Robert Paxton

Professor Robert Paxton serves as Head of General Zoology at the Institute of Biology/Zoology within the Faculty of Natural Sciences I - Biosciences at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Germany. He has held this professorial position since 2010 after previous academic appointments across Europe and Mexico.

His educational background includes:

• Habilitation in Zoology from University of Tübingen, Germany (2000)
• Ph.D. in evolutionary ecology from University of Sussex, UK (1985)
• B.Sc. (with 1st Class Honours) in Biological Sciences from University of Sussex, UK (1980)

Professor Paxton's research program centers on insect evolutionary ecology with particular expertise in social evolution, host-parasite coevolution, pollination systems, and conservation genetics. His work addresses critical questions in pollinator decline, as highlighted in his TEDxUniHalle presentation "What's killing the bees?" His research bridges fundamental evolutionary questions with practical conservation applications.

He maintains significant research collaborations through multiple major projects:

• Founding member of iDiv (German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research)
• MC member of ESF COST Action SUPER-B
• Partner in DFG Research Unit So-Long
• Partner in EU H2020 project PoshBee

His professional trajectory shows consistent advancement in academic positions across international institutions, reflecting his standing in the field of evolutionary ecology and pollinator research.