Ecologist's medal adds to Imperial's winning streak

Zoological Society of London awards fourth Imperial Prof since 2000 - News

By Danielle Reeves
10 April 2008

An Imperial biologist has been announced as the fourth College scientist since 2000 to win the Zoological Society of London's prestigious Scientific Medal.

Professor Tim Coulson from the Ecology and Evolution research group in the College's Department of Biology follows in the footsteps of former winners Professor Ian Owens, Head of the Department of Life Sciences, and Professors Andy Purvis and Austin Burt.

The Scientific Medal is given annually to an early-career researcher who completed their doctorate less than 15 years ago, and recognises scientific merit in the field of zoology. Professor Coulson will be presented with the medal at the Zoological Society of London's Stamford Raffles Lecture and reception on 17 June 2008.

Professor Coulson's work focuses on the effect that rapid changes in our plant's atmosphere and environment are having on plant and animal species. As levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere increase, and forests and other habitats are destroyed or damaged by humans, animal and plant species are affected in two ways: some species are pushed close to extinction whilst others benefit, with some species evolving and adapting to cope with these new environmental conditions.

Since completing his doctorate, Professor Coulson has been identifying factors like changes in food availability and the weather which could have an impact on ecology. He builds mathematical models to predict how particular populations of animals will respond and adapt as we continue to alter the environment and their habitats.

Professor Coulson said: "We live on a rapidly changing planet, partly as a consequence of our own behaviour, and mankind’s activities are having a profound effect on the natural world.

"I hope that my research, which is at the moment focused on a small number of species, may lead to ways of extending predictions to wider groups of animal species, so we can come to a full and clear understanding of how accelerating man-made environmental change is going to affect the ecology of the Earth."

Professor Coulson's work has involved detailed study of populations of red deer living on the Island of Rum in the Inner Hebrides, and a population of Soay sheep living on the St. Kilda archipelago, also off the West coast of Scotland. He and colleagues have now reached a point at which they understand how man-made environmental change influences ecology and evolution in these populations. However, they are not yet able to make more general predictions for other populations, and this is where they hope to take their work next.

Professor Coulson's work includes studying Soay sheep populations on remote Scottish islands

Commenting on receiving the Zoological Society of London's Scientific Medal, Professor Coulson said: "I am delighted and honoured to be awarded the Zoological Society of London scientific medal. It is especially pleasing as many of the ideas behind my work were formulated during the very happy years I spent working at the Institute of Zoology – the scientific research arm of Zoological Society of London."

Head of the College's Department of Life Sciences, Professor Ian Owens, congratulated Professor Coulson, saying: "Tim is doing some really original and ambitious work that makes use of ideas originally developed to understand the demography of human populations to understand evolution in wild animal populations. I'm delighted that the Zoological Society of London has recognised the importance of his achievements by awarding him this medal, which, as the fourth such medal to be awarded to the College in recent years, is testament to the excellent work being carried out by the ecology and evolution group."

Professor Sir Brian Hoskins, Director of the College's Grantham Institute for Climate Change added: "This kind of research is really important – as the global climate changes, and mankind's actions have an ever-greater impact on animal and plant species, it's vital that our scientists strive to fully understand and predict what these impacts will be."

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