Professor Robbie McDonald

About me:

I am an ecologist with an interest in animal management. My work is interdisciplinary in nature and addresses problems that animals cause for people and the conflicts and disputes among people about their management. I work on the management of native and introduced, wild and domestic species to achieve goals for controlling and eradicating disease in people and animals, for conserving biodiversity and for improving livelihoods. My work extends across disciplines, and I have collaborated with colleagues across the full breadth of University research, including politics, human geography, maths, archaeology and biomedicine.

I have moved in and out of academia over the years, and before being appointed to a chair at Exeter, I worked in senior leadership roles in the civil service, and in conservation NGOs. I led science programmes during the formation of Fera, one of Defra's science agencies, and the restructuring of its predecessor, the Central Science Laboratory. I enoy working in partnerships, among disciplines, organisations and sectors, to make things happen and to arrive at useful science.

As an example, my research has focused on the science, policy and practical implications of bovine tuberculosis (TB) in badgers and cattle. In this area, I work mainly in partnership with the National Wildlife Management Centre of the Animal and Plant Health Agency. You can find out more by watching this two-minute video of me explaining my work on bovine tuberculosis.

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You can view my Google Scholar account here.

My research group website is wildlifescience.org

I am now especially interested in 'companion animal ecology', where we examine the ecology of animals living in close proximity to people, and where interactions between these animals and people affect their ecology and ecological impacts. I work with cat owners to address the challenges for cat health and well-being and for wildlife populations that can be presented by cat predation of wildlife. This is a major focus and has been supported by Songbird Survival. Another key project has been investigating the ecology and epidemiology of Guinea worm infection in free-ranging domestic dogs in Chad and Ethiopia. This work has contributed to the global programme for eradication of human Guinea worm disease, being led by The Carter Center and the World Health Organisation. I am part of two WHO working groups on Guinea worm, on certification of elimination in animals, and on diagnostics.

My PhD researchers and I work on a variety of wildlife conservation and management projects, mainly in the UK. Recent work has addressed the conservation of hazel dormice, pine marten restoration and its ecological effects, the recovery of polecats, wildcat conservation, the ecological effects of Tasmanian devil decline and predation of pheasants by buzzards.

• Animal ecology
• Wildlife management and conservation
• Conflicts and disputes about animals and their management
• Companion animal ecology and evolution
• Ecology and management of domestic animals in the environment
• Animal social networks and their implications for ecology and diseases
• Ecology and management of introduced and invasive species
• Ecology and management of zoonotic infections

I am always learning new approaches and applying new (to me at least) methods for addressing these challenges. I am interested in developing and applying:

• Social network analysis and proximity-sensing technology
• Novel tracking technologies
• Stable isotope techniques
• Q-methodology
• LAMP technology for diagnostics in challenging field situations

1998 PhD Wildlife Biology (University of Bristol)
1991 BSc Marine and Environmental Biology (St Andrews)

2022-present Chief Insights Officer, The Office for Environmental Protection

2011-present Chair in Natural Environment, University of Exeter
2009-2011 Head of Wildlife Science and Deputy Chief Scientist, Food and Environment Research Agency (now part of the Animal and Plant Health Agency)
2007-2009 Head of Wildlife Disease Ecology Team/Head of Wildlife Ecology and Management Group, Central Science Laboratory
2003-2007 Centre Manager - Quercus, Queens University Belfast
2002-2003 Senior Scientist, Game Conservancy Trust
2000-2001 Royal Society Postdoctoral Fellowship, University of Waikato