Dr Penelope Watt
School of Biosciences
Senior Lecturer in Zoology
+44 114 222 0076
Full contact details
School of Biosciences
Alfred Denny Building
Western Bank
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S10 2TN
- Profile
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I am a behavioural ecologist working on personality traits, the genetic basis of behaviour and the impact of stress on behaviour, including transgenerational effects and potential epigenetic mechanisms, in fish. We also work on earthworm behaviour, distribution and health with the view to improve soil quality.
- Publications
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Show: Featured publications All publications
Featured publications
Journal articles
- . BEHAV ECOL SOCIOBIOL, 64(10), 1665-1672.
- . BEHAV ECOL SOCIOBIOL, 64(10), 1601-1607.
- . ANIM BEHAV, 79(6), 1191-1197.
- . J FISH BIOL, 75(6), 1323-1330.
- . ANIM BEHAV, 77(2), 425-431.
- . BEHAV ECOL, 19(1), 74-78.
All publications
Journal articles
- . Biomolecules, 12(8).
- . Environmental Biology of Fishes, 105(6), 741-751.
- . Journal of Experimental Biology, 225(10).
- . Soil and Tillage Research, 212.
- . Journal of Fish Biology, 96(2), 506-515.
- . ESPE Yearbook of Paediatric Endocrinology, 15.
- . Advances in experimental medicine and biology, 1014(Periconception in Physiology and Medicine), 117-135.
- . Human Molecular Genetics, 26(11), 1992-2005.
- . Journal of Fish Biology, 86(6), 1852-1859.
- . Behavioral Ecology, 24(6), 1320-1326.
- . Behav Genet, 43(2), 161-167.
- . Animal Behaviour.
- . Animal Behaviour, 83(1), 41-46.
- The effect of variation in boldness and aggressiveness on the reproductive success of zebrafish. Animal Behaviour.
- Small Subordinate Male Advantage in the Zebrafish. Ethology.
- . Ethology, 117(11), 1003-1008.
- . BEHAV ECOL SOCIOBIOL, 64(10), 1665-1672.
- . BEHAV ECOL SOCIOBIOL, 64(10), 1601-1607.
- . ANIM BEHAV, 79(6), 1191-1197.
- . Animal Behaviour, 79(6), 1191-1197.
- Inbreeding level does not induce female discrimination between sibs and unrelated males in guppies. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 1-7.
- . J FISH BIOL, 75(6), 1323-1330.
- . ANIM BEHAV, 77(2), 425-431.
- . BEHAV ECOL, 19(1), 74-78.
- . BEHAV ECOL, 18(5), 905-909.
- . BEHAV ECOL, 18(1), 47-52.
- . BEHAV ECOL SOCIOBIOL, 55(4), 363-369.
- . Journal of Fish Biology, 63(s1), 258-258.
- Female choice for good genes and sex-biased broods in guppies. J FISH BIOL, 59(4), 843-850.
- . Fishes, 4(1), 22-22.
- . Molecular Ecology.
Preprints
- , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
- . BEHAV ECOL SOCIOBIOL, 64(10), 1665-1672.
- Research group
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Current graduate students
- 2016 - Joseph Llanos. Earthworm distribution and population dynamics. PhD.
- 2017 - Wafa Abudayah. Anxiety as a personality trait in zebrafish. PhD.
- 2018 - Charlotte Redfern. Telomeres and stress in zebrafish. Masters.
- 2018 - Joel Kelly. Transgenerational stress & gene expression in zebrafish. MRes.
- 2018 - Stephanie Faulkner. Lateralisation and aggression in fish. MRes.
- 2018 - Chloe Mcloughlin. Earthworm behaviour and immunity. Masters.
Recent graduate students
- 2012-15 Helen Eachus. Behavioural and endocrine analysis of stress responses and the roles of epigenetic mechanisms in developmental plasticity of stress phenotypes in zebrafish. PhD.
- 2014-18 James Ord. Parental stress and its effects on the offspring of guppies and zebrafish. PhD.
- 2016-17 Juliet Kitson. Maternal chronic ethanol exposure influences social and anxiety-like behaviours in zebrafish offspring. Masters.
- 2016-17 Poppy Craig. The effects of sex, drug naivety and the bold-shy continuum on anxiety of adult zebrafish during ethanol withdrawal. Masters.
- 2017-18 Betsy Stanhope. Transgenerational effects of stress on anxious and aggressive behaviours in the zebrafish. Masters.
- 2017-18 Grace Holland. The effect of tetracycline on the health of Lumbricus terrestris. Masters.
+ 8 other PhD students that successfully defended their thesis. 10+ masters students.
- Grants
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- 2015 EpiStressNet: A biosocial systems approach to understanding the epigenetic embedding of social stress responses (co-investigator). ESRC/BBSRC (£249, 704).
- Teaching activities
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I am L1 and Senior Tutor, the Disability Liaison Officer and Head of Exams in APS. I was awarded APS Teacher of the Year in 2010.
In L2, I teach APS272 (Animal Diversity) and APS226 (Animal Diversity Practicals). As a zoologist, I have a real passion for animals and I hope to put this across in teaching.
In L3, I supervise projects (APS345) in behavioural ecology. I have an interest in science education in primary and secondary schools, which stems from being a school governor and being involved in science outreach, and I supervise students taking the Undergraduate Ambassador Scheme (APS340).
- Professional activities and memberships
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- Member of the University Discipline, Appeals and Faculty Student Review Committees
- External Examiner, University of Nottingham (Zoology) (from Oct 2017)
- Member of Inner International Assessment Board, Irish Research Council, Dublin (March 2017, 2019)
- Invited seminar, Merton College Biology Society, University of Oxford (Feb 2017) APS Christmastime Lecture (Dec 2016)
- ASAB Easter 2014 Conference organizer, April 2014, University of º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½
- Member of the Field Studies Council Executive Committee (from 2011-17)
- Member of the Field Studies Council Education Committee (from 2011-17) & Chair (2016-17)
- Invited speaker: Fishing for Clues – the mystery of the zebrafish revealed. LASA (2011)