Jonathan (he/him) is a Schmidt AI in Science Fellow in the Department of Biology, based just outside the city of Oxford at the John Krebs Field Station in Wytham. His research field is within pollination biology, where he seeks to understand how and why pollinators make choices about which flowers to visit, and how this affects the success and fitness of both sides of the plant-pollinator mutualism. He is particularly interested in how the physical and chemical properties of nectar and pollen interact with bee foraging dynamics and energetics to shape their pollination behaviour.
Following a PhD at the University of Cambridge on the biomechanics of plant-pollinator interactions, Jonathan moved to Oxford as a post-doctoral researcher. Here, he worked on taste perception and floral reward evaluation in several bee species, focussing on nectar sugar composition, and the many minor and often non-nutritive secondary compounds present in nectar.
In his fellowship, Jonathan plans to apply computer vision and machine learning techniques to enhance the resolution and throughput of bee behavioural and biomechanical assays. The aim is to transfer lab-based experimental techniques to the field to improve understanding of the key factors which influence the ecosystem service provided by these pollinators in both natural and agricultural systems.
