معرفی
Professor Neil B. Metcalfe is a full Professor of Behavioural Ecology at the Institute for Biodiversity, Animal Health & Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, UK. Since 2010 he has held this professorship, having previously served as Head of Division of Environmental & Evolutionary Biology (2006–2010) and in ascending lecturer, reader and earlier professorial roles at the same university. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, a Member of Academia Europaea, and recipient of the Fisheries Society of the British Isles’ Medal.
Education and Career Timeline
- 1992–1998: Lecturer in Zoology, University of Glasgow
- 1998–2001: Reader in Behavioural Ecology, University of Glasgow
- 2001–present: Professor of Behavioural Ecology, University of Glasgow
- 2006–2010: Head of Division of Environmental & Evolutionary Biology (renamed 2008)
- 2010–present: Professor of Behavioural Ecology, Institute for Biodiversity, Animal Health & Comparative Medicine
Research Interests
Professor Metcalfe’s research integrates behavioural ecology, physiological ecology and life-history theory. Using fish—principally salmonids—and occasionally birds as model systems, he explores how individual variation in behaviour and metabolism drives life-history outcomes. Major themes include:
- Metabolic rate variation and its maintenance by context-dependent selection
- Mitochondrial efficiency, ATP production and reactive oxygen species (ROS) balance
- Early-life nutrition, compensatory growth and long-term fitness consequences
- Telomere dynamics as integrative biomarkers of ageing and environmental stress
- Impacts of climate warming on physiological tolerance and behaviour
- Conservation physiology of Atlantic salmon and nutrient augmentation in oligotrophic streams
Current projects are supported by two European Research Council (ERC) Advanced Grants and span from mitochondrial physiology to ecosystem-level nutrient manipulations in the Conon River catchment.
Scientific Awards & Distinctions
- 1999 – Fisheries Society of the British Isles’ Medal
- 2006 – Elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh
- 2006 – ISI Highly Cited Researcher (top 300 in Animal & Plant Sciences)
- 2011 – Member of Academia Europaea
Research Teams & Funding
He leads the Ecology & Environmental Change and Physiology, Ageing & Welfare research groups, directing a multidisciplinary team comprising post-doctoral fellows, ERC-funded technicians and Marie-Curie Fellows. Active grants include ERC Advanced Grants on mitochondrial efficiency and ageing, NERC CASE studentships on salmon restoration, and Commonwealth Scholarships on fish genetic diversity in sub-Saharan Africa.
Doctoral Supervision
Current PhD students:
- Fionn Bernthal (2019–) – Ecological consequences of salmon carcass restoration
- Magdalene Papatheodoulou (2018–) – Long-term effects of catch-and-release angling
- Mark Kauna Sanda (2021–) – Genetic diversity of Nigerian fish species
