PhD students

Zhitian Hu
Zhitian joined the lab in June 2023, and will be exploring the interactive    effects of sleep and diet quality on fruit flies.

He holds Masters degrees from University College London, United Kingdom, and Lanzhou University, China.

Alumni, Volunteers and Project students

Sarah Plesser
Sarah was funded by a DAAD (Germany) funded summer internship, where she was leading the 2022 biodiverity survey on Byrom Street Campus. Furthermore, she conducted pilot studies on individual differences in zebrafish in response to ambiguous stimuli - so basically looking into differences in mood and optimism in zebrafish! Sarah is currently pursuing her MSc in Ecology (University of Wurzburg, Germany).

Amy Speers
Volunteer and invaluable assistant for the Wildlife Gardens Project, both in the field and the laboratory for insect identification. Amy is currently in her second year of her UG Zoology degree at LJMU.

Veronica Manara
Veronica wanted to make use of her time in lockdown after her first year, and we designed a large-scale field study in behavioural ecology in BEES in Italy. Due to adverse circumstances the project was never completed, but the connections Veronica made during the planning phase have led to very valuable network connections - and have resulted in her first publication during second year of undergrad: Manara, V & Zajitschek S. (2021) A brief introduction to the ecology and collective behaviour of the honeybee. In: Good beekeeping practices for sustainable apiculture. FAO Animal Production and Health Guidelines (FAO, Apimondia, CAAS, IZSLT), pp43-46. https://doi.org/10.4060/cb5353en

Veronica is now working at the Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute in Rome, connecting beekeepers and scientists, advancing good beekeeping practices and biosecurity measures and limit loss of pollinators.

Graduation 2021/22

Project students & topics

2023/24

Rebekah Outerside: Exploring optimism in zebrafish: Unravelling the influence of environmental enrichment on cognitive judgement bias in zebrafish (Danio rerio) through novel video playback method (Lab experiment / observation)

Malachi Egbuchiri: Exploring Dietary Preference in Drosophila melanogaster through protein selection (Lab experiment)

Jess de Groot: Investigating canine cognition with the use of problem-solving puzzles (Field Study / Experiment)

Alahnya Tomlinson: Time matters: Investigating ideal habituation timing for laboratory study with zebrafish (Danio rerio) (Lab experiment / observation)

Jess Hepburn: Individual Differences In Cognition Between Canines (Canis familiaris) Housed In A Rescue Shelter (Field Study / Experiment)

2022/23

Maisie Blunt: Effects of enrichment types on behaviour in captive primates. (Sheldon Wildlife Trust)

Katie Francis: Using DogFACS to understand responses to anxiety-inducing stimuli in domesticated dogs (Canis lupus familiaris). (Field Study / Experiment)

Ria Mc Clenaghan: Environmental enrichment and its effects on dog welfare. (Meta analysis)

Libby Scothern: Small-scale differences in garden maintenance and their effect on insect diversity and abundance. (Field study / Lab)

Isobel Sharpe: Learning and toy memory in dogs (Canis lupus familiaris). (Field Study / Experiment)

2021/22

Lucy Edwards:A comparative biodiversity study in plants and insects within urban gardens in the UK. (Field study)

Beth Johnson: Life-history trade-offs in lizards. (Meta-analysis)

Sian Johnson: The impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on domestic dogs and their owners. (Survey)

Sophie Lancashire: The effect of music on the behaviour of dogs. (Meta-analysis)

Natasha O’Reilly: Age-dependent patterns in anxiety in chimpanzees in response to zoo visitors. (Chester Zoo)

Charlotte Stephens (co-supervised): The effect of human presence on red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) sightings. (Formby National Trust)

2020/21

Rebecca Hurd: Does seasonality affect supplementary food preferences of fat-based foods in granivorous garden birds? (Field study)

Joseph Leigh: How interspecific bird diversity in gardens can be increased via seed preference. (Field study)

Courtney McMahon: Impact of enrichment and its importance on welfare in kennelled dogs (Canis lupus familiaris). (Meta-analysis)

Terri Round: Effects of dog breeds and owner traits on human-canine interaction. (Field study)

Interested in joining us?

Get in touch!