Jen Perry

Jen Perry is an Honorary Lecturer in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of East Anglia (UEA), where she contributes to research and academic supervision. She leads the Jen Perry Lab, focused on evolutionary biology and behavioral ecology, with a strong emphasis on insect model systems such as Drosophila melanogaster.

Research Interests: Her work investigates how evolutionary conflicts of interest—between mates, family members, and social partners—shape adaptation across multiple levels, including behavior, morphology, life history, gene expression, and molecular phenotypes. She uses experimental and evolutionary approaches to study sexual selection, kin selection, nutritional ecology, and conflict-driven evolution.

The recent publication trends reflect a strong focus on Drosophila systems, sexual conflict, diet effects on behavior, and molecular evolution. Her articles frequently appear in high-impact journals such as Evolution, Biological Reviews, and Animal Behaviour, demonstrating consistent contributions to evolutionary biology and behavioral ecology over the past five years.

Scientific Projects and Funding:

• Evolutionary conflict over animal nutrition and diet choice – Funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), 2019–2022
• Bridging the gap between sexual selection and kin selection – Funded by the Leverhulme Trust, 2021–2023

Advising and Grants: Dr. Perry actively welcomes inquiries from prospective Masters and PhD students, as well as early-career researchers developing fellowship proposals. She has successfully secured competitive fellowships and leads independent research, indicating a strong mentoring and grant-writing profile.

Labs and Teams: She is the principal investigator of the Jen Perry Lab, which is part of the Organisms and the Environment research group at UEA. The lab fosters collaborative research and engages in interdisciplinary studies on evolutionary conflict.