Viggo Rey, Insect Biomechanics Group, (Mar. 31, 2026)As a first-year PhD student in the Insect Biomechanics Group with Professor Walter Federle, I have the privilege of designing carefully engineered experimental setups to examine the clever adaptations insects have evolved to overcome biomechanically challenging plant surfaces that impair their locomotion and other crucial behaviours. My model systems include wax-running ants (Crematogaster sp.), which kinematically optimise their gait to climb the slippery, waxy stems of Macaranga trees, and diving ants (Colobopsis schmitzi), which possess specialised adhesive pads that potentially counteract aquaplaning on the peristome of the pitcher plant Nepenthes bicalcarata.
The Cambridge Zoology Department and my lab group have been instrumental in making this research possible. From financial and logistical support for fieldwork in Borneo - where my model systems exist in the wild - to providing everything I could need in the lab, the resources available are exceptional. High-speed cameras, 3D printers, off site CT-scanning, advanced electronics equipment and large greenhouses housing tropical Macaranga trees alongside their host ant colonies are just some examples of the resources that have been available to me so far.
Beyond the lab, the Department is a remarkably vibrant and supportive community. Regular seminars, talks, and workshops spanning a wide range of topics provide constant intellectual stimulus, while events such as the weekly Zoology Happy Hour, Grad Tea Talks, and the annual Postgraduate Symposium create genuine opportunities to connect with fellow researchers across disciplines. It is incredible to have world-class facilities just a stone's throw from my desk - from the Museum of Zoology and the Botanical Gardens to the magical walks through Grantchester Meadows in spring, where Cambridge's beautiful native flora and fauna are never far away.
Jacqui James, Agroecology group, (Mar. 27, 2026)I am in the third year of my PhD in the Agroecology group, supervised by Prof Lynn Dicks and Dr Richard Comont (Bumblebee Conservation Trust). I am on the NERC C-CLEAR doctorial training programme. My PhD research aims to inform the conservation of Bombus sylvarum (the shrill carder bumblebee) which has declined majorly in the UK over the past 60 years and now only remains in five fragmented locations across the south of England and Wales. My research specifically assesses the effects of flower-rich grassland restoration on B. sylvarum and the greater insect pollinator community, as well as the population genetics of B. sylvarum in the UK in comparison to populations across continental Europe. I am using both field and lab-based methods.
I joined the department on the day Prof Becky Kilner gave her inaugural lecture as the new head of department which had the theme of “kindness”. This has fit my experience of the Department of Zoology which I have found to be a friendly and welcoming environment. In addition to the stimulating discussions and support from my research group, I have appreciated the friendly help I have received from the teams in the Postgraduate administration office, Safety office and Finance office throughout my PhD.
The department offers numerous opportunities to interact with other postgrads, postdocs, PIs and staff members through the weekly seminars and happy hour, during lunch or tea breaks and through departmental events. I enjoy the feeling of community within the department. There are also frequent chances to interact with researchers visiting the department from across the world, keeping it a highly dynamic environment.
The links through the department to both the Museum of Zoology and the Cambridge Conservation Initiative provide a wealth of additional opportunities, from interdisciplinary discussions and collaborations to access to facilities and public engagement experiences.
Being a PhD student in the Department of Zoology at the University of Cambridge is certainly an incredible place to be based at the start of your career.
Ritabrata Chowdhury, Insect Biomechanics Workgroup & the Insect Evolution and Genomics Group, (Apr. 2, 2025)I am a PhD student at the Insect Biomechanics Workgroup (with Prof Walter Federle) and the Insect Evolution and Genomics Group (with Dr Erika de Castro and Prof Chris Jiggins), working on the biomechanics and evolution of insect-plant interactions. More specifically, I look at how plants use physical defences to protect themselves against herbivorous insects and how some insects have counter-adapted against them, by comparatively studying systems from two different continents, the Passion-vines and Heliconiini caterpillars from Central and South America and Macaranga ant-plants and Arhopala caterpillars from South-East Asia.
The community of senior academics, staff and students at the Department of Zoology has been monumental in my journey so far and is definitely the perfect stepping-stone for my future. They have always supported me and provided me with insights, resources, collaborations and friendships, that I believe will have an everlasting positive impact on my professional and personal career.
The Department provides opportunities for all students to attend various talks, seminars and workshops on both research and non-research related topics, access to multiple top-of-the-line facilities such as the microscopy and the CT-scanning facilities and the chance to work with the Museum of Zoology and utilise its wonderful collections for both research and outreach. Moreover, the Department also organises a weekly Happy Hour and a Grad Tea Talk, an annual Postgraduate Symposium, a Seminar Day and an Alumni Day, and lots of other academic and non-academic gatherings to share one's research and/or share the passion for all organisms on this planet.