If you are interested in working on sperm competition in insects with a combination of lab-based techniques (dissection and microscopy) and/or comparative analyses (phylogenetic methods) please get in touch with me. I have recently started working onthe effects of heatwaves on the white butterfly Pieris brassicae. I am also interested in insect egg traits. I am open to discussing ideas with interested students.
I am currently a Research Fellow in Modelling Anti-Microbial Resistance (AMR) in Agri-Systems. I am working to understand how animal health and welfare state and environmental factors affect AMR dynamics. This is in order to develop a policy framework for broiler systems. My research interests lie in the application of mathematical modelling and statistical analysis to answer biological questions. My areas of investigation include animal health and welfare using the systems approach, and plant science with a focus on circadian rhythms. I obtained a PhD in Mathematics from the University of York (UK) and bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Statistics from the Universidad de Valparaíso (Chile). My professional experience also includes work in industry as a Head of Studies at the Consumer Research Unit and as a CRM Analyst at the Business Intelligence Unit in a telecommunications company.
Current students
Luke Crosby, PhD student 2023-
Luke Crosby
I’m a second-year biology student and I’ve been interested in applying concepts taught in ecology, zoology, and biochemistry, amongst others, to further my understanding and appreciation of topics of personal interest such as Interactions between pesticide, parasite and pathogen stressors in relation to honeybee colony collapse. I’m very much interested in mycology, soil ecology, and botany, especially in terms of plant-fungal symbioses and mycoremediation. With guidance from Graziella, I’m currently researching the effects of climate change on insect ecology. Particularly, the effect temperature has on community structure and stability, by looking at mutualistic plant-pollinator networks.
Teun de Jong, Erasmus student 2023
Teun de Jong working at Riseholme, Lincoln, with large white butterflies.
During my study Biology at the Wageningen University and Research (WUR) in the Netherlands I became very interested in the development and evolution of insects and their eggs. Especially the interactions between insects, (host)plants and their environment. When Graziella came to Wageningen on her Visiting Fellowship I was able to join one of her talks. Her work sounded both very significant and perfectly in line with my personal interests. I am very happy that we could meet after, which lead to my amazing Erasmus+ internship. For three months I joined Graziella in her ongoing experiments to study how heatwaves affect the fitness of Pieris brassicae during their pupal stage. It seems that even at sub-lethal temperatures, some serious damage can occur. Besides, we started a small project to see how heatwaves effect the HR-like egg killing of P. brassicae eggs by Brassica nigra. HR-like egg killing is a fascinating plant response studied by my home-university supervisor Nina Fatouros. This is a nice way to follow up on my MSc thesis (HR-like egg killing of CPB beetles by potato plants). This internship definitely sparked my interest in (micro)climates, temperature, drought and the insect's ability to cope with all that. Hope to keep studying these interesting subjects in the next parts of my career!
Electra Poluha, MSc by Research 2021-2023
Electra Poluha
l graduated from Lincoln in 2021 with a degree in Bioveterinary Science. I have always been curious about animals and the planet and the relationship these two have. As I became older, I understood the threat animals, plants, and the earth face, from abuse to extinction. During my degree, I realized that I could take this interest of mine and put it into practice and so I decided to pursuit a masters with Graziella. Our project is now focusing on the effects extreme temperatures (heatwaves) have on insects, more specifically the large white butterfly (Pieris brassicae), in its larvae stages. We will be focusing on how their behaviour and survival is affected, as well as their fertility. This project ties in nicely with the effects of climate change and what that will mean for the future of those insects and in general all animal species. I will be working closely with Jamie who is concentrating on similar aspects relating the large white butterfly and its fertility, and hopefully together we will be able to find some promising information.
Jamie Smith, MSc by Research 2021-2023
Jamie Smith
I am an MSc by Research student in Evolution and Ecology with diverse interests in the field, including agroecology and ecotoxicology. Particularly, I am interested in understanding how ecological systems react to environmental stressors and global change. I hold a first-class honours degree in Biochemistry, which aids my research into the relationships of organisms and their environment. I have gained industry experience in agricultural sampling as well as environmental contamination monitoring. Furthermore, I have direct Ecotox experience conducting laboratory testing and outdoor mesocosm experiments. I am currently working under the supervision of Graziella to study the effects of heatwaves on populations of the large white butterfly (Pieris brassicae). Specifically, investigating the thermal impacts on fertility to assess whether males and females are equally susceptible and to model local extinction risk.
Alumni
Sofia Gigliotti, Erasmus student 2022, currently a PhD student at University of Padova (Italy) with Dr Clelia Gasparini Lucy Boulton, summer studentship 2021, currently ecological consultant Brooke Oakley, summer studentship 2020 Beth Lawrence, summer studentship 2019 Chloris Mauris, summer internship 2018,PhD at Universite Paris Sur and Max Planck Institute for Ornithology