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Prof Kate Jones
Chair of Ecology and Biodiversity
Genetics, Evolution & Environment
Div of Biosciences
- Joined UCL
- 1st Oct 2005
Research summary
Professor Kate Jones’ research investigates the interface of ecological and human health, using statistical and mathematical modelling to understand the impact of global land use and climate change on ecological and human systems, with a particular focus on emerging infectious diseases from animals (ike Ebola, SARS, Covid-19). Kate’s research also develops applied artificial intelligence tools for monitoring ecological health, particularly for monitoring ecosystems acoustically. Kate has led the development of novel global citizen science programmes with The Bat Conservation Trust involving thousands of volunteers all over the world to monitor bat populations, collaborating extensively with national conservation NGOs and governments.
Teaching summary
Kate developed and co-directs a number of new MSc Programmes (MSc Ecology and Data Science, MSc Ecology and Citizen Science, MSc Ecology and Urban Engineering) for the new People and Nature Lab at UCL's new EAST campus in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Kate is a passionate science communicator and developed and previously directed a course on Science Communication for Biologists from 2012-2022 (now run by Dr Adam Rutherford). Kate also was the founding director (from 2012-2017) of the MRes in Biodiversity, Evolution and Conservation run jointly with University College London, The Zoological Society of London and The Natural History Museum, London.
Education
- University of Surrey
- Doctorate, Doctor of Philosophy | 1998
- University of Leeds
- First Degree, Bachelor of Science | 1993
Biography
Kate Jones is Professor of Ecology and Biodiversity, in the Centre for Biodiversity and Environmental Research (CBER), within the Research Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment (GEE) at University College London. Kate has held appointments at the University of Cambridge, Columbia University, Imperial College London, and is an honorary fellow at the Zoological Society of London. Kate is one of the academic leads for UCL's new EAST campus in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park London directing an applied ecology group - the People and Nature Lab. Kate has written over 100 articles and book chapters in prestigious journals such as Nature and Science and is a UK government scientific advisor, chaired The Bat Conservation Trust for 5 years, an expert advisor to the UK Climate Change Committee and won the Leverhulme Prize for outstanding contributions to Zoology in 2008, the British Ecological Society's Marsh Award for Ecology in 2022, and the Zoological Society of London's Marsh Award for Conservation in 2022. Kate regularly appears in the national and international media, including the Life Scientific on BBC Radio 4 in 2015. Allegedly*, Charles Darwin is her 8th cousin (6 times removed).
*ancestry.co.uk