I welcome students and collaborators from a range of different backgrounds, including those who have partners and families, and those with diverse experience.
Post-docs
Prospective post-docs who are interested in working with me, either by applying for a postdoctoral fellowship or writing a grant to support a postdoctoral position, should contact me.
Graduate students
I support incoming graduate students in collaborative research with others, to enable students to develop research skills, value critical thinking, engage in respectful relationships, communicate their work, and publish papers.
Masters and PhD students are welcome in the following areas:
- Wētā behaviour and ecology. Otago stone weta (Hemideina maori) are large sexually dimorphic insects are found in subalpine and alpine areas of Otago. Projects could include aspects of anti-predator behaviour, foraging, or communication.
- Kākā behaviour. You will focus on evolutionary questions relevant to kākā behaviour and communication.
- Using museum collections. These collections are an excellent way to explore questions about ecology, behaviour, distribution and morphology.
- Research that weaves mātauranga and conservation research methods to explore socioecological relationships.
Students may also develop their own research projects for their dissertations with my assistance. I support students to work both independently and in collaboration with others.
Students interested in applying to work with me should send me a brief statement of interests, CV, and summary of previous experience.
- Inter-generational relationships using isotopes and behaviour.
You will help to answer evolutionary questions by building a network of mother and chick feeding and nutrition using stable isotope analysis. You will explore the stable isotope signatures of materials such as feathers and eggshell. Initially, you will test techniques using materials from a common bird species, but we will also analyse materials such as eggshell from Antarctic collections.
For this project, you will have a biological or environmental sciences background, be willing to learn some basic chemistry, and to understand more about Antarctic avian feeding patterns. You will be interested in big picture questions and have the capacity to think laterally. You will probably enjoy lab work and learning new things: you will be willing to learn data analysis with guidance and help from others and enjoy the sense of satisfaction that comes from achieving new tasks.
