Simon Maddock
Simon graduated from the University of Wales, Bangor with a Master of Zoology in 2011. Prior to starting his PhD his work primarily focussed on the phylogeography and systematics of several groups of Australian and New Guinea snakes. He has carried out ecological studies and tissue sample collection trips for molecular analysis in India, Ecuador, Papua New Guinea, USA and Seychelles. He is currently the Meetings Organiser for the British Herpetological Society and has organised the independent British Herpetological Symposium in 2011 and 2013.
Currently Simon is working towards his PhD, which is joint between UCL and the Natural History Museum, London (supervisor Dr David Gower) to investigate the phylogeographic patterns and systematics of Seychelles amphibians and snakes. The Seychelles is an ideal study system to look at evolutionary patterns because it is a remnant of the supercontinent Gondwana and as a consequence of this the granitic islands have both ancient endemic and more recent taxa on them. The amphibians are one group that has both ancient (caecilians and sooglossid frogs) and more recent arrivals (Seychelles treefrog) and so provides a useful system to study how time since isolation can influence genetic structure. To carry out his work Simon is using a number of techniques including next-generation sequencing, Sanger sequencing, external morphology and CT scanning.
Academic history
2011-2015 Doctoral student University College London/Natural History Museum (Impact Studentship)
2011 MSci, Zoology, University of Wales, Bangor
Contact
Department of Life Sciences
The Natural History Museum
Cromwell Road
London SW7 6BT