· PhD co-supervisor: The evolution of fungicide resistance in South American Zymoseptoria tritici populations; University of Reading; funded by CAPES, Brazil. Thesis submitted December 2019.
· Summer undergraduate studentship supervisor: Detection of fungicide resistant alleles in UK cereal rusts. Royal Society of Biology Plant Health Undergraduate Studentships 2024.
· Summer undergraduate studentship supervisor: Fungicide resistance in Zymoseptoria tritici through time. British Society of Plant Pathology Undergraduate Vacation Bursary 2023.
· PhD thesis committee member: Assessing the risk of resistance selection towards QiI fungicides in Zymoseptoria tritici; student based at INRA, France, 2017-2020.
· Visiting PhD student supervisor: Eco-evolutionary dynamics of plant pathogens in crop rotations; student visiting from Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology Plön, Germany, May 2018.
· Undergraduate year-in-industry placement student supervisor: University of York student placement at Rothamsted Research, 2016-2017.
· Informal co-supervision: Uniting genetics and chemistry to reduce the severity of take-all root disease in commercial second wheat crops (student based in Wheat Pathogenomics group, Rothamsted Research, PhD completed 2018); Azole sensitivity in Leptosphaeria pathogens of oilseed rape: the role of lanosterol 14α-demethylase (student based at University of Hertfordshire, PhD completed 2017)
· Guest lecturer: Postgraduate course on evolutionary integrated pest management (online), Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 2020.
· Course organiser/designer/lecturer: Introduction to Phylogenetics (one-day course within the Rothamsted Bioinformatics training programme for PhD students and other researchers); 2017/2018/2019.
· Online lecture: The Evolution of Resistance to Pesticides, Henry Stewart Talks Biomedical and Life Sciences Collection, recorded 2019.
· Guest tutor/demonstrator: Bioinformatics 101 (one-day course within the Rothamsted Bioinformatics training programme for PhD students and other researchers), 2017.
· Lecturer: Agrifood Training Partnership course on Current Research in Crop Protection (continuing professional development course for agronomists and related professions), 2014 and 2015.
· STEM Ambassador: promoting STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) to school pupils. I have been involved in open days, field trips, and school visits delivering career talks and hands-on science activities. Activities developed and delivered include “Crops and Food” and “Stop the Fungus” in-school activities, “Plant diversity and food security” interactive science fair display, “Plant Biodiversity” field activity (KS3 and A-level versions) and “Superpest” board game, for ages ranging from reception to sixth form (4-18).
· FRAG-UK (industry advisory group on fungicide resistance): data presented at meetings November 2018, October 2016, November 2014
· BASF Sustainabiliy Challenge for Rothamsted Early Career Researchers, 2018: member of the winning team
· Cereals (agronomy event) 2013-2017. Exhibitor on Rothamsted/BBSRC stand.
· ProCam Spring Conference 2016 (farmers, agronomists and farming press). Invited speaker: Fungicide Resistance in Septoria Leaf Blotch.
· Rothamsted Research Association Winter Meeting 2015: The Battle Against Resistance (farmers and others in the agricultural sector; BASIS approved event). Invited speaker: Azole resistance in plant pathogenic fungi.
· Agri-Food Training Partnership: Lecturer on “Current Research in Crop Protection” professional development training course, 2014 and 2015.
· Twitter account
· New Scientist Live, London UK, October 2019. "Crimes against Crops" exhibit in the "Future of Farming" zone: helped to develop and present crop protection related activities and displays for children and the general public, including an interactive "Which pest are you?" online quiz
· U3A guest speaker, Welwyn Garden City UK, March 2019: Agricultural research at Rothamsted: 1843 and today
· Rothamsted "Festival of Ideas" Open Weekend 2018
· Hertfordshire County Show 2018: Flash Talks for the general public
· Speaker and panellist, Rothamsted Open Meeting, October 2014: Can lessons from the past inform future food security?
· "Fascination of Plants Day" 2013, 2014: hands-on activities for visiting school groups
· Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition 2011: assisting with "Combating the Superpests" exhibit
· Niab Meet the Scientist interview:
· Video
· British Society for Plant Pathology blog articles:
· Superbugs of the Plant Health World
· Wild plant diseases: Floral foes or biodiversity builders?
· Science Media Centre: expert commentator
· Science magazine: expert commentator for news story
· Media coverage of 2018 Science paper:
· Radio interview: WildFlowerHour podcast, discussing how to get children interested in plants, January 2018
· Television interview: BBC2 Great Railway Journeys visit to Rothamsted, discussing use of long-term experiment archives, aired January 2017
· Radio interview: Radio Verulam environment show, Can lessons from the past inform future food security? Aired January 2015
#WildPlantDisease was a social media event held in August 2020 as part of the International Year of Plant Health, and again in May 2022 as part of Plant Health Week. I instigated the event as a collaboration between #WildFlowerHour and the British Society for Plant Pathology.
#WildFlowerHour is an intiative in which social media users post pictures of any wild plants they have seen that week, from 8-9pm on Sunday evenings. Participants can post any plants they find, or they can choose to look for specific plants set in a series of weekly challenges. The International Year of Plant Health was held in 2020, and with in-person events from March onwards having been cancelled, a plant health-themed #WildFlowerHour challenge made a lockdown-friendly event as people could find plants individually during their daily walks, then share the pictures remotely on social media.
A linked series of blog posts promoted the event, introduced various wild plant pathogens, and discussed the roles of plant pathogens in wild (or semi-natural) ecosystems.
The events resulted in over 700 tweets with over 4000 potential views. A group of experts in different areas of plant pathology, entomology and botany helped to identify the causes of disease symptoms, and their wild plant host species, posted by participants.
In 2022, the #WildFlowerHour #WildPlantDisease challenge was repeated, this time on May 8 as part of Plant Health Week. I produced a Spotter sheet with ten relatively common, distinctive wild plant diseases for participants to find.
The Wild Flower Society is a UK Registered Charity aiming to encourage an appreciation of field botany among the general public including children. I first joined as a junior member myself, then in 2004 I joined the executive committee as publicity secretary. This post involves dealing with media enquiries, preparing press releases and producing publicity materials, as well as serving as a charity trustee. Trustee roles include administering small grants for botanical research, training and publications, and I have recently overhauled the research grant application process to encourage applicants to provide information that non-scientists on the committee can understand.
In recent years I have focused on social media and on wildlife fairs and open days, producing hands-on botanical activities, quiz sheets and a children's picture book. I have attended the Natural History Museum Big Nature Day, Bioblitzes, BBC Springwatch events, Whipsnade Zoo Green Fair, Harpenden Common Discovery Days, Leeds Castle Wildlife Weekend, Stevenage Wildwatch Events and the Northampton Umbrella Fair Festival, as well as providing materials for other members to attend events elsewhere. I also regularly attend the BSBI Annual Exhibition Meeting with posters and exhibits showcasing WFS's work and encouraging other botanists to engage in outreach work with young people.
In 2008, I was appointed as Branch Secretary for the Junior Branch. This post involves giving botanical guidance and encouragement to junior members through correspondance based around Wild Flower Diaries. I have introduced a Badge scheme to encourage junior members to continue recording and to learn to identify a wider range of plants.
I have worked in partnership with other botanical organisations, including the BSBI, Plantlife and #Wildflowerhour, for the #HerbologyHunt initiative to get children interested in plants, including producing downloadable monthly spotter sheets of wild flowers to find through the year.