Dr Steve Portugal, The University of Oxford

Looking for a postdoc? I’m looking for someone to work with me on studying the structure of eggshells, using a mix of physiological, biomechanical and engineering-based techniques. This post is for two years, funded by the Leverhulme Trust. The full job advert has now been posted online here – https://jobs.royalholloway.ac.uk/vacancy.aspx?ref=0119-029. Feel free to get in touch. You can also read more about the project on the Leverhulme website here – https://www.leverhulme.ac.uk/research-project-grants/spots-stars-or-stripes-evolution-eggshell-surface-topography

Excited by “Our Planet” coming to Netflix in April and narrated by Sir David Attenborough. Spent an exciting 4 weeks in Cambodia helping film wild Siamese Fighting Fish for the Series. Definitely the best footage of them ever! (Photos: V Angkatavanich).

We (Elli Leadbeater and myself) have a PhD opportunity – details below, and via this link. Feel free to get in touch if interested! All about the social dynamics of flocking in birds.

Portugal and Leadbeater PhD Advert

A fascinating few weeks in Borneo. Seem to be getting into invertebrates more in the last year or so. This was a very docile scorpion, but someone appears to have cut the sting off. It seemed OK and appeared well fed. After a few days rest in Jakarta, I’m off to Melbourne to work with long-time collaborator Craig White. So far, sabbatical gets 10/10 A+.

Congratulations to PhD student Steph McClelland, whose had her first PhD paper accepted! Our study finds that a reduced eggshell conductance is seemingly a commonality amongst avian brood parasites. Previously we’d just identified it in common cuckoos. More details to follow soon.

We (Elli Leadbeater and myself) have a PhD opportunity – details below, and via this link. Feel free to get in touch if interested! All about the social dynamics of flocking in birds.

Portugal and Leadbeater PhD Advert

I’ll be spending January in Borneo, planning a new field course for our third year BSc students here at Royal Holloway. Finishing touches to travel plans finished and can now just be excited reading about gibbons.

(Photo: Frans Lanting)

Busy couple of days acting as External and Internal Examiner for James Walker (Oxford) and Callum Martin (RHUL). Congratulations both!

Thrilled to be awarded a Leverhulme Grant to study eggshell physiology, biomechanics and possible biomimetic applications. There will be a postdoc position starting summer 2019. Full advert and details to follow. Get in touch if interested.

Our new paper is out today in Biology Letters! All about the costs of moulting flight feathers in wild geese; it’s high! You can read the paper here!