Jeff Ollerton

Mutualistic interactions, in which all participants benefit from the relationship, are the main focus of my research interests. Mutualisms are hugely important ecological relationships that play key roles in determining community structure and ecosystem function. Jeff’s research involves field, laboratory and theoretical investigations of the ecology, evolution and conservation of mutualisms, with a particular emphasis on plant-pollinator relationships, plant reproductive biology, and the evolution of flowers. As a member of the Landscape and Biodiversity Research Group at the University of Northampton, research in the U.K., Australia, Africa, Tenerife and South America has been funded by grants totalling over £100,000, including a NERC award of £30,000 in collaboration with Dr Lars Chittka (Queen Mary College, London), and SITA Environmental Trust funding of two PhD scholarships in collaboration with the SITA Centre for Sustainable Wastes Management at the University of Northampton. Currently supervising three research students at the University of Northampton, having supervised five others to completion in the past five years. Involved in research collaborations with colleagues at the following institutions: University of California, Riverside; University of Bayreuth; University of KwaZulu-Natal; University of Cape Town; National Museums of Scotland; Rothamsted Research (formerly IACR Rothamsted).

Course leader for BSc (Hons) Biology; Jeff also contributes to the courses BSc Environmental Management, BSc Biological Conservation, BSc Applied Conservation Biology and MSc Environmental Management via teaching on the following modules:

• ENV1002 – Introduction to Ecology
• ENV1012 – Diversity and Adaptation
• ENV1016 – Fundamentals of Environmental Science
• ENV2002 – Field Module
• ENV2015/19 – Overseas Field Course
• ENV2018 – Habitat Ecology and Management
• ENV2103 – Biogeography
• ENV3020 – Plants and Their Environment
• ENV3021 – Biodiversity and Conservation
• ENV4001/10/11 – Research Project modules
• ENVM003 – Applied Project in Environmental Management