Research Overview

Researchers in our Department study animals from around the world, from rainforests in Malaysia and Panama, to Caribbean reefs and African lakes, to ecosystems in Antarctica and on our doorstep. 

We develop and apply diverse cutting-edge techniques supported by extensive research facilities, including genetic manipulations of insects, AI-facilitated analyses of behaviour and simulations of entire nervous systems and ecosystems. 

We reanimate fossils from the deep past, to understand how the earliest animals evolved.  We build simulations of worlds to come, to predict how pathogens will evolve and to understand how biodiversity can most effectively be conserved. 

This rich diversity in approach energizes our teaching and our wider engagement activities, and it connects us to colleagues working across the School of Biological Sciences and the wider University. 

Our research is supported by over 110 research grants with a total value of over £50m. The principal funders include the UK Research Councils - Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, Natural Environment Research Council and Medical Research Council, charities such as the Royal Society, the Wellcome Trust, the Leverhulme Trust, and Cancer Research UK, along with international organizations including notably the European Research Council, the US National Institutes of Health and Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority.