The Department
The Department of Zoology, within the Mathematical, Physical and Life Sciences Division at the University of Oxford, has a long-standing reputation for world class research and teaching. Research in the Department is organised into several research themes; these span a broad spectrum of biology ranging from ecology and behaviour, through to molecular evolution, development and infectious disease biology. The John Krebs Field Station and Wytham Woods are used by several research groups, including the Edward Grey Institute of Field Ornithology (founded 1936) and the Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU). The WildCRU have recently established a Research Centre at Tubney House. Molecular and cellular research is supported by excellent laboratory facilities, while several members of the Department are housed in the recently built Peter Medawar Building for Pathogen Research.
The Department participates in teaching a B.A. degree in Biological Sciences and a highly regarded M.Sc. in Biology (Integrative Bioscience). We were awarded full marks, 24 out of 24, in the official Subject Review (formerly known as Teaching Quality Assessment).
The Department of Zoology currently has approximately 60 academic staff. It also houses a very large and interactive group of post docs (~100) and graduate students (~150). Ten members of the Department are Fellows of the Royal Society including Lord May, President (2000-2005).
A history of the department can be found here.
The Head of Department is Professor Paul Harvey CBE, FRS.
News
Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) 2008
The Department's success in the RAE is demonstrated by its year-on-year increase in earnings from this source of 42.8%.
Current news
Professor Sunetra Gupta is the winner of the Royal Society's 2009 Rosalind Franklin Award which is given for an outstanding contribution by a woman to any area of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.
Professor Angela McLean has been elected to a Fellowship of the Royal Society.
Drs Ashleigh Griffin and Craig MacLean have been awarded Royal Society University Research Fellowships, and Dr Andy Gardner has moved his to the Department.
Dr Richard Bomphrey has been awarded an EPSRC Career Acceleration Fellowship
Dr Nathalie Seddon has won a L'Oreal Fellowship for Women in Science
Dr Sam Sheppard has been awarded a Wellcome Trust Research Career Development Fellowship
Dr Christian Rutz has been awarded a BBSRC David Phillips Fellowship