I am an ecologist with a particular interest in how forest structure forms through the interactions between trees, and how the architecture of forests influences the many species living inside them. This includes both natural and managed forests in regions from boreal Russia to the tropical rain forests of Malaysia.

My research studies how forest structure forms through the interactions among trees, and how the organisation of forests influences the other species that live inside them. This program includes everything from field surveys through to simulation modelling. I have worked in natural and managed forests in countries all over the world.

My teaching covers general ecology, biogeography and conservation. Although there is a focus on plants, including a module on plant identification and taxonomy, my modules cover the whole span of life. My textbook Natural Systems: The Organisation of Life was published in 2016: https://www.wiley.com/en-ie/Natural+Systems:+The+Organisation+of+Life-p-9781118905883 I am also keen to promote teaching in the field. This includes participation in the work of the Tropical Biology Association (http://www.tropical-biology.org/). To date I have taught field courses in six countries on four continents.