;
  • co-ordination of scientific investigation into a wildlife epizootic (phocine distemper virus in UK seal populations, avian pox in British tit species);
  • study of pathogens associated with population declines (squirrelpox virus in the red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris), trichomonosis in British finches);
  • and longitudinal pathological studies of native species for assessment of population health and related threats (European otter (Lutra lutra), birds of prey, bats, garden birds).
Professional history
  • 2018–present: Senior Research Fellow, Institute of Zoology.
  • 20122018: Institute Research Fellow and Wildlife Veterinarian, Institute of Zoology.
  • 20102012: Postdoctoral Research Assistant and Wildlife Veterinarian, Institute of Zoology.
  • 20042010: Wildlife Veterinarian and PhD Student, Institute of Zoology.
  • 2010: European Veterinary Specialist in Zoological Medicine (Dip ECZM Wildlife Population Health).
  • 20032004: Veterinary Assistant Pathologist; Wildlife Veterinary Investigation Centre.
  • 20022003: Seal Strandings Co-ordinator; Institute of Zoology.
  • 20012002: Veterinary Editor; Wildlife Information Network.
  • 20002001: Veterinarian; Orangutan Care & Quarantine Centre, Orangutan Foundation International, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia.
  • 19992000: MSc Wild Animal Health; Institute of Zoology & Royal Veterinary College.
  • 19971999: RSPCA Wildlife Internship; RSPCA West Hatch Taunton, Somerset.
  • 19911997: MA VetMB; St John’s College Cambridge University.
  • Fellow, Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.
Key projects

Current Projects:

Garden Wildlife Health (GWH)

Garden Wildlife Health is a collaborative project between the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), Froglife and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) which aims to monitor the health of, and identify disease threats to, British wildlife.

Our particular focus is on garden birds, amphibians, reptiles and hedgehogs. For this we count on the help of the public to submit reports of sick or dead wildlife and to submit samples for analysis.

For further information on the GWH, see here.

Past Projects:

Garden Bird Health initiative (GBHi)

I acted as project co-ordinator for the Garden Bird Health initiative from 2005-2012. This was a highly collaborative project to investigate causes of garden bird mortality and disease across Great Britain. Garden bird disease surveillance continues as part of the Garden Wildlife Health project, launched in summer 2013 (see above).

For further information on the GBHi, see link.

Addressing a threat to Caribbean amphibians: capacity building in Dominica

I assisted Andrew Cunningham with co-ordination and implementation of a three-year Darwin Initiative-funded project, April 2005–March 2008.

For further information, see link.