Emily Churchill
Profiles

Emily Churchill

School of Biological and Marine Sciences (Faculty of Science and Engineering)

PhD student investigating the effects of local-scale spatial distributions of food resources on Drosophila physiology, fitness and aggressive and reproductive behaviours.

Qualifications

2016-2017: PGCE Secondary Biology (Sciences), University of Exeter
2014-2016: MSc (by Research) Biology, University of York
2011-2014: BSc (Hons) Biology, University of York

Professional membership

Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour

British Ecological Society

Research interests

My research focuses on the effect of local-scale spatial distribution of resources, using Drosophila melanogaster as a model organism. I am interested in understanding how varying resource distributions effect reproductive and aggressive behaviours, physiology and life histories.

This research follows on from the research that I completed towards my Masters project, where I investigated the effects of age, sperm competition and nutritional stress on Drosophila physiology and reproductive behaviours.

I am increasingly interested in how variable environments impact ecological and evolutionary processes.

Journals

Churchill, E. R., Bridle, J. R. & Thom, M. D. F. (2020) 'Spatially clustered resources increase male aggregation and mating duration in Drosophila melanogaster'. Animal Behaviour, 169, pp. 45-50.

Churchill, E. R., Dytham, C. & Thom, M. D. F. (2019) 'Differing effects of age and starvation on reproductive performance in Drosophila melanogaster'. Scientific Reports, 9 (1), pp. 2167.