Ross Cuthbert

Queen’s University Belfast, in partnership with Ai Services and AgriSearch, is offering a fully funded four-year PhD opportunity focused on developing sustainable solutions to mitigate the threat of vector-borne diseases in the livestock sector. This collaborative initiative brings together expertise from academia and industry to address the growing risks posed by infectious diseases transmitted by insects such as midges, mosquitoes, and ticks, which are exacerbated by climate change and environmental changes. The successful candidate will join the School of Biological Sciences at Queen’s University Belfast and work under the supervision of Dr. Ross Cuthbert (Environmental Change Biology), Debbie McConnell (Group Scientist, Ai Services), and Jason Rankin (Strategy Manager, AgriSearch). The project will integrate community ecology, pest management, and agricultural science, utilizing advanced experimental and analytical approaches to pioneer innovative and sustainable strategies for disease management in livestock. This PhD project is particularly timely given recent outbreaks such as the detection of blue tongue virus in County Down, highlighting the urgent need for research in this area. The partnership aims to blend academic rigor with real-world impact, supporting the agricultural industry’s resilience, environmental sustainability, and economic efficiency. The project is open to qualified candidates from the UK and Ireland, offering an enhanced stipend, full tuition coverage, and generous running costs. Applicants should have a strong background in biology, environmental science, agriculture, or related fields, and an interest in community ecology, pest management, or agricultural science. The application deadline is 16 January 2026. For more information and to apply, visit the Queen’s University Belfast PhD Opportunities page and search for the project on integrated management strategies for vector-borne disease threats to agricultural industries. Keywords: vector-borne diseases, livestock, agricultural science, community ecology, pest management, environmental change biology, sustainability, animal health, public health, genetics.

Queen's University Belfast is recruiting for a 3-year fully funded PhD project in the School of Biological Sciences as part of the BBSRC “MosquitoNI” project. The project focuses on mosquito-borne disease risk associated with avian hosts , exploring how avian reservoirs, bridge vectors, and pathogen risks interact in a data-scarce region. This is a strong fit for applicants interested in biology , environmental science , public health , ecology , virology , and modelling . Supervision is multidisciplinary and includes Ross Cuthbert , Connor G. G. Bamford , Paul Caplat , and colleagues from the University of Glasgow , UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH) , RSPB , and the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) . Funding covers fees, stipend, and running costs . Eligibility is restricted to home students (Ireland/UK). The deadline is 31 October . Interested applicants should review the project information and apply using the link provided in the post.