Professor Andrew Jackson

My background is in zoology and ecology although I have always been interested in science more generally. My research interests lie in understanding ecological systems or processes from an evolutionary perspective which I tend to approach using computational / mathematical models. Traditionally, ecology is the study of the interactions between living organisms and their environment. During my Phd I focused on understanding interactions between individual animals living in close proximity which are determined by their behavioural rules. These rules are functions both of an individual's genotype and the local physical/ chemical/ biological environment. I am currently working on a diverse range of systems including vulture foraging, anti-predator behaviour in bird flocks and generating new statistical models for re-constructing food-webs.

  Animal Behaviour   Behavioural and evolutionary ecology   Bioengineering   Biological Modeling   Biomechanics, Biomedical Engineering   Cognitive Development/Processes   Comparative/Animal Psychology   COMPUTER MODELING AND SIMULATION   Computer Modelling   COMPUTER SIMULATION   COMPUTER SIMULATIONS   Developmental biology   Ecological Modelling   Ecology   ECOSYSTEM   ECOSYSTEMS   Evolution   Evolutionary Biology   Mathematical Modelling   Morphology   Population Biology   Theoretical Ecology   THEORY & MODELLING   Zoology

My broad research topic is ecology and evolution, and specifically theoretical ecology. I am interested in how interactions between individual organisms of the same and different species generate macroscopic patterns we observe as ecosystems or food-webs. I have a developed a research group that is a leader in quantitative ecology in Ireland and with demonstrable global impact and renown with a portfolio of highly cited research papers in top journals. Several graduates from my lab have set up their own successful groups as PIs in internationally recognised institutions. The current focus of my research is a four-year project funded by the Irish Research Council which aims to develop a new set of quantitative tools that will allow us to maximise our ability to monitor and predict the response of ecosystem food-webs to a world that is changing and ever more managed or impacted by societies. A food-web in some senses is simple: it describes how energy and biomass flows up from primary producers (plants) through to consumers and up to higher level predators. The challenge is to manage better these systems on which we rely for health and wealth. My project is developing dynamic mathematical models to generate food-webs of various structure and behaviour, and coupled with new statistical models that might allow us to monitor these systems in the real world. We have recently identified new links between empirical data and fundamental properties of food-webs that will allow us to change the way we monitor and manage ecosystems. I am currently using this new research momentum to help mentor new junior colleagues and to win further funding by using the outputs to solve real world problems in marine ecosystems with a particular focus on large marine predators and ecosystem based fisheries management.