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 Department's success in the most recent Research Assessment Exercise resulted in a year-on-year increase in earnings from that source of 43%. 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. 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 70 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
The Tasso Leventis Chair in Biodiversity, to be held in the Department of Zoology with a Professorial Fellowship at Merton College, will shortly be advertised. The new Professor will be provided with funds from the James Martin 21st Century School to create an Institute of Biodiversity within the Department. We are grateful for the generous benefactions.
A University Lectureship in Biological Conservation with an associated Tutorial Fellowship at Somerville College is being advertised.
British Ecological Society 2010 Awards:
- Ailsa McLean: Anne Keymer Prize for the best oral presentation by a postgraduate student at the Annual Meeting
- Dr. Owen Lewis: Founders’ Prize for early-career contribution towards the science of ecology
- Professor Jeremy Thomas: Marsh Award for Ecology recognising research with a significant impact on the development of ecology
Professor Ben Sheldon has been awarded an ERC grant of 2.49 million euros to study social networks and their influence on ecological and evolutionary processes within wild bird populations.
Dr Andy Gardner will receive the Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour 2010 Award for Outstanding Contributions by a New Investigator