I contribute to the SBS undergraduate curriculum across seven undergraduate modules, including leading the Bioscience Skills, International Experience and Local Field Courses modules. I also teach on the Invertebrates, Tutorials and Dissertation modules. I have over 10 years of teaching and research experience at five UK Universities, and adding up the months, have spent about two years of this time on research expeditions in the tropical rainforests of Borneo & Trinidad. Tropical rainforests are amazingly interesting places that offer fantastic opportunities for discovery to the curious naturalist. I try to bring my experience into my teaching and help students at all levels realise the fascinating complexity of life at all spatial scales.

I offer dissertation projects on invertebrate biomechanics and ecology and supervise about ten student projects each year.

In my role as SNS International Officer, I coordinate the International Experience Placements, lead the associated modules, and act as a contact point for visiting international placement students.

My research focuses on the interactions between insects and phytotelmata - water bodies contained in plants. I use these microhabitats to explore principles around nutrient flow through ecosystems and to examine the complex biomechanics that are involved when living at the scale of insects. The physical world that we live in shapes the whole of evolutionary history but is often overlooked when looking at interactions between different species or the composition of animal communities. Focussing on relationships that are dominated by physical interactions allows us to understand more deeply how these universal forces have shaped life and contributed to its complexity and diversity.

2012-2014 Lecturer in Ecology, University of South Wales

2011-2012 Lecturer in Animal Biology, University of Worcester

2008-2011 Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Cambridge

2007-2008 University Teacher, University of Glasgow

2006-2008 Honorary Research Associate, University of Glasgow

2002-2006 PhD. Student, Edinburgh University & CSL, York

1997-2001 BSc.(Hons.) Student Zoology, University of Glasgow

Location: 112, Wheldon

Phone: ext.8706

e-mail: d.thornham@bangor.ac.uk