Research Projects
**2025-26 PhD projects will be added to this page by 20 September**
Research in the Department of Zoology is broadly based around six themes, which span all levels of the study of animal life. A number of projects that are offered by the Department in 2025-26 are listed below, by theme. The list of projects is not exhaustive, and applicants are encouraged to approach any of our supervisors with their own project ideas.
To read more about our current research themes, identify a potential supervisor, and find supervisor contact details, please visit our Research Pages.
NERC DLA (NERC-funded PhD Studentships)
The Cambridge Research Experience and Advanced Training for Environmental Scientists (CREATES) is the proposed programme of PhD studentships under the NERC Doctoral Landscape Awards scheme. If funded,the University hopes to offer at least 12 3.5 year NERC-funded PhD studentships for the first cohort in October 2025. Various departments of the University of Cambridge, including the Department of Zoology, are eligible as hosts for students.
More funding and eligibility information can be found on the Cambridge NERC Doctoral Landscape Awards website here.
Cambridge Biosciences DTP
You may wish to apply to the Cambridge Biosciences Doctoral Training Partnership in parallel to a specific PhD project. For more information have a look at the Cambridge biosciences DTP website here.
Departmental studentships and other funding
For further information about funding, including departmental studentships, see our Funding page here.
Applying for a project
Please contact a potential supervisor to discuss a project before you submit your application. For course information and details of how to apply see our Postgraduate study page here.
Find a project by theme:
Projects:
- BC523 Collective synchronisation in cicada swarms NERC Project
Supervisor: Dr James Herbert-Read
- BC526 The evolutionary causes and consequences of task specialisation during biparental care NERC Project
Supervisor: Prof Rebecca Kilner
- BC527 Multi-level selection and the evolution of animal family life NERC Project
Supervisor: Prof Rebecca Kilner
- Behavioural, morphological, and molecular evolution of a social transfer
Supervisor: Dr Adria LeBoeuf
- The role of metabolic division of labour in determining lifespan
Supervisor: Dr Adria LeBoeuf
Click here to learn more about our research in the Behavioural Ecology theme or identify a potential supervisor.
Projects:
- How do small nervous systems generate complex behaviour?
Supervisor: Dr Iris Hardege
- Developmental robustness of neuronal networks
Supervisor: Prof Matthias Landgraf
- Epigenetic mechanisms during critical periods of development
Supervisor: Prof Matthias Landgraf
- Regulation of dendritic and synaptic plasticity by metabolic reactive oxygen species
Supervisor: Prof Matthias Landgraf
- Behavioural, morphological, and molecular evolution of a social transfer
Supervisor: Dr Adria LeBoeuf
- The role of metabolic division of labour in determining lifespan
Supervisor: Dr Adria LeBoeuf
- BC534: Genetic and developmental basis of pigment pattern variation in Malawi cichlid fishes NERC Project
Supervisor: Dr Emília Santos
- The role of thyroid hormone in the plastic development of pigmentation patterns
Supervisor: Dr Emília Santos
- Biomolecular condensates in early development
Supervisor: Prof Tim Weil
- In vitro fertilisation and egg activation in Drosophila
Supervisor: Prof Tim Weil
- Coordinated change and programmed cell death in small cell networks
Supervisor:Prof Tim Weil
Click here to learn more about our research in the Cell and Development Biology theme or identify a potential supervisor.
Projects:
- BC501: Mollusc Armageddon: Investigating declines of freshwater bivalves and snails in the UK NERC Project / Whitten Project
Supervisor: Prof David Aldridge
- BC502: Host-parasite dynamics in a new model system: community ecology, behaviour and conservation of freshwater snails NERC Project / Whitten Project
Supervisor: Prof David Aldridge
- BC509: Scaling-up biodiversity reporting in food supply chains: developing a global farm-scale biodiversity metric for sustainable agriculture NERC CASE Project
Supervisor: Prof Lynn Dicks
- Defaunation and landscape conservation in Africa
Supervisor: Prof Robert Fletcher
- BC538: How do alternative understory crop management practices affect the stability of invertebrate communities and ecosystem processes in oil palm plantations? NERC CASE Project
Supervisor: Prof Edgar Turner
- BC537: Managing reserves for climate resilience NERC CASE Project
Supervisor: Prof Edgar Turner
Click here to learn more about our research in the Conservation Science theme or identify a potential supervisor.
Projects:
- BC525: Genetic improvement of the black soldier fly NERC CASE Project
Supervisor: Prof Chris Jiggins
- BC524: Thermal adaptation in the wood tiger moth NERC Project
Supervisor: Prof Chris Jiggins
- Behavioural, morphological, and molecular evolution of a social transfer
Supervisor: Dr Adria LeBoeuf
- BC531: A genomic view of African diversity NERC Project
Supervisor: Prof Andrea Manica
- BC534: Genetic and developmental basis of pigment pattern variation in Malawi cichlid fishes NERC Project / Whitten Project
Supervisor: Dr Emília Santos
- BC535: Genomic basis of sexual dimorphism, sexual conflict and male ornament variation NERC Project / Whitten Project
Supervisor: Dr Emília Santos
- The role of thyroid hormone in the plastic development of pigmentation patterns
Supervisor: Dr Emília Santos
- Predicting the Evolution of Influenza and SARS-CoV-2 Viruses
Supervisor: Prof Derek Smith
Click here to learn more about our research in the Evolutionary Genetics and Genomics theme or identify a potential supervisor.
Projects:
- How do small nervous systems generate complex behaviour?
Supervisor: Dr Iris Hardege
- Developmental robustness of neuronal networks
Supervisor: Prof Matthias Landgraf
- Epigenetic mechanisms during critical periods of development
Supervisor: Prof Matthias Landgraf
- Regulation of dendritic and synaptic plasticity by metabolic reactive oxygen species
Supervisor: Prof Matthias Landgraf
- BC514: Multifunctionality of insect cuticular lipids: water-proofing, lubrication and adhesion NERC Project
Supervisor: Prof Walter Federle
Click here to learn more about our research in the Neurobiology, Biomechanics and Behaviour theme or identify a potential supervisor.
Projects:
- BC532: Eco-evolutionary dynamics of early animals NERC Project
Supervisor: Dr Emily Mitchell
Click here to learn more about our research in the Palaeobiology theme or identify a potential supervisor.