![Sarah Perkins](https://profiles-cardiff.imgix.net/attachments/7335?w=200&h=200&auto=format&crop=faces&fit=crop&q=90")
Dr Sarah Perkins
(she/her)
Reader
School of Biosciences
- Media commentator
- Available for postgraduate supervision
Overview
My current research focuses on:
- The role of individuals in disease persistence and invasion
- Social networks and infectious disease dynamics
- Interactions between macrobiota (helminths) and microbiota (bacteria)
- Wildlife diseases
- Citizen science
For more details of my citizen science research see https://www.theroadlab.co.uk/
Publication
2024
- Cook, N., Jenkins, A., Perry, S., Perkins, S. and Cable, J. 2024. Temporal niche partitioning as a potential mechanism for coexistence in two sympatric mesopredator sharks. Frontiers in Marine Science 11, article number: 1443357. (10.3389/fmars.2024.1443357)
- Asiri, A., Perkins, S. E. and Muller, C. 2024. The smell of infection: Disease surveillance in insects using volatile organic compounds. Agricultural and Forest Entomology (10.1111/afe.12651)
- Jones, C. B., Stock, K. and Perkins, S. E. 2024. AI-based discovery of habitats from museum collections. Trends in Ecology and Evolution 39(4), pp. 323-327. (10.1016/j.tree.2024.01.006)
- Raymond, S., Perkins, S. E. and Garrard, G. 2024. The Species at Risk Act (2002) and transboundary species listings along the US-Canada border. Humanities 13(1), article number: 38. (10.3390/h13010038)
- Cook, N. D. et al. 2024. Elasmobranch diversity around the southern Caribbean island of Tobago: Opportunities for conservation in a regional trade hub. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 104, article number: e8. (10.1017/S0025315423000917)
2023
- Moore, L. J., Petrovan, S. O., Bates, A. J., Hicks, H. L., Baker, P. J., Perkins, S. E. and Yarnell, R. W. 2023. Demographic effects of road mortality on mammalian populations: a systematic review. Biological Reviews 98(4), pp. 1033-1050. (10.1111/brv.12942)
- Raymond, S., Spencer, M., Chadwick, E. A., Madden, J. R. and Perkins, S. E. 2023. The impact of the COVID-19 lockdowns on wildlife-vehicle collisions in the UK. Journal of Animal Ecology 92(6), pp. 1244-1255. (10.1111/1365-2656.13913)
- Dunkley, K., Whittey, K. E., Ellison, A., Perkins, S. E., Cable, J. and Herbert-Read, J. E. 2023. The presence of territorial damselfish predicts choosy client species richness at cleaning stations. Behavioral Ecology 34(2), pp. 269-277., article number: arac122. (10.1093/beheco/arac122)
2022
- Perkins, S. E., Shilling, F. and Collinson, W. 2022. Anthropause opportunities: Experimental perturbation of road traffic and the potential effects on wildlife. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution 10, article number: 833129. (10.3389/fevo.2022.833129)
2021
- Watson, S. E., McKinney, M. A., Pindo, M., Bull, M. J., Atwood, T. C., Hauffe, H. C. and Perkins, S. E. 2021. Diet-driven mercury contamination is associated with polar bear gut microbiota. Scientific Reports 11, article number: 23372. (10.1038/s41598-021-02657-6)
- Raymond, S., Schwartz, A. L. W., Thomas, R. J., Chadwick, E. and Perkins, S. E. 2021. Temporal patterns of wildlife roadkill in the UK. PLoS ONE 16(10), article number: e0258083. (10.1371/journal.pone.0258083)
- Whittey, K. E., Dunkley, K., Young, G. C., Cable, J. and Perkins, S. E. 2021. Microhabitats of sharknose goby (Elacatinus evelynae) cleaning stations and their links with cleaning behaviour. Coral Reefs 40, pp. 1069-1080. (10.1007/s00338-021-02105-x)
- Edwards, T., Jones, C. B., Perkins, S. E. and Corcoran, P. 2021. Passive citizen science: The role of social media in wildlife observations. PLoS ONE 16(8), article number: e0255416. (10.1371/journal.pone.0255416)
- Kent, E., Schwartz, A. L. W. and Perkins, S. E. 2021. Life in the fast lane: roadkill risk along an urban-rural gradient. Journal of Urban Ecology 7(1), article number: juzz039. (10.1093/jue/juaa039)
2020
- Watson, S. E. et al. 2020. Parasites of an Arctic scavenger; the wolverine (Gulo gulo). International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife 13, pp. 178-185. (10.1016/j.ijppaw.2020.10.004)
- Dunkley, K., Cable, J. and Perkins, S. E. 2020. Consistency in mutualism relies on local, rather than wider community biodiversity. Scientific Reports 10, article number: 21255. (10.1038/s41598-020-78318-x)
- Williams, S., Perkins, S. E., Dennis, R., Byrne, J. P. and Thomas, R. J. 2020. An evidence-based assessment of the past distribution of Golden and White-tailed Eagles across Wales. Conservation Science and Practice 2(8), article number: e240. (10.1111/csp2.240)
- Bíl, M., Heigl, F., Janoska, Z., Vercayie, D. and Perkins, S. E. 2020. Benefits and challenges of collaborating with volunteers: examples from national wildlife roadkill reporting systems in Europe. Journal for Nature Conservation 54, article number: 125798. (10.1016/j.jnc.2020.125798)
- Dunkley, K., Ward, A. J. W., Perkins, S. E. and Cable, J. 2020. To clean or not to clean: cleaning mutualism breakdown in a tidal environment. Ecology and Evolution 10(6), pp. 3043-3054. (10.1002/ece3.6120)
- Wright, P. G., Coomber, F. G., Bellamy, C. C., Perkins, S. E. and Mathews, F. 2020. Predicting hedgehog mortality risks on British roads using habitat suitability modelling. PeerJ 7, article number: e8154. (10.7717/peerj.8154)
- Williams Schwartz, A. L., Shilling, F. M. and Perkins, S. E. 2020. The value of monitoring wildlife roadkill. European Journal of Wildlife Research 66, article number: 18. (10.1007/s10344-019-1357-4)
2019
- Watson, S. E., Hauffe, H. C., Bull, M. J., Atwood, T. C., McKinney, M. A., Pindo, M. and Perkins, S. E. 2019. Global change-driven use of onshore habitat impacts polar bear faecal microbiota. ISME Journal 13, pp. 2916-2926. (10.1038/s41396-019-0480-2)
- Dunkley, K., Ioannou, C., Whittey, K., Cable, J. and Perkins, S. 2019. Cleaner personality and client identity have joint consequences on cleaning interaction dynamics. Behavioral Ecology 30(3), pp. 703-712. (10.1093/beheco/arz007)
- Dunkley, K., Ellison, A., Mohammed, R. S., van Oosterhout, C., Whittey, K. E., Perkins, S. E. and Cable, J. 2019. Long-term cleaning patterns of the sharknose goby (Elacatinus evelynae). Coral Reefs 38(2), pp. 321-330. (10.1007/s00338-019-01778-9)
2018
- Jessica, S., Perkins, S. and Cable, J. 2018. Transmission risk predicts avoidance of infected conspecifics in Trinidadian guppies. Journal of Animal Ecology 87(6), pp. 1525-1533. (10.1111/1365-2656.12885)
- Buck, J. C. and Perkins, S. 2018. Study scale determines whether wildlife loss protects against or promotes tick-borne disease. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 285(1878), article number: 20180218. (10.1098/rspb.2018.0218)
- Dunkley, K., Cable, J. and Perkins, S. 2018. The selective cleaning behaviour of juvenile blue-headed wrasse (Thalassoma bifasciatum) in the Caribbean. Behavioural Processes 147, pp. 5-12. (10.1016/j.beproc.2017.12.005)
- Williams Schwartz, A., Williams, H. F., Chadwick, E., Thomas, R. J. and Perkins, S. E. 2018. Roadkill scavenging behaviour in an urban environment. Journal of Urban Ecology 4(1), article number: juy006. (10.1093/jue/juy006)
2017
- Pascoe, E. L., Hauffe, H. C., Marchesi, J. R. and Perkins, S. E. 2017. Network analysis of gut microbiota literature: an overview of the research landscape in non-human animal studies. ISME Journal 11(12), pp. 2644-2651. (10.1038/ismej.2017.133)
- Perkins, S. E., White, T. A., Pascoe, E. L. and Gillingham, E. L. 2017. Parasite community dynamics in an invasive vole - From focal introduction to wave front. International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife 6(3), pp. 412-419. (10.1016/j.ijppaw.2017.07.005)
- Madden, J. R. and Perkins, S. E. 2017. Why did the pheasant cross the road? Long-term road mortality patterns in relation to management changes. Royal Society Open Science 4(10), article number: 170617. (10.1098/rsos.170617)
- Smallbone, W., Chadwick, E. A., Francis, J., Edward, G., Perkins, S., Sherrard-Smith, E. and Cable, J. 2017. East-West divide: temperature and land cover drive spatial variation of Toxoplasma gondii infection in Eurasian otters (Lutra lutra) from England and Wales. Parasitology 144(11), pp. 1433-1440. (10.1017/S0031182017000865)
- McCallum, H. et al. 2017. Breaking beta: deconstructing the parasite transmission function. Philosophical Transactions B: Biological Sciences 372(1719), article number: 20160084. (10.1098/rstb.2016.0084)
- Wilson, A. J. et al. 2017. What is a vector?. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London Series B - Biological Sciences 372(1719), article number: 20160085. (10.1098/rstb.2016.0085)
- Stephenson, J. F., Young, K. A., Fox, J., Jokela, J., Cable, J. and Perkins, S. E. 2017. Host heterogeneity affects both parasite transmission to and fitness on subsequent hosts. Philosophical Transactions B: Biological Sciences 372(1719), article number: 20160093. (10.1098/rstb.2016.0093)
- Guzzetta, G., Tagliapietra, V., Perkins, S. E., Hauffe, H. C., Poletti, P., Merler, S. and Rizzoli, A. 2017. Population dynamics of wild rodents induce stochastic fadeouts of a zoonotic pathogen. Journal of Animal Ecology 86(3), pp. 451-459. (10.1111/1365-2656.12653)
2015
- Kreisinger, J., Bastien, G., Hauffe, H. C., Marchesi, J. and Perkins, S. E. 2015. Interactions between multiple helminths and the gut microbiota in wild rodents. Philosophical Transactions B: Biological Sciences 370(1675), article number: 20140295. (10.1098/rstb.2014.0295)
- Pi, C. et al. 2015. Increased biodiversity in the environment improves the humoral response of rats. PLoS ONE 10(4), article number: e0120255. (10.1371/journal.pone.0120255)
- Shilling, F., Perkins, S. E. and Collinson, W. 2015. Wildlife/roadkill observation and reporting systems. In: van der Ree, R., Smith, D. J. and Grilo, C. eds. Handbook of Road Ecology. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons, pp. 492-501., (10.1002/9781118568170.ch62)
- Sherrard-Smith, E., Perkins, S. E., Chadwick, E. A. and Cable, J. 2015. Spatial and seasonal factors are key determinants in the aggregation of helminths in their definitive hosts: Pseudamphistomum truncatum in otters (Lutra lutra). International Journal for Parasitology 45(1), pp. 75-83. (10.1016/j.ijpara.2014.09.004)
2014
- Drewe, J. and Perkins, S. E. 2014. Disease transmission in animal social networks. In: Jens, K. et al. eds. Animal Social Networks. Oxford University Press, pp. 95-110.
2013
- Van Oosterhout, C. et al. 2013. Invasive freshwater snails provide resource for native marine hermit crabs. Aquatic Invasions 8(2), pp. 185-191. (10.3391/ai.2013.8.2.06)
- White, T. A., Perkins, S. E., Heckel, G. and Searle, J. B. 2013. Adaptive evolution during an ongoing range expansion: the invasive bank vole (Myodes glareolus) in Ireland. Molecular Ecology 22(11), pp. 2971-2985. (10.1111/mec.12343)
- Lass, S., Hudson, P. J., Thaker, J., Saric, J., Harvill, E., Albert, R. and Perkins, S. E. 2013. Generating super-shredders: co-infection increases bacterial load and egg production of a gastrointestinal helminth. Journal of the Royal Society Interface 10(80), article number: 20120588. (10.1098/rsif.2012.0588)
- Lass, S., Hudson, P. J., Thakar, J., Saric, J., Harvill, E., Albert, R. and Perkins, S. E. 2013. Generating super-shedders: co-infection increases bacterial load and egg production of a gastrointestinal helminth. Journal of The Royal Society Interface 10(80), article number: 20120588. (10.1098/rsif.2012.0588)
- Chadwick, E. A. et al. 2013. Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in the Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) in England and Wales. Parasites & Vectors 6, article number: 75. (10.1186/1756-3305-6-75)
2012
- Dunn, A. M. et al. 2012. Indirect effects of parasites in invasions. Functional Ecology 26(6), pp. 1262-1274. (10.1111/j.1365-2435.2012.02041.x)
- White, T. A., Perkins, S. E. and Dunn, A. 2012. The ecoimmunology of invasive species. Functional Ecology 26(6), pp. 1313-1323. (10.1111/1365-2435.12012)
- White, T. A. et al. 2012. Range expansion in an invasive small mammal: influence of life-history and habitat quality. Biological Invasions 14(10), pp. 2203-2215. (10.1007/s10530-012-0225-x)
- Parker, W., Perkins, S. E., Harker, M. and Muehlenbein, M. P. 2012. A prescription for clinical immunology: the pills are available and ready for testing. A review. Current Medical Research and Opinion 28(7), pp. 1193-1202. (10.1185/03007995.2012.695731)
- Trama, A. M. et al. 2012. Lymphocyte phenotypes in wild-caught rats suggest potential mechanisms underlying increased immune sensitivity in post-industrial environments. Cellular and Molecular Immunology 9(2), pp. 163-174. (10.1038/cmi.2011.61)
2011
- Bilbo, S., Wray, G., Perkins, S. E. and Parker, W. 2011. Reconstitution of the human biome as the most reasonable solution for epidemics of allergic and autoimmune diseases. Medical Hypotheses 77(4), pp. 494-504. (10.1016/j.mehy.2011.06.019)
- Ferrari, M., Perkins, S. E., Pomeroy, L. and Bjørnstad, O. 2011. Pathogens, social networks, and the paradox of transmission scaling. Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Infectious Diseases 2011, article number: 267049. (10.1155/2011/267049)
2010
- Fenton, A. and Perkins, S. E. 2010. Applying predator-prey theory to modelling immune-mediated, within-host interspecific parasite interactions. Parasitology 137(6), pp. 1027-1038. (10.1017/S0031182009991788)
- Luong, L. T., Perkins, S. E., Grear, D. A., Rizzoli, A. and Hudson, P. 2010. The relative importance of host characteristics and co-infection in generating variation in Heligmosomoides polygyrus fecundity. Parasitology 137(6), pp. 1003-1012. (10.1017/S0031182009991892)
2009
- Lacharme-Lora, L., Salisbury, V., Humphrey, T. J., Stafford, K. and Perkins, S. E. 2009. Bacteria isolated from parasitic nematodes - a potential novel vector of pathogens?. Environmental Health 8(S 1), article number: S17. (10.1186/1476-069X-8-S1-S17)
- Perkins, S., Cagnacci, F., Stradiotto, A., Arnoldi, D. and Hudson, P. J. 2009. Comparison of social networks derived from ecological data: Implications for inferring infectious disease dynamics. Journal of Animal Ecology 78(5), pp. 1015-1022. (10.1111/j.1365-2656.2009.01557.x)
- Dunham, E. J., Dugan, V. G., Kaser, E. K., Perkins, S., Brown, I. H., Holmes, E. C. and Taubenberger, J. K. 2009. Different evolutionary trajectories of European avian-like and classical swine H1N1 influenza A viruses. Journal of Virology 83(11), pp. 5485-5494. (10.1128/JVI.02565-08)
- Lacharme Lora, L., Perkins, S. E., Humphrey, T., Hudson, P. and Salisbury, V. 2009. Use of bioluminescent bacterial biosensors to investigate the role of free-living helminths as reservoirs and vectors of Salmonella. Environmental Microbiology Reports 1(3), pp. 198-207. (10.1111/j.1758-2229.2009.00031.x)
- Grear, D., Perkins, S. E. and Hudson, P. 2009. Does elevated testosterone result in increased exposure and transmission of parasites?. Ecology Letters 12(6), pp. 528-537. (10.1111/j.1461-0248.2009.01306.x)
- Krichbaum, K., Perkins, S. E. and Gannon, M. 2009. Host-parasite interactions of tropical bats in Puerto Rico. Acta Chiropterologica 11(1), pp. 157-162. (10.3161/150811009X465776)
- Calatayud, L. et al. 2009. Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus outbreak in a school in London, April-May 2009: an observational study. Epidemiology and Infection 138(2), pp. 183-191. (10.1017/S0950268809991191)
2008
- Perkins, S. E., Ferrari, M. F. and Hudson, P. J. 2008. The effects of social structure and sex-biased transmission on macroparasite infection. Parasitology 135(13), pp. 1561-1569. (10.1017/S0031182008000449)
- Lee, L., Ho, H., Lorber, E., Fratto, J., Perkins, S. and Cieslak, P. 2008. Vaccine-era varicella epidemiology and vaccine effectiveness in a public elementary school population, 2002-2007. Pediatrics 121(6), pp. e1548-e1554. (10.1542/peds.2007-2031)
2007
- Rosà, R., Pugliese, A., Ghosh, M., Perkins, S. E. and Rizzoli, A. 2007. Temporal variation of ixodes ricinus intensity on the rodent host apodemus flavicollis in relation to local climate and host dynamics. Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases 7(3), pp. 285-295. (10.1089/vbz.2006.0607)
2006
- Perkins, S. E. and Fenton, A. 2006. Helminths as vectors of pathogens in vertebrate hosts: a theoretical approach. International Journal for Parasitology 36(8), pp. 887-894. (10.1016/j.ijpara.2006.04.001)
- Dobson, A. et al. 2006. Sacred cows and sympathetic squirrels: the importance of biological diversity to human health. Plos Medicine 3(6), article number: e231. (10.1371/journal.pmed.0030231)
2005
- Kallio-Koko, H. et al. 2005. Hantavirus and arenavirus antibody prevalence in rodents and humans in Trentino, Northern Italy. Epidemiology and Infection 134(4), pp. 830. (10.1017/S0950268805005431)
2003
- Perkins, S. E., Cattadori, I. M., Tagliapietra, V., Rizzoli, A. P. and Hudson, P. J. 2003. Empirical evidence for key hosts in persistence of a tick-borne disease. International Journal for Parasitology 33(9), pp. 909-917. (10.1016/S0020-7519(03)00128-0)
Adrannau llyfrau
- Shilling, F., Perkins, S. E. and Collinson, W. 2015. Wildlife/roadkill observation and reporting systems. In: van der Ree, R., Smith, D. J. and Grilo, C. eds. Handbook of Road Ecology. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons, pp. 492-501., (10.1002/9781118568170.ch62)
- Drewe, J. and Perkins, S. E. 2014. Disease transmission in animal social networks. In: Jens, K. et al. eds. Animal Social Networks. Oxford University Press, pp. 95-110.
Erthyglau
- Cook, N., Jenkins, A., Perry, S., Perkins, S. and Cable, J. 2024. Temporal niche partitioning as a potential mechanism for coexistence in two sympatric mesopredator sharks. Frontiers in Marine Science 11, article number: 1443357. (10.3389/fmars.2024.1443357)
- Asiri, A., Perkins, S. E. and Muller, C. 2024. The smell of infection: Disease surveillance in insects using volatile organic compounds. Agricultural and Forest Entomology (10.1111/afe.12651)
- Jones, C. B., Stock, K. and Perkins, S. E. 2024. AI-based discovery of habitats from museum collections. Trends in Ecology and Evolution 39(4), pp. 323-327. (10.1016/j.tree.2024.01.006)
- Raymond, S., Perkins, S. E. and Garrard, G. 2024. The Species at Risk Act (2002) and transboundary species listings along the US-Canada border. Humanities 13(1), article number: 38. (10.3390/h13010038)
- Cook, N. D. et al. 2024. Elasmobranch diversity around the southern Caribbean island of Tobago: Opportunities for conservation in a regional trade hub. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 104, article number: e8. (10.1017/S0025315423000917)
- Moore, L. J., Petrovan, S. O., Bates, A. J., Hicks, H. L., Baker, P. J., Perkins, S. E. and Yarnell, R. W. 2023. Demographic effects of road mortality on mammalian populations: a systematic review. Biological Reviews 98(4), pp. 1033-1050. (10.1111/brv.12942)
- Raymond, S., Spencer, M., Chadwick, E. A., Madden, J. R. and Perkins, S. E. 2023. The impact of the COVID-19 lockdowns on wildlife-vehicle collisions in the UK. Journal of Animal Ecology 92(6), pp. 1244-1255. (10.1111/1365-2656.13913)
- Dunkley, K., Whittey, K. E., Ellison, A., Perkins, S. E., Cable, J. and Herbert-Read, J. E. 2023. The presence of territorial damselfish predicts choosy client species richness at cleaning stations. Behavioral Ecology 34(2), pp. 269-277., article number: arac122. (10.1093/beheco/arac122)
- Perkins, S. E., Shilling, F. and Collinson, W. 2022. Anthropause opportunities: Experimental perturbation of road traffic and the potential effects on wildlife. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution 10, article number: 833129. (10.3389/fevo.2022.833129)
- Watson, S. E., McKinney, M. A., Pindo, M., Bull, M. J., Atwood, T. C., Hauffe, H. C. and Perkins, S. E. 2021. Diet-driven mercury contamination is associated with polar bear gut microbiota. Scientific Reports 11, article number: 23372. (10.1038/s41598-021-02657-6)
- Raymond, S., Schwartz, A. L. W., Thomas, R. J., Chadwick, E. and Perkins, S. E. 2021. Temporal patterns of wildlife roadkill in the UK. PLoS ONE 16(10), article number: e0258083. (10.1371/journal.pone.0258083)
- Whittey, K. E., Dunkley, K., Young, G. C., Cable, J. and Perkins, S. E. 2021. Microhabitats of sharknose goby (Elacatinus evelynae) cleaning stations and their links with cleaning behaviour. Coral Reefs 40, pp. 1069-1080. (10.1007/s00338-021-02105-x)
- Edwards, T., Jones, C. B., Perkins, S. E. and Corcoran, P. 2021. Passive citizen science: The role of social media in wildlife observations. PLoS ONE 16(8), article number: e0255416. (10.1371/journal.pone.0255416)
- Kent, E., Schwartz, A. L. W. and Perkins, S. E. 2021. Life in the fast lane: roadkill risk along an urban-rural gradient. Journal of Urban Ecology 7(1), article number: juzz039. (10.1093/jue/juaa039)
- Watson, S. E. et al. 2020. Parasites of an Arctic scavenger; the wolverine (Gulo gulo). International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife 13, pp. 178-185. (10.1016/j.ijppaw.2020.10.004)
- Dunkley, K., Cable, J. and Perkins, S. E. 2020. Consistency in mutualism relies on local, rather than wider community biodiversity. Scientific Reports 10, article number: 21255. (10.1038/s41598-020-78318-x)
- Williams, S., Perkins, S. E., Dennis, R., Byrne, J. P. and Thomas, R. J. 2020. An evidence-based assessment of the past distribution of Golden and White-tailed Eagles across Wales. Conservation Science and Practice 2(8), article number: e240. (10.1111/csp2.240)
- Bíl, M., Heigl, F., Janoska, Z., Vercayie, D. and Perkins, S. E. 2020. Benefits and challenges of collaborating with volunteers: examples from national wildlife roadkill reporting systems in Europe. Journal for Nature Conservation 54, article number: 125798. (10.1016/j.jnc.2020.125798)
- Dunkley, K., Ward, A. J. W., Perkins, S. E. and Cable, J. 2020. To clean or not to clean: cleaning mutualism breakdown in a tidal environment. Ecology and Evolution 10(6), pp. 3043-3054. (10.1002/ece3.6120)
- Wright, P. G., Coomber, F. G., Bellamy, C. C., Perkins, S. E. and Mathews, F. 2020. Predicting hedgehog mortality risks on British roads using habitat suitability modelling. PeerJ 7, article number: e8154. (10.7717/peerj.8154)
- Williams Schwartz, A. L., Shilling, F. M. and Perkins, S. E. 2020. The value of monitoring wildlife roadkill. European Journal of Wildlife Research 66, article number: 18. (10.1007/s10344-019-1357-4)
- Watson, S. E., Hauffe, H. C., Bull, M. J., Atwood, T. C., McKinney, M. A., Pindo, M. and Perkins, S. E. 2019. Global change-driven use of onshore habitat impacts polar bear faecal microbiota. ISME Journal 13, pp. 2916-2926. (10.1038/s41396-019-0480-2)
- Dunkley, K., Ioannou, C., Whittey, K., Cable, J. and Perkins, S. 2019. Cleaner personality and client identity have joint consequences on cleaning interaction dynamics. Behavioral Ecology 30(3), pp. 703-712. (10.1093/beheco/arz007)
- Dunkley, K., Ellison, A., Mohammed, R. S., van Oosterhout, C., Whittey, K. E., Perkins, S. E. and Cable, J. 2019. Long-term cleaning patterns of the sharknose goby (Elacatinus evelynae). Coral Reefs 38(2), pp. 321-330. (10.1007/s00338-019-01778-9)
- Jessica, S., Perkins, S. and Cable, J. 2018. Transmission risk predicts avoidance of infected conspecifics in Trinidadian guppies. Journal of Animal Ecology 87(6), pp. 1525-1533. (10.1111/1365-2656.12885)
- Buck, J. C. and Perkins, S. 2018. Study scale determines whether wildlife loss protects against or promotes tick-borne disease. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 285(1878), article number: 20180218. (10.1098/rspb.2018.0218)
- Dunkley, K., Cable, J. and Perkins, S. 2018. The selective cleaning behaviour of juvenile blue-headed wrasse (Thalassoma bifasciatum) in the Caribbean. Behavioural Processes 147, pp. 5-12. (10.1016/j.beproc.2017.12.005)
- Williams Schwartz, A., Williams, H. F., Chadwick, E., Thomas, R. J. and Perkins, S. E. 2018. Roadkill scavenging behaviour in an urban environment. Journal of Urban Ecology 4(1), article number: juy006. (10.1093/jue/juy006)
- Pascoe, E. L., Hauffe, H. C., Marchesi, J. R. and Perkins, S. E. 2017. Network analysis of gut microbiota literature: an overview of the research landscape in non-human animal studies. ISME Journal 11(12), pp. 2644-2651. (10.1038/ismej.2017.133)
- Perkins, S. E., White, T. A., Pascoe, E. L. and Gillingham, E. L. 2017. Parasite community dynamics in an invasive vole - From focal introduction to wave front. International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife 6(3), pp. 412-419. (10.1016/j.ijppaw.2017.07.005)
- Madden, J. R. and Perkins, S. E. 2017. Why did the pheasant cross the road? Long-term road mortality patterns in relation to management changes. Royal Society Open Science 4(10), article number: 170617. (10.1098/rsos.170617)
- Smallbone, W., Chadwick, E. A., Francis, J., Edward, G., Perkins, S., Sherrard-Smith, E. and Cable, J. 2017. East-West divide: temperature and land cover drive spatial variation of Toxoplasma gondii infection in Eurasian otters (Lutra lutra) from England and Wales. Parasitology 144(11), pp. 1433-1440. (10.1017/S0031182017000865)
- McCallum, H. et al. 2017. Breaking beta: deconstructing the parasite transmission function. Philosophical Transactions B: Biological Sciences 372(1719), article number: 20160084. (10.1098/rstb.2016.0084)
- Wilson, A. J. et al. 2017. What is a vector?. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London Series B - Biological Sciences 372(1719), article number: 20160085. (10.1098/rstb.2016.0085)
- Stephenson, J. F., Young, K. A., Fox, J., Jokela, J., Cable, J. and Perkins, S. E. 2017. Host heterogeneity affects both parasite transmission to and fitness on subsequent hosts. Philosophical Transactions B: Biological Sciences 372(1719), article number: 20160093. (10.1098/rstb.2016.0093)
- Guzzetta, G., Tagliapietra, V., Perkins, S. E., Hauffe, H. C., Poletti, P., Merler, S. and Rizzoli, A. 2017. Population dynamics of wild rodents induce stochastic fadeouts of a zoonotic pathogen. Journal of Animal Ecology 86(3), pp. 451-459. (10.1111/1365-2656.12653)
- Kreisinger, J., Bastien, G., Hauffe, H. C., Marchesi, J. and Perkins, S. E. 2015. Interactions between multiple helminths and the gut microbiota in wild rodents. Philosophical Transactions B: Biological Sciences 370(1675), article number: 20140295. (10.1098/rstb.2014.0295)
- Pi, C. et al. 2015. Increased biodiversity in the environment improves the humoral response of rats. PLoS ONE 10(4), article number: e0120255. (10.1371/journal.pone.0120255)
- Sherrard-Smith, E., Perkins, S. E., Chadwick, E. A. and Cable, J. 2015. Spatial and seasonal factors are key determinants in the aggregation of helminths in their definitive hosts: Pseudamphistomum truncatum in otters (Lutra lutra). International Journal for Parasitology 45(1), pp. 75-83. (10.1016/j.ijpara.2014.09.004)
- Van Oosterhout, C. et al. 2013. Invasive freshwater snails provide resource for native marine hermit crabs. Aquatic Invasions 8(2), pp. 185-191. (10.3391/ai.2013.8.2.06)
- White, T. A., Perkins, S. E., Heckel, G. and Searle, J. B. 2013. Adaptive evolution during an ongoing range expansion: the invasive bank vole (Myodes glareolus) in Ireland. Molecular Ecology 22(11), pp. 2971-2985. (10.1111/mec.12343)
- Lass, S., Hudson, P. J., Thaker, J., Saric, J., Harvill, E., Albert, R. and Perkins, S. E. 2013. Generating super-shredders: co-infection increases bacterial load and egg production of a gastrointestinal helminth. Journal of the Royal Society Interface 10(80), article number: 20120588. (10.1098/rsif.2012.0588)
- Lass, S., Hudson, P. J., Thakar, J., Saric, J., Harvill, E., Albert, R. and Perkins, S. E. 2013. Generating super-shedders: co-infection increases bacterial load and egg production of a gastrointestinal helminth. Journal of The Royal Society Interface 10(80), article number: 20120588. (10.1098/rsif.2012.0588)
- Chadwick, E. A. et al. 2013. Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in the Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) in England and Wales. Parasites & Vectors 6, article number: 75. (10.1186/1756-3305-6-75)
- Dunn, A. M. et al. 2012. Indirect effects of parasites in invasions. Functional Ecology 26(6), pp. 1262-1274. (10.1111/j.1365-2435.2012.02041.x)
- White, T. A., Perkins, S. E. and Dunn, A. 2012. The ecoimmunology of invasive species. Functional Ecology 26(6), pp. 1313-1323. (10.1111/1365-2435.12012)
- White, T. A. et al. 2012. Range expansion in an invasive small mammal: influence of life-history and habitat quality. Biological Invasions 14(10), pp. 2203-2215. (10.1007/s10530-012-0225-x)
- Parker, W., Perkins, S. E., Harker, M. and Muehlenbein, M. P. 2012. A prescription for clinical immunology: the pills are available and ready for testing. A review. Current Medical Research and Opinion 28(7), pp. 1193-1202. (10.1185/03007995.2012.695731)
- Trama, A. M. et al. 2012. Lymphocyte phenotypes in wild-caught rats suggest potential mechanisms underlying increased immune sensitivity in post-industrial environments. Cellular and Molecular Immunology 9(2), pp. 163-174. (10.1038/cmi.2011.61)
- Bilbo, S., Wray, G., Perkins, S. E. and Parker, W. 2011. Reconstitution of the human biome as the most reasonable solution for epidemics of allergic and autoimmune diseases. Medical Hypotheses 77(4), pp. 494-504. (10.1016/j.mehy.2011.06.019)
- Ferrari, M., Perkins, S. E., Pomeroy, L. and Bjørnstad, O. 2011. Pathogens, social networks, and the paradox of transmission scaling. Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Infectious Diseases 2011, article number: 267049. (10.1155/2011/267049)
- Fenton, A. and Perkins, S. E. 2010. Applying predator-prey theory to modelling immune-mediated, within-host interspecific parasite interactions. Parasitology 137(6), pp. 1027-1038. (10.1017/S0031182009991788)
- Luong, L. T., Perkins, S. E., Grear, D. A., Rizzoli, A. and Hudson, P. 2010. The relative importance of host characteristics and co-infection in generating variation in Heligmosomoides polygyrus fecundity. Parasitology 137(6), pp. 1003-1012. (10.1017/S0031182009991892)
- Lacharme-Lora, L., Salisbury, V., Humphrey, T. J., Stafford, K. and Perkins, S. E. 2009. Bacteria isolated from parasitic nematodes - a potential novel vector of pathogens?. Environmental Health 8(S 1), article number: S17. (10.1186/1476-069X-8-S1-S17)
- Perkins, S., Cagnacci, F., Stradiotto, A., Arnoldi, D. and Hudson, P. J. 2009. Comparison of social networks derived from ecological data: Implications for inferring infectious disease dynamics. Journal of Animal Ecology 78(5), pp. 1015-1022. (10.1111/j.1365-2656.2009.01557.x)
- Dunham, E. J., Dugan, V. G., Kaser, E. K., Perkins, S., Brown, I. H., Holmes, E. C. and Taubenberger, J. K. 2009. Different evolutionary trajectories of European avian-like and classical swine H1N1 influenza A viruses. Journal of Virology 83(11), pp. 5485-5494. (10.1128/JVI.02565-08)
- Lacharme Lora, L., Perkins, S. E., Humphrey, T., Hudson, P. and Salisbury, V. 2009. Use of bioluminescent bacterial biosensors to investigate the role of free-living helminths as reservoirs and vectors of Salmonella. Environmental Microbiology Reports 1(3), pp. 198-207. (10.1111/j.1758-2229.2009.00031.x)
- Grear, D., Perkins, S. E. and Hudson, P. 2009. Does elevated testosterone result in increased exposure and transmission of parasites?. Ecology Letters 12(6), pp. 528-537. (10.1111/j.1461-0248.2009.01306.x)
- Krichbaum, K., Perkins, S. E. and Gannon, M. 2009. Host-parasite interactions of tropical bats in Puerto Rico. Acta Chiropterologica 11(1), pp. 157-162. (10.3161/150811009X465776)
- Calatayud, L. et al. 2009. Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus outbreak in a school in London, April-May 2009: an observational study. Epidemiology and Infection 138(2), pp. 183-191. (10.1017/S0950268809991191)
- Perkins, S. E., Ferrari, M. F. and Hudson, P. J. 2008. The effects of social structure and sex-biased transmission on macroparasite infection. Parasitology 135(13), pp. 1561-1569. (10.1017/S0031182008000449)
- Lee, L., Ho, H., Lorber, E., Fratto, J., Perkins, S. and Cieslak, P. 2008. Vaccine-era varicella epidemiology and vaccine effectiveness in a public elementary school population, 2002-2007. Pediatrics 121(6), pp. e1548-e1554. (10.1542/peds.2007-2031)
- Rosà, R., Pugliese, A., Ghosh, M., Perkins, S. E. and Rizzoli, A. 2007. Temporal variation of ixodes ricinus intensity on the rodent host apodemus flavicollis in relation to local climate and host dynamics. Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases 7(3), pp. 285-295. (10.1089/vbz.2006.0607)
- Perkins, S. E. and Fenton, A. 2006. Helminths as vectors of pathogens in vertebrate hosts: a theoretical approach. International Journal for Parasitology 36(8), pp. 887-894. (10.1016/j.ijpara.2006.04.001)
- Dobson, A. et al. 2006. Sacred cows and sympathetic squirrels: the importance of biological diversity to human health. Plos Medicine 3(6), article number: e231. (10.1371/journal.pmed.0030231)
- Kallio-Koko, H. et al. 2005. Hantavirus and arenavirus antibody prevalence in rodents and humans in Trentino, Northern Italy. Epidemiology and Infection 134(4), pp. 830. (10.1017/S0950268805005431)
- Perkins, S. E., Cattadori, I. M., Tagliapietra, V., Rizzoli, A. P. and Hudson, P. J. 2003. Empirical evidence for key hosts in persistence of a tick-borne disease. International Journal for Parasitology 33(9), pp. 909-917. (10.1016/S0020-7519(03)00128-0)
Research
I use a combination of field and laboratory experiments to determine the role of variation in infectious diseases.
What is the role of individuals in disease persistence and invasion?
Individuals within a population are not equal; they differ in their exposure and susceptibility to parasites. These heterogeneities in infection status can create "super-spreaders": hosts that have a disproportionately high contribution to the number of infective stages (often, 20% of the host population can account for at least 80% of pathogen and parasite transmission). Using parasites of small mammals and lab-insect systems I determine whether the most infected are also the most connected. Using these data I investigate the effect of co-infection, contact rates and infection load on super-spreading.
How do social networks alter disease dynamics?
Contacts between individuals are not equal – social network theory offers methods for visualizing and quantifying variation in contacts. I use social network analyses to determine the role of individuals in disease transmission and assess how epizootics and disease treatment can alter the contact structure of populations.
How do parasites interact?
Parasites within an individual do not function in isolation. I use wild rodents as a model system to study interactions between the macrobiota (helminths) and microbiota (bacteria). This work is carried out in collaboration with the Fondazione Edmund Mach as part of an 'incoming research team' grant.
Citizen Science
Our group runs a citizen science project to collate wildlife kill – 'Road Lab'. Members of the public send us the location of UK wildlife roadkill – birds, mammals, amphibians and reptiles. We use GIS (Geographic Information Systems) to map where and when wildlife mortality occurs. Please see our website for more information https://www.theroadlab.co.uk/
Grants
My current research is funded by:
- Natural Environment Research Council
- KESS
- Welsh Government
Teaching
I teach on the following modules:
- BI2131 - Animal Diversity and Adaptation (module lead)
- BI3155 - Infection Biology and Epidemiology
- BI4002 - Advanced Research Methods
- BI4003 - Frontiers in Biosciences
- BI2136 - Ecology and Conservation (Marine Biology Field Course, Tobago)
- BIT055 - MSc Field Course (Marine Biology Field Course, Tobago)
- BIT056 - Science Communication
- BI3001 - Biosciences Final Year Project
- Week Long Practical (Ecology)
Biography
I studied Environmental Science at Plymouth University after which I worked for the UK Wildlife Trusts as a Conservation Officer. I started my research career several years later with a NERC Fellowship at Aberdeen University studying for a MSc Ecology. After this, I completed my PhD at Stirling University with Prof. Peter Hudson, studying the ecological dynamics of disease with a NERC Fellowship based at the Centro di Ecologia Alpina in the Italian Alps. My post-doc took me to the Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics (CIDD) at Penn State University. I returned to the UK in 2009 to start a Marie Curie Fellowship at Cardiff University, after completion of which I became a Lecturer at Cardiff University.
Supervisions
Postgraduate students
Current lab group
- Carla Cosgrove - Satellite imagery as an early warning system for zoonotic spillover. OneZoo UKRI DTP funded studentship 2024-2027. Joint PhD with Dr. Oktay Karakus, Computer Sciences, Cardiff University.
- Nia-Joelle Weinzweig - Macro-microbiota changes in re-introduced species. OneZoo UKRI DTP funded studentship 2023-2026. CASE funded PhD, supported by the Fondazione Edmund Mach, Italy.
- Chessie Mason - Sentinel sharks: Anthropogenic contamination in sharks and their parasite community. NERC ECORISC CDT studentship with Cefas 2023 - 2027.
- Agnethe Olsen - Bridging ecology and technology: Using AI to track fish health. NERC GW4+ studentship 2020-2024
- Ayman Asiri - The 'smell of infection' - detecting infectious diseases and determining mechanisms underlying the spread of disease, 2021-2025
- Sarah Morgan - Disease Ecology and Science Communication. part-time, 2019-2025
Prospective students
Please contact me if you are interested in graduate opportunities or research and field experience. I occasionally have funds for summer students and short-term research projects.
Graduated students
- Sarah Raymond (PhD) - Keeping habitats connected: Does wildlife mitigation work? NERC GW4+ studentship, 2020-2024 (now a post-doc at Oxford University).
- Neil Cook (PhD) - New technologies for rapid biodiversity assessments of individuals, populations and ecosytems. KESS Funded studentship, 2019-2024 (now working with the Widlife Trust).
- Rhodri Phillips (MPhil) - Habitat connectivity. KESS funded MPhil (now working with the BTO).
- Kath Whittey (PhD) - The Extended Ecology of the Sharknose Goby, 2018-2022 (now a post-doc at Bangor University)
- Sophie-Lee Lane (PhD) – Reintroducing Eagles to Wales. KESS funded, 2017-2020 (now lead of Eagle Reintroduction Wales, funded by Durrel Conservation).
- Sophie Watson (PhD) - Microbiota-macrobiota interactions in Arctic wildlife. NERC funded, 2016-2020 (now a lecturer at Cardiff University).
- Katie Dunkley (PhD) - Cleaner-client interactions in the Caribbean. NERC funded. 2016-2019 (now a Fellow at Cambridge University).
- Amy Schwartz (PhD) - The impact of roads on UK widlife. KESS funded, 2016-2019 (now Senior Ecologist at Wildwood Ecology).
- Emma Gillingham (PhD) – Climate change and parasitism (now at UKHSA).
- Emily Pascoe (PhD) – Macro-microbiome interactions (now a post-doc at UC Davis, USA).
Current supervision
Engagement
I run the UK's largest data collection of wildlife roadkill as a citizen science project. Follow our work at www.theroadlab.co.uk/
