Dr Ellie Devenish-Nelson, Teaching Fellow

Before joining the University of Edinburgh in 2016, I was a Postdoctoral Research Assistant at the University of Chester, modelling climate change impacts on dry forest habitats in Grenada.

At the same time, I taught online for the University of the West Indies MSc in Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Development in the Caribbean. I completed my PhD at Durham University, and previously studied for an MSc in Conservation at University College London and a BSc in Zoology at the University of Leeds.

My background is in ecological research in the Caribbean and the UK. My work focuses on using long-term ecological data to bring new insights into patterns and processes for wildlife conservation and management decision-making. In the UK, I worked on questions on mammalian ecology, including for my PhD which focused on the spread of sarcoptic mange in red fox populations, and the consequences of mange for population dynamics and disease management.

My previous research projects in the Caribbean include habitat use by the Neotropical river otter and population dynamics of a threatened orchid species in Trinidad. I'm currently involved in research on the conservation of endemic birds and the effectiveness of protected areas.

Aside from research, I co-wrote the National Protected Area Systems Plan for Trinidad and Tobago, was a Contributing Author on two chapters of the recent IPCC 6^th Assessment Report, and I’m currently a Lead Author on two chapters (climate change and policy responses) for the Grenada National Ecosystem Assessment.