This PhD project at the University of Reading, in collaboration with the Natural History Museum, offers a unique opportunity to investigate the impact of climate and land-use change on the geographical ranges of Madagascar's wild birds. Madagascar is a globally recognized biodiversity hotspot, home to approximately 250 bird species, with 115 found nowhere else. About 15% of these species are threatened with extinction, making conservation efforts in this region particularly urgent.

The project leverages both historical museum specimens and modern data, utilizing cutting-edge artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques to quantify changes in species distributions over more than a century. By integrating natural history collections with advanced computational methods, the research aims to uncover how climate change and human activities have reshaped the ranges of Madagascar's birds, and to identify actionable strategies for conservation.

Students will work within the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in the Mathematics for our Future Climate, gaining interdisciplinary experience in biodiversity, environmental biology, computer vision, data science, meteorology, and statistics. The project is supervised by a team of experts: Prof K Norris, Dr D Senapathi, Prof E Black, and Dr A.SJ Salili-James.

Funding includes a full UKRI stipend and home-level PhD tuition fees. Applicants should have a strong academic background in a relevant discipline (biology, environmental science, computer science, statistics, or related fields), with quantitative and analytical skills. Experience or interest in AI, data science, or machine learning is desirable. International applicants may need to demonstrate English language proficiency.

Applications are accepted year-round. To apply, submit your CV and cover letter via the University of Reading application portal, and contact the supervisors for further information if required. For more details, visit the project page: FindAPhD Project Link.