Sheena Cotter

I am an evolutionary ecologist. My research interests lie in understanding how organisms interact with each other, particularly how organisms evolve to defend themselves against attacks from other organisms and how they trade-off the costs of those defences with other traits such as reproductive investment and healthy ageing. I use a combination of physiological, behavioural, quantitative and molecular genetic approaches to address these questions, using insects as model systems.

My major focus is on the costs of immunity: Which ecological factors have shaped the evolution of immunity? Immunity to parasites and pathogens is an important life history trait. Natural selection should favour individuals with stronger immune systems. However, trade-offs could alter the optimal level of investment in different environments. I have investigated these costs in several insect models.

I am also Editor in Chief for the journal Ecological Entomology.