Roger Santer

Roger Santer is a Lecturer in Zoology at the Department of Life Sciences, Aberystwyth University, within the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS). He holds a BSc in Zoology (Newcastle University, 1999) and a PhD in Invertebrate Neuroethology (Newcastle University, 2003). Prior to joining IBERS in 2010, he held postdoctoral positions at Newcastle University (2003–2006) and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (2006–2008), followed by a lectureship in Biology at the University of Limerick (2008–2010).

His research focuses on animal behavior and the neural mechanisms underlying it, particularly visually-guided behavior in insects and arachnids. Techniques include electrophysiology, behavioral studies, and computational modeling. His work aligns with UN Sustainable Development Goals related to biodiversity conservation and sustainable ecosystems.

He led the project Conservation of butterflies under natural and modified illumination conditions (2017–2020), funded by the Welsh European Funding Office. Media coverage highlights his research on insect visual perception, including why biting flies are attracted to blue objects and the role of UV lighting in butterfly behavior.

Collaborations span institutions like the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and international partners, with datasets and open-access publications emphasizing pest control strategies and arthropod sensory biology.