Victoria Paterson
Room 321, Graham Kerr Building
Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health & Comparative Medicine
College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences
University of Glasgow
Glasgow
G12 8QQ
Tel: 0141 330 4769
Email: v.paterson.1@research.gla.ac.uk
Academic History
2008-present: PhD "Effects of host population size and isolation on parasite dynamics in a naturally fragmented host metapopulation" University of Glasgow, Supervisor: Dr Roman Biek.
Funders: University of Glasgow faculty studentship and NERC.
2003-2008: MSci Hons Zoology, University of Glasgow.
Previous Research Projects
Msci thesis: "The Use of Chillies (Capsicum frutescens) To Deter Puku (Kobus vardonii) and for Mitigating Crop Raiding By African Elephants (Loxodonta Africana) In Zambia: A Case Study Within Kasanka National Park and The Kafinda Game Management Area"
Supervisors Dr Ruedi Nager (University of Glasgow) and Dr Mike Kennedy (Aberdeen University).
Honours Project: "Do Predators Learn One Signal Quicker Than Multiple Signals?" Supervisor Professor Graeme Ruxton (University of Glasgow).
Research Interests
Parasite thresholds (minimum host population size or density below which the parasite cannot exist) and metapopulation theory (persistence on a larger spatial scale is possible as long as local extinctions are balanced by recolonizations of dispersing individuals) are important concepts in disease and population ecology, yet little is still know about the wider implications to infectious diseases and parasite dynamics, and even fewer empirical examples involving natural systems have been examined.
This study seeks to examine this gap in knowledge with the use of a natural system by monitoring parasite infections across 2 rodent populations on the island system of Loch Lomond. The findings will have major implications for understanding the underlying spatial heterogeneity in disease risk, improving our understanding of the role that local and stochastic effects have on structuring parasite communities and aid our ability to control diseases in natural populations.