I am interested in avian ectoparasites and their role as vectors of disease, especially in the context of anthropogenic changes to climate and biodiversity, that may increase the risk of disease outbreaks. I mainly study a neglected group of bird ectoparasites, known as flat flies or louse flies (Diptera: Hippoboscidae). I started a citizen science project in 2020, the “Mapping the UK’s Flat Flies Project”, which like several species of UK flat flies has undergone rapid range expansion – the project now routinely receives specimens from the Isle of Man and Republic of Ireland, and has received specimens from Belgium and Spain!
I took the long road to reach this stage in my career: initially graduating from the University of Leicester in 1990 with the degrees MB ChB and working as an NHS General Practitioner. After becoming a licensed bird ringer in 2007, I became interested in avian disease and parasitology, and anthropogenic effects on the ecology of terrestrial species. I have been the UK’s national recorder for the Hippoboscidae since I set up a new recording scheme in 2020.
ecology, ornithology
