My research focuses on evolutionary, ecological, and social-ecological questions by developing theory using mathematical and computational (i.e., individual-based) modelling. Specific areas of interest include ecological community stability and coexistence, animal inbreeding and parental investment behaviour, and the dynamics of social-ecological systems under conflict. Current projects in which I am involved as a principle investigator, co-investigator, or associate member include the following:
Eco-evolutionary theory: One area of my research focuses on addressing fundamental questions in ecological and evolutionary theory. I am currently a Principal Investigator for the Unification of Modern Coexistence Theory and Price Equation (UNICOP) project, which is funded by the French Foundation for Research on Biodiversity (FRB) and the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv). The UNICOP project focuses on unifying theory concerning how shared processes shape the evolution and coexistence of biodiverse communities, and attempts to bridge gaps that currently exist among parallel theoretical frameworks.
Pesticide resistance evolution: Another area of my research focuses on individual-based modelling of pesticide resistance evolution. As part of the Enhancing Diversity to Overcome Resistance Evolution (ENDORSE) project, I developed the resevol R package to model the evolution of pesticide resistance in agricultural landscapes. The resevol package can model rich spatially explicit landscapes, covarying pest traits and full genomes, and different rotation regimes for crop and pesticide application.
Resource management conflict: Much of my recent research has focused on modelling the management of populations using individual-based models, and especially modelling systems in which there is conflict between food security and biodiversity conservation under uncertainty. As part of the ConFooBio project, I led the development of the Generalised Management Strategy Evaluation (GMSE) social-ecological modelling R software package. GMSE integrates game theory and ecological theory to construct social-ecological models that simulate the management of populations and stakeholder actions.
I am additionally interested in the application of games to social-ecological research and model development, and am developing a game to better understand decision-making during ecosystem restoration as part of the EU funded Restoring Ecosystems to Stop the Threat Of (Re-)Emerging Infectious Diseases (RestoreID) project. Lastly, I am working on projects focused on the evolution of nuptial gifts and the use of functional traits in ecological research.
I currently serve as an associate editor at the Journal of Animal Ecology. I am a member of the British Ecological Society and the Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour.