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PhD Candidate, Evolutionary and Ecological Parasitology research group, University of Otago

Katie is from Ireland and, growing up by the sea, always had a great interest in all things marine. She received her BSc Zoology from University College Cork, and following this took on the role of Head Aquarist at Dingle Oceanworld aquarium. She also got involved in the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group and was part of their strandings network.

Her interest in parasites came about, firstly, from lectures on platyhelminths and, following this, from her final year project which was an investigation of parasites, mainly gregarines (apicomplexans), found in two species of tunicate. At the University of Otago, she studies the parasites of New Zealand periwinkles and their direct and indirect effects on the hosts, at both local and geographical scales.

Experience

  • –present
    PhD Candidate, University of Otago

Education

  • 2009 
    University College Cork, BSc (Hons) Zoology

Publications

  • 2013
    Marine Biology, Altered microhabitat use and movement of littorinid gastropods: the effects of parasites