ACME RESEARCH Animal Cognition and Microbial Ecology Research

Team

Our group is inclusive of all races, religions, genders and sexualities. We aim to apply practical solutions to achieve a diverse, accessible and inclusive environment across academia, and we are open to learn more about the difficulties of under-represented groups.

WE ARE HIRING
We are advertising for a Senior Research Associate (postdoc), a Laborary Technician and a Field Technician for an upcoming NERC Pushing the Frontiers grant, due to start February 2026.
Apply for Senior Research Associate, application deadline 31 October 2025.
Apply for Laboratory Technician coming very soon!
Apply for Field Technician coming in the next couple months

FULLY-FUNDED PHD OPPORTUNITY
Join our lab and a diverse cohort of graduate students through an ARIES Doctoral Training Program. You will investigate Gut microbiome variation in wild birds: Developmental consequences for host traits and fitness.
Please contact Gabrielle for more details about the research project and what to include in your application.
Application deadline 7th January 2026

Current members

member portrait Gabrielle Davidson Principal Investigator University of East Anglia University of Cambridge
member portrait Theo Cooper-Tutton MSc Student
member portrait Vildan Acar PhD Student
member portrait William Gough PhD Student

Previous members

member portrait Emily Danby PhD Student
member portrait James Davies PhD Student
member portrait Jasmyn Gooding MSc Student

Previous grad students

Jenny Barnard (University of East Anglia, primary Supervisor Edwin Ren) completed her MSc in Computer Science. Thesis title “Smart bird box for autonomous conservation monitoring”.

Dr Shane Somers (University College Cork, primary supervisor Prof John Quinn).

Dr Amy Cooke (University College Cork, Ireland, primary supervisor Prof John Quinn). Thesis title: “The role of proximate factors in shaping individual cognitive variation of great tits”

Dr Jenny Coomes (University College Cork, Ireland, primary supervisor Prof John Quinn). Thesis title: “Cognition and personality when deciding what to eat in the great tit”.

Callum O’Regan (MSc Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology). Thesis title: “Captive-reared rooks and jackdaws can successfully reintegrate into the wild, but this is not predicted by boldness or social affiliations”.

Collaborators

Professor Lindsay Hall
Professor Nicky Clayton
Professor John Quinn
Professor Alex Thornton
Dr Sarah Dalesman
Dr Sarah Knowles
Dr Josh Firth
Dr Michael Reichert
Professor Julie Morand-Ferron