Prospective PhD students
Prospective MSc & Honours students
Propsective interns
Prospective postdoctoral researchers
General notes
I am broadly interested in how behavioural traits shape macroevolutionary trajectories. At the moment I mostly work in birds, mammals, and human languages, but I'm very open to projects involving phylogenetic comparative methods and/or big trait databases in other systems. I take my responsibilities as a mentor very seriously, I strongly value work-life balance, and I am happy to flexibly work with you to design a project that meets your goals. In return, I'm looking for lab members who are fascinated by variation in the natural world, love coding, and want to make science a more welcoming and inclusive place.
- The primary source of funding for UK-based PhDs is the 'DTP' system, which is supervisor-initiated and can have complicated eligibility requirements. All DTP projects will be advertised on FindAPhD.com, typically in late autumn, though you are welcome to email me at any point to discuss any current or upcoming opportunities.
- I am always happy to discuss other avenues for PhD funding. For example, US citizens might be interested in the Fulbright or Marshall programs; prospective students from certain Commonwealth countries might be interested in the Commonwealth scholarships. Other non-UK students should check with their home countries, as similar programmes may exist elsewhere.
Prospective MSc & Honours students
- I supervise MSc and Honours students through the University of Aberdeen School of Biological Sciences. This will typically be through projects that I propose, though if you have an idea that you think aligns with my lab, come chat with me!
- I can also co-supervise projects through other schools, if you've wandered in from elsewhere, e.g. geography or anthropology, and have research interests that align with the lab.
- I also occasionally supervise palaeobiology students (MSci/MSc) through the University of Bristol.
Propsective interns
- I sometimes offer (paid) summer research projects, typically for undergraduate students.
- Prospective visiting students (e.g., Erasmus Mundus) are encouraged to email me to discuss a potential placement. While I am generally happy to host students, I do not offer unpaid opportunities -- prospective visiting students must either indicate that they will be receiving academic credit for their work or identify their potential source of funding.
Prospective postdoctoral researchers
- I do not currently have funding for postdoctoral researchers.
- I would, however, be delighted to host postdocs with their own fellowship funding (e.g., the Marie Skłodowska-Curie program, the Royal Society Newton Fellowship, the BBSRC Discovery Fellowship, 1851 Royal Commission Fellowships, Fulbright Fellowships), and I am happy to discuss potential projects and/or funding sources any time.
General notes
I am broadly interested in how behavioural traits shape macroevolutionary trajectories. At the moment I mostly work in birds, mammals, and human languages, but I'm very open to projects involving phylogenetic comparative methods and/or big trait databases in other systems. I take my responsibilities as a mentor very seriously, I strongly value work-life balance, and I am happy to flexibly work with you to design a project that meets your goals. In return, I'm looking for lab members who are fascinated by variation in the natural world, love coding, and want to make science a more welcoming and inclusive place.
