Overview
My research currently revolves around five areas.

1) Models linking ecology and evolution.

It is increasingly recognised that evolutionary processes play a role in ecology and vice versa. For example, isolated islands support the evolutionary processes that add to biodiversity but also leave support rare species, which may be threatened or endangered based on ecological processes. I develop models that connect ecology and evolution with particular focus on isolated regions and spatial structure.

2) Biodiversity measurement.

We often talk about loss of biodiversity, but how do we measure biodiversity? There is no simple answer to this question, and yet it's important that we have ways to measure biodiversity to be clear about targets for conservation and to monitor our progress. I'm interested in methods to measure biodiversity using evolutionary trees, the topic strongly overlaps with research in maths.

3) Biodiversity forecasting.

There is a pressing need to be able to forecast the future of biodiversity under a range of different anthropogenic change scenarios. I work on a number of projects with this motivation in mind, in freshwater riverine systems, and on the global scale. Each scenario uses a different suite of theoretical approaches.

4) Effects of habitat destruction and fragmentation on biodiversity.

When habitat is destroyed or fragmented this naturally has a negative impact on biodiversity. How large is this impact? How soon after habitat destruction will the impact be seen? How does this depend on the spatial structure of habitat fragments? These important questions surprisingly lack definitive answers. My research involves developing mechanistic models with which to approach these questions.

5) Conservation prioritisation methods.

In many practical conservation approaches resources are limiting and it is necessary to decide how to optimally distribute these resources based on conservation goals. I work with the EDGE of Existence Programme at the Zoological Society of London on the methods they use for making such choices based on the principle of focusing on endangered species that are particularly unique in terms of their evolutionary history.

PhD students
Ryan Bates
Valentina Marconi
Olivia Morris
Hannah O'Sullivan
Ceri Webster
Francis Windram
Sebastian Pipins
Key research tools
Research tools that I regularly use or have contributed to the development of

Ecological neutral theory
Eco-evolutionary models
Coalescence methods in ecology
Scientific data visualisation
Phylogenetically informed conservation prioritisation
Topic modelling