I’m a professor at the University of Sydney, where I lead the Integrative Ecology Lab there. My work focuses on nature in cities, integrating human dimensions of ecology and natural history in urban environments. I’m also interested in looking at ecology through both fundamental and applied lenses, with a view to understanding the evolutionary and ecological mechanisms driving the patterns we observe.
Our questions are typically framed around how nature thrives, dies, and persists in seemingly hostile environments. I study the biology and ecology of iconic birds, insects and spiders in urban environments, and how they interact with the humans who share it with them. Although I’m a generalist, many of my favourite questions revolve around the biggest show in town, interactions between insects and plants. My recent work also examines how human activities in cities affect ecosystem health, and conversely how human wellbeing is affected by nature in cities.
Over the years I have developed an enthusiasm for sharing my fondness for insects, spiders, birds, and nature generally with the wider public whenever I can, in as many ways as I can.
