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 Andy Robertson

Andy Robertson

NERC Knowledge Exchange Fellow (based outside the ESI)

 01453 861407

 

Overview

I am an Ecologist with broad interests encompassing wildlife disease, wildlife management, behavioural ecology and human-wildlife conflict. 

I started my research career with a PhD in badger ecology, which involved using stable isotope analysis to investigate individual differences in foraging behavior and diet. Since 2013 I have worked closely with the National Wildlife Management Centre (part of the Animal and Plant Health Agency) on a range of applied research projects related to badgers and bovine tuberculosis.

In 2017 I started a Knowledge Exchange Fellowship funded by the National Environment Research Council (NERC). NERC's KE fellowship program aims to increase the real world impact of the science surrounding complicated environmental issues.

My KE fellowship is focused on bovine Tuberculosis, and involves working with stakeholders effected by the disease (farmers, vets and others) including the regional TB eradication groups (TBEGs). The primary aim of the fellowship is to work collaboratively with these stakeholders to increase the availability, relevance and impact of the science related to bovine TB. This fellowship is also an opportunity to learn from the experiences and practical knowledge of the community effected by the disease, and investigate how this can better inform and influence the research agenda surrounding this issue.

Qualifications

2008: Bsc (Hons) Ecology, Evolution and Behaviour (University of Durham, First class)

2009: Msc Applied Ecology and Conservation (University of East Anglia, Distinction)

2012: PhD Ecology (University of Exeter)

Research

Research interests

  • Behavioural Ecology
  • Wildlife disease
  • Wildlife vaccination
  • Biosecurity
  • Wildlife management
  • Human – wildlife conflicts
  • Foraging specialistation

Research Groups

I am a member of Professor Robbie McDonald’s research group

Research projects

 Alongside my KE fellowship I am also involved in several projects including:

  • The development of a bait and deployment strategy for oral badger vaccination
  • Investigating Badger visitation to farm buildings
  • Wildlife population size estimation

Publications

Key publications | Publications by category | Publications by year

Publications by category


Journal articles

Robertson A, Palphramand KL, McDonald RA, Middleton S, Chambers MA, Delahay RJ, Carter SP (2022). Uptake of baits by wild badgers: Influences of deployment method, badger age and activity patterns on potential delivery of an oral vaccine. Prev Vet Med, 206 Abstract.  Author URL.
Carter SP, Robertson A, Palphramand KL, Chambers MA, McDonald RA, Delahay RJ (2018). Bait uptake by wild badgers and its implications for oral vaccination against tuberculosis. PLoS One, 13(11). Abstract.  Author URL.
Benton CH, Delahay RJ, Smith FAP, Robertson A, McDonald RA, Young AJ, Burke TA, Hodgson D (2018). Inbreeding intensifies sex- and age-dependent disease in a wild mammal. J Anim Ecol, 87(6), 1500-1511. Abstract.  Author URL.
McDonald JL, Robertson A, Silk MJ (2018). Wildlife disease ecology from the individual to the population: Insights from a long-term study of a naturally infected European badger population. J Anim Ecol, 87(1), 101-112. Abstract.  Author URL.
Palphramand K, Delahay R, Robertson A, Gowtage S, Williams GA, McDonald RA, Chambers M, Carter SP (2017). Field evaluation of candidate baits for oral delivery of BCG vaccine to European badgers, Meles meles. Vaccine, 35(34), 4402-4407. Abstract.
Robertson A, Delahay RJ, Wilson GJ, Vernon IJ, McDonald RA, Judge J (2017). How well do farmers know their badgers? Relating farmer knowledge to ecological survey data. Vet Rec, 180(2). Abstract.  Author URL.
Gowtage S, Williams GA, Henderson R, Aylett P, MacMorran D, Palmer S, Robertson A, Lesellier S, Carter SP, Chambers MA, et al (2017). Testing of a palatable bait and compatible vaccine carrier for the oral vaccination of European badgers (Meles meles) against tuberculosis. Vaccine, 35(6), 987-992. Abstract.  Author URL.
Robertson A, Delahay RJ, McDonald RA, Aylett P, Henderson R, Gowtage S, Chambers MA, Carter SP (2016). Behaviour of European badgers and non-target species towards candidate baits for oral delivery of a tuberculosis vaccine. Preventive Veterinary Medicine, 135, 95-101. Abstract.
Benton CH, Delahay RJ, Robertson A, McDonald RA, Wilson AJ, Burke TA, Hodgson D (2016). Blood thicker than water: kinship, disease prevalence and group size drive divergent patterns of infection risk in a social mammal. Proc Biol Sci, 283(1835). Abstract.  Author URL.
Robertson A, Chambers MA, Delahay RJ, McDonald RA, Palphramand KL, Rogers F, Carter SP (2015). Exposure of nontarget wildlife to candidate TB vaccine baits deployed for European badgers. European Journal of Wildlife Research
Robertson A, Palphramand KL, Carter SP, Delahay RJ (2015). Group size correlates with territory size in European badgers: Implications for the resource dispersion hypothesis?. Oikos, 124(4), 507-514. Abstract.
Ideozu EJ, Whiteoak AM, Tomlinson AJ, Robertson A, Delahay RJ, Hide G (2015). High prevalence of trypanosomes in European badgers detected using ITS-PCR. Parasit Vectors, 8 Abstract.  Author URL.
Robertson A, McDonald RA, Delahay RJ, Kelly SD, Bearhop S (2015). Resource availability affects individual niche variation and its consequences in group-living European badgers Meles meles. Oecologia, 178(1), 31-43. Abstract.  Author URL.
Trewby ID, Young R, McDonald RA, Wilson GJ, Davison J, Walker N, Robertson A, Doncaster CP, Delahay RJ (2014). Impacts of removing badgers on localised counts of hedgehogs. PLoS One, 9(4). Abstract.  Author URL.
Robertson A, McDonald RA, Delahay RJ, Kelly SD, Bearhop S (2014). Individual foraging specialisation in a social mammal: the European badger (Meles meles). Oecologia, 176(2), 409-421. Abstract.  Author URL.
Kelly DJ, Robertson A, Murphy D, Fitzsimons T, Costello E, Gormley E, Corner LAL, Marples NM (2012). Trophic Enrichment Factors for Blood Serum in the European Badger (Meles meles). PLoS ONE, 7(12). Abstract.
Robertson A, McDonald RA, Delahay RJ, Kelly SD, Bearhop S (2012). Whisker growth in wild Eurasian badgers Meles meles: implications for stable isotope and bait marking studies. European Journal of Wildlife Research, 1-10.

Publications by year


2022

Robertson A, Palphramand KL, McDonald RA, Middleton S, Chambers MA, Delahay RJ, Carter SP (2022). Uptake of baits by wild badgers: Influences of deployment method, badger age and activity patterns on potential delivery of an oral vaccine. Prev Vet Med, 206 Abstract.  Author URL.

2018

Carter SP, Robertson A, Palphramand KL, Chambers MA, McDonald RA, Delahay RJ (2018). Bait uptake by wild badgers and its implications for oral vaccination against tuberculosis. PLoS One, 13(11). Abstract.  Author URL.
Benton CH, Delahay RJ, Smith FAP, Robertson A, McDonald RA, Young AJ, Burke TA, Hodgson D (2018). Inbreeding intensifies sex- and age-dependent disease in a wild mammal. J Anim Ecol, 87(6), 1500-1511. Abstract.  Author URL.
McDonald JL, Robertson A, Silk MJ (2018). Wildlife disease ecology from the individual to the population: Insights from a long-term study of a naturally infected European badger population. J Anim Ecol, 87(1), 101-112. Abstract.  Author URL.

2017

Palphramand K, Delahay R, Robertson A, Gowtage S, Williams GA, McDonald RA, Chambers M, Carter SP (2017). Field evaluation of candidate baits for oral delivery of BCG vaccine to European badgers, Meles meles. Vaccine, 35(34), 4402-4407. Abstract.
Robertson A, Delahay RJ, Wilson GJ, Vernon IJ, McDonald RA, Judge J (2017). How well do farmers know their badgers? Relating farmer knowledge to ecological survey data. Vet Rec, 180(2). Abstract.  Author URL.
Gowtage S, Williams GA, Henderson R, Aylett P, MacMorran D, Palmer S, Robertson A, Lesellier S, Carter SP, Chambers MA, et al (2017). Testing of a palatable bait and compatible vaccine carrier for the oral vaccination of European badgers (Meles meles) against tuberculosis. Vaccine, 35(6), 987-992. Abstract.  Author URL.

2016

Robertson A, Delahay RJ, McDonald RA, Aylett P, Henderson R, Gowtage S, Chambers MA, Carter SP (2016). Behaviour of European badgers and non-target species towards candidate baits for oral delivery of a tuberculosis vaccine. Preventive Veterinary Medicine, 135, 95-101. Abstract.
Benton CH, Delahay RJ, Robertson A, McDonald RA, Wilson AJ, Burke TA, Hodgson D (2016). Blood thicker than water: kinship, disease prevalence and group size drive divergent patterns of infection risk in a social mammal. Proc Biol Sci, 283(1835). Abstract.  Author URL.

2015

Robertson A, Chambers MA, Delahay RJ, McDonald RA, Palphramand KL, Rogers F, Carter SP (2015). Exposure of nontarget wildlife to candidate TB vaccine baits deployed for European badgers. European Journal of Wildlife Research
Robertson A, Palphramand KL, Carter SP, Delahay RJ (2015). Group size correlates with territory size in European badgers: Implications for the resource dispersion hypothesis?. Oikos, 124(4), 507-514. Abstract.
Ideozu EJ, Whiteoak AM, Tomlinson AJ, Robertson A, Delahay RJ, Hide G (2015). High prevalence of trypanosomes in European badgers detected using ITS-PCR. Parasit Vectors, 8 Abstract.  Author URL.
Robertson A, McDonald RA, Delahay RJ, Kelly SD, Bearhop S (2015). Resource availability affects individual niche variation and its consequences in group-living European badgers Meles meles. Oecologia, 178(1), 31-43. Abstract.  Author URL.

2014

Trewby ID, Young R, McDonald RA, Wilson GJ, Davison J, Walker N, Robertson A, Doncaster CP, Delahay RJ (2014). Impacts of removing badgers on localised counts of hedgehogs. PLoS One, 9(4). Abstract.  Author URL.
Robertson A, McDonald RA, Delahay RJ, Kelly SD, Bearhop S (2014). Individual foraging specialisation in a social mammal: the European badger (Meles meles). Oecologia, 176(2), 409-421. Abstract.  Author URL.

2012

Kelly DJ, Robertson A, Murphy D, Fitzsimons T, Costello E, Gormley E, Corner LAL, Marples NM (2012). Trophic Enrichment Factors for Blood Serum in the European Badger (Meles meles). PLoS ONE, 7(12). Abstract.
Robertson A, McDonald RA, Delahay RJ, Kelly SD, Bearhop S (2012). Whisker growth in wild Eurasian badgers Meles meles: implications for stable isotope and bait marking studies. European Journal of Wildlife Research, 1-10.

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Teaching

Supervision / Group

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