Project: European birds as a model system for predicting
epidemiology of epizootic disease

Supervisor: Prof Ian Owens, Department of Life Sciences

Project

The Grantham Institute for Climate Change at Imperial College London
is funding a series of PhD studentships in climate-related research
ranging from understanding the likelihood of sudden, catastrophic
climate events to the impact on disease within ecosystems. One of
these studentships is to test the effect that changes in migration
routes may have on the spread of disease, using European birds as a
model system. The student will make extensive use of GIS databases
and analyses and will be mainly based in the Ecology and Evolution
Group at Imperial College's Silwood Park Campus, which is
approximately 20 miles South West of London, but would also have
strong links to other research groups interested in climate change
and disease. Silwood Park has a very strong reputation for research
in ecology and evolution and is home to a large group of researchers,
including approximately 200 postgraduate students.

The specific aims of the project will be to:

1. Digitally map the migratory routes of European birds.

2. Construct environmental models of migratory distributions.

3. Use climate models to predict changes in migratory routes.

4. Predict the effect of climate change on bird-borne disease.

The project would suit either a biologist interested in the effects
of climate change or a physical scientist wishing to move into the
climate impacts research area. Links to the relevant climate
expertise are available through the Grantham Institute.

Applications and further information

Applications for PhDs at Imperial College must be completed online
(see link below). Once you have submitted your application, please
email the Grantham Institute directly (granthamphd@imperial.ac.uk) so
that we can process your application. For further information please
see the following websites or contact the Campus Administrator at
Silwood Park, Mrs Diana Anderson (d.anderson@imperial.ac.uk).

Imperial College application process: http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/
pgprospectus/howtoapply/applicationforms

Grantham Institute: http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/climatechange

Ecology and Evolution Group at Silwood Park: http://
www3.imperial.ac.uk/biology/research/ecologyandevolution