Left The Nest

Although it’s always sad when people finally leave the nest, we love keeping up with where they go, and learning about the exciting things they are doing

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Postdocs

Left 2023: Dr Emeline Favreau
Left 2022: Dr Alessandro Cini
Left 2019: Dr Daisy Taylor
Left 2019: Dr Michael Bentley – now a postdoc in Oxford University.
Left 2015: Dr Peter Graystock – now a lecturer in Imperial College, London.
Left 2014: Dr Ian Warren – now a postdoc in University of Cambridge.
Left 2014: Dr Kate Ciborowski – now a lawyer.
Left 2013: Dr Stephanie Dreier – now a teacher.
Left 2012: Dr Solenn Patalano – now an independent research fellow in Greece.

PhD Students

2024

Dr Lewis Revely Mechanisms and Evolution of Phenotypic Plasticity in Social Insects. NERC London DTP Studentship. Co-supervisor: Dr Paul Eggleton, Natural History Museum. Now part of the Futures, Foresight and Emerging Technologies group in the Government Office for Science.

2021

Dr Benjamin Taylor – The evolution and mechanisms of castes in Vespid wasps. NERC London DTP Studentship. Co-supervisors: Dr Max Reuter, University College London. Now a postdoc at Purdue University.

2019

Dr Sandra MorenoMolecular mechanisms of behavioural transitions in insect life-cyclesCONACyT (Mexico) studentship. Co-supervisor: Prof Jane Memmott, University of Bristol.

2018

Dr Patrick Kennedy – Uncertainty and the evolution of altruism. Co-supervisor: Dr Andy Radford, University of Bristol. Now an independent fellow in Colombia University, New York

Dr Sam Duckerin – Effects of neonicotinoid pesticides on bumblebee social behaviour. BBSRC studentship. Co-Supervisors: Dr Dick James, University of Bath; Prof Jane Memmott, University of Bristol. Now in the film industry (but still loves bees…we hope!)

2017

Dr Adam Devenish –  Ant mediated seed dispersal in an invaded landscape. NERC CASE Studentship. Co-supervisors: Prof. Jon Bridle, UCL; Dr Rose Newton, Kew Gardens, UK. Now a postdoc at Imperial College, London.

Dr Robin Southon – Adaptive value of males in simple eusocial insect societies. Co-supervisor: Prof. Andy Radford, University of Bristol. NERC Studentship. Completed Sept 2

2016

Dr Emily Bell  Phenotypic plasticity and the evolution of castes in eusocial insects. Co-supervisor: Prof. Andy Radford,  University of Bristol. NERC Studentship. Now a lecturer, University of Bristol. Completed Sept 2014.

Dr Henry Ferguson-Gow –The evolution of social traits and biodiversity in the ants. Funder: NERC CASE Studentship. Co-supervisors Prof Andrew Bourke, University of East Anglia, UK & Prof Kate Jones, University College London, UK. NERC CASE Studentship. Now a postdoc in UCL. Completed Oct 2013

Dr Thibault LengronneSocial Dynamics in Paper Wasps: The case of nest-drifting in Polistes canadensis. Co-supervisor Prof Laurent Keller, Lausanne University, Switzerland. Funder: Lausanne University. Now working in education. Completed Sept 2013.

Dr Claire Asher – The  Dynamics of Reproductive Dominance in Dinosaur Ants,  Dinoponera quadriceps. Co-supervisor Prof William Hughes, University of Sussex, UK. Funder: NERC CASE Studentship. Now a freelance science writer and author.

Masters by Research Students

Sam Morris Genomics of simple social insect societies. Co-supervisor: Dr Andy Radford, University of Bristol. Now a PhD student in UCL.

Ryan Brock – Comparative genomics of social evolution. Co-supervisor: Dr Davide Pisani, University of Bristol. Now a PhD student in UEA.

Research Assistants

Trinidad 2019: Debbie Walsh – Queen Succession in tropical Polistes.
Trinidad 2015: Liam Crowley & Sam Morris.- Behavioural genomics of Metapolybia wasps. NERC.
Trinidad 2014: Joshua Valverde –  Adaptive Value of Males in Primitively Eusocial Insect Societies & Queen Succession Behaviour. NERC & Genetics Society Summer Studentship.
2014: Chris Wyatt – Evolution of caste social systems using transcriptomics and proteomics. NERC
Panama 2013: Daniel Fabbro – Phenotypic plasticity and the evolution of castes in eusocial insects. NERC & STRI.
Panama 2012: Dr. Lawrence Bellamy- Phenotypic plasticity and the evolution of castes in eusocial insects. NERC.
Left July 2010: Dr. George Busby – Gene expression in castes of primitively eusocial wasps. Funder: L’Oreal for Women in Science Panama,
Panama 2010: Javier How – Nest drifting in eusocial wasps.
Panama 2010: Dr Roberto Lomabado – Nest drifting in eusocial wasps.
pre 2010: Dr Daniel Fanelli; Dr Eric Lucas; Dr Hans Kelstrup