Project title
‘Conservation of the Western lowland gorilla ( Gorilla gorilla gorilla ); investigations into the regional morphological and genetic variation of past and present populations.’
Profile summary
I joined Canterbury Christ Church University in 2006 and am now currently employed as an Instructor for the Section of Life Sciences within the School of Human and Life Sciences. Prior to joining CCCU I taught Animal Science related modules within FE and completed my BSc in Biodiversity, Conservation and Management with DICE at the University of Kent.
In addition to my current role, I am studying part-time for a PhD in Biological Science which is based at the main campus of CCCU and is in collaboration with the Powell-Cotton Museum and the Aspinall Foundation.
Research and knowledge exchange
I am a member of the Ecology Research Group and a member of council for the Primate Society of Great Britain. My aim is to aid the conservation of endangered primates, specifically the Western lowland gorilla ( Gorilla gorilla gorilla ), currently recognised as critically endangered by the IUCN. My research incorporates GIS (geographical information systems), geometric morphometrics and DNA analysis using data from specimens held at the Powell-Cotton Museum and from the captive population at the Aspinall Foundation.
The purpose of my research is to identify regional morphological and genetic variation between past wild populations and compare it to present captive populations. The aim is to provide information on the genetic health and diversity of Western lowland gorillas used in current breeding programmes.
Teaching and subject expertise
- Level 0 – Foundation Biology and Chemistry.
- Level 4 – Core Science.
- Level 5 – Genetics and Evolution.
External activities
- STEM ambassador involved in a variety of outreach activities.