Lecturer
Biological and Environmental Sciences University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA
I am an evolutionary ecologist interested three principal research themes.
Theme 1. Epidemiological and coevolutionary implications of host-parasite interactions.
Theme 2. The effects of ionising radiation on the evolutionary ecology of populations, with specific focus on Chernobyl Daphnia.
Theme 3. The paradox of sex, i.e., why sex is the dominant mode of reproduction (as opposed to asexual reproduction), when it is so costly.
Co-Chair, Equalities and Diversity & Inclusion Committee, BES
Member: BES Equality and Diversity Committee
Promotion of equality activities, review progress and share good practice. Specific responsibility for handling data.
Programme Director
Programme Director: Biology
Programme Director: Animal Biology
Vice Chair
Former Vice Chair of the French Agence National de la Recherche (ANR) 'Living Earth' panel. Reviewing pre-proposals and proposals for research funding.
Associate Editor: Evolutionary Ecology
Handling submitted manuscripts, selecting appropriate reviewers,making editorial decisions.
Equalities Champion
Climate change is causing shifts in the timing and severity of epidemics, and this will alter the way hosts and parasites (co)evolve. For my NERC Fellowship, I will be examining how environmental variation affects epidemiological and coevolutionary dynamics across multiple epidemics. This will be achieved using controlled lab experiments, a long-term outdoor mesocosm experiment (Stirling Outdoor Disease Experiment), field surveys and simulation modelling.
Past epidemics as predictors of disease evolution over space and time
PI: Dr Stuart Auld
Funded by: Natural Environment Research Council
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Understanding environmental drivers of evo-epidemiological dynamics in a
PI: Dr Stuart Auld
Funded by: Royal Society
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Article
Goodman J, Brand J, Laptev G & Auld SKJR (2022) Radiation-mediated supply of genetic variation outweighs the effects of selection and drift in Chernobyl Daphnia populations. Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 35 (3), pp. 413-422. https://doi.org/10.1111/jeb.13983
Article
Ecology directs host-parasite coevolutionary trajectories across Daphnia-microparasite populations
Paplauskas S, Brand J & Auld S (2021) Ecology directs host-parasite coevolutionary trajectories across Daphnia-microparasite populations [Ecological factors affect host-parasite coevolution]. Nature Ecology and Evolution, 5, pp. 480-486. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-021-01390-7
Article
Goodman J, Copplestone D, Laptev GV, Gashchak S & Auld SKJR (2019) Variation in chronic radiation exposure does not drive life history divergence among Daphnia populations across the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. Ecology and Evolution, 9 (5), pp. 2640-2650. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.4931
Article
Simulated climate change, epidemic size, and host evolution across host-parasite populations
Auld SKJR & Brand J (2017) Simulated climate change, epidemic size, and host evolution across host-parasite populations [Climate change and disease eco-evolution]. Global Change Biology, 23 (12), pp. 5045-5053. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.13769
Article
Auld S & Brand J (2017) Environmental variation causes different (co)evolutionary routes to the same adaptive destination across parasite populations [Adaptation and coevolution across environments]. Evolution Letters, 1 (5), pp. 245-254. https://doi.org/10.1002/evl3.27
Article
Parasite transmission in a natural multihost-multiparasite community
Auld SKJR, Searle CL & Duffy MA (2017) Parasite transmission in a natural multihost-multiparasite community. Philosophical Transactions B: Biological Sciences, 372 (1719), Art. No.: 20160097. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2016.0097
Article
Sex as a strategy against rapidly evolving parasites
Auld SKJR, Tinkler SK & Tinsley MC (2016) Sex as a strategy against rapidly evolving parasites [Sex as a weapon against parasitism]. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 283 (1845), Art. No.: 20162226. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2016.2226
Article
Dobson A & Auld S (2016) Epidemiological Implications of Host Biodiversity and Vector Biology: Key Insights from Simple Models. American Naturalist, 187 (4), pp. 405-422. http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/685445; https://doi.org/10.1086/685445
Commentary
Dobson A, Auld S & Tinsley MC (2015) Insufficient evidence of infection-induced phototactic behaviour in Spodoptera exigua: a comment on van Houte et al. (2014). Commentary on: van Houte S, van Oers MM, Han Y, Vlak JM, Ros VID. 2014 Baculovirus infection triggers a positive phototactic response in caterpillars to induce ‘treetop’ disease. Biol. Lett. 10, 20140680. (doi:10.1098/rsbl.2014.0680). Biology Letters, 11, Art. No.: 20150132. http://rsbl.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/11/10/20150132; https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2015.0132
Article
The evolutionary ecology of complex lifecycle parasites: linking phenomena with mechanisms
Auld S & Tinsley MC (2015) The evolutionary ecology of complex lifecycle parasites: linking phenomena with mechanisms. Heredity, 114 (2), pp. 125-132. https://doi.org/10.1038/hdy.2014.84
Book Chapter
Auld S (2014) Immunology and Immunity. In: Smirnov N (ed.) Physiology of the Cladocera. New York: Academic Press, pp. 219-233. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780123969538000173
Article
Auld S, Hall SR, Houslay Ochs J, Sebastian M & Duffy MA (2014) Predators and patterns of within-host growth can mediate both among-host competition and the evolution of transmission potential of parasites. American Naturalist, 184 (S1), pp. S77-S90. https://doi.org/10.1086/676927
Article
Schoebel CN, Auld S, Spaak P & Little TJ (2014) Effects of juvenile host density and food availability on adult immune response, parasite resistance and virulence in a Daphnia-parasite system. PLoS ONE, 9 (4), Art. No.: e94569. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0094569
Article
Auld S, Wilson PJ, Little TJ & Wilson P (2014) Rapid change in parasite infection traits over the course of an epidemic in a wild host-parasite population. Oikos, 123 (2), pp. 232-238. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0706.2013.00720.x
Article
Variation in costs of parasite resistance among natural host populations
Auld S, Penczykowski RM, Ochs JH, Grippi DC, Hall SR & Duffy MA (2013) Variation in costs of parasite resistance among natural host populations. Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 26 (11), pp. 2479-2486. https://doi.org/10.1111/jeb.12243
Article
King KC, Auld S, Wilson PJ, James J & Little TJ (2013) The bacterial parasite Pasteuria ramosa is not killed if it fails to infect: implications for coevolution. Ecology and Evolution, 3 (2), pp. 197-203. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.438
Article
Auld S, Edel KH & Little TJ (2012) The cellular immune response of Daphnia magna under host–parasite genetic variation and variation in initial dose. Evolution, 66 (10), pp. 3287-3293. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1558-5646.2012.01671.x
Article
Epidemiology of a Daphnia-Multiparasite System and Its Implications for the Red Queen
Auld S, Hall SR & Duffy MA (2012) Epidemiology of a Daphnia-Multiparasite System and Its Implications for the Red Queen. PLoS ONE, 7 (6), Art. No.: e0039561. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0039564
Article
Auld S, Graham AL, Wilson PJ & Little TJ (2012) Elevated haemocyte number is associated with infection and low fitness potential in wild Daphnia magna. Functional Ecology, 26 (2), pp. 434-440. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2435.2011.01959.x
Article
Fitness consequences of immune responses: strengthening the empirical framework for ecoimmunology
Graham A, Shuker DM, Pollitt LC, Auld S, Wilson AJ & Little TJ (2011) Fitness consequences of immune responses: strengthening the empirical framework for ecoimmunology. Functional Ecology, 25 (1), pp. 5-17. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2435.2010.01777.x
Article
Auld S, Scholefield JA & Little TJ (2010) Genetic variation in the cellular response of Daphnia magna (Crustacea: Cladocera) to its bacterial parasite. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 277 (1698), pp. 3291-3297. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2010.0772
