Brighton Pod

Who we are

Rebecca Jones (Coordinator)

Becky is a teaching fellow in the Evolution, Behaviour and Environment subject group at the University of Sussex. Her research interests involve nematode parasites which manipulate their host to avoid predation. Becky is also involved in science communication and is also health and well-being champion for the University of Sussex Athena Swan team.

Josie Paris (Coordinator)

Josie is a postdoctoral researcher in the Evolution, Behaviour and Environment group, University of Sussex. Her interests are in the use of fish evolutionary genetics in understanding how fishes adapt to different environments, and she is currently working on a project investigating the ecological genomics of adaptive polymorphism in the Trinidadian guppy (Poecilia reticulata). Josie has co-directed and taught on a several scientific workshop series, and was previously a member of the The Athena SWAN charter at the University of Exeter.

Beth Nicholls

I am a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Sussex specialising in bee behaviour and conservation. Currently I am researching the impact of pesticide use by urban farmers on pollinator populations in the UK and India, using a ‘citizen science’ approach. I am passionate about communicating science to the public, and I particularly enjoy engaging with young or underrepresented groups. Currently I volunteer for the Brighton & Hove branch of the British Science Association and co-lead the running of Soapbox Science Brighton, an annual event held on Brighton seafront to promote the work of women in STEMM.

Mijke van der Zee

Mijke is a second year PhD student in the Evolution, Behaviour and Environment group at Sussex University. She studies genetic convergent evolution and local adaptation to new environments in experimentally introduced populations of wild guppies. She involved in public engagement whenever she can, and is currently working to develop a GCSE level biology lesson on evolution for Widening Participation at the university.

Veronica Wignall

Veronica is a second year PhD student in the Laboratory of Apiculture and Social Insects (University of Sussex), studying honey bee foraging behaviour and ecology. Her work currently focuses on seasonal fluctuation in resource availability for nectar-feeding insects, and its impact on inter-specific exploitative competition. She is also a Research Hive Scholar with the Library, helping to build and support the doctoral researcher community at Sussex.