WEEDMAN Tina, MSc

 

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I am an ecologist with a strong interest in avian disease ecology. My passion for birds began while working for an environmental non-profit in California, where I assisted with the California gull (Larus californicus) long-term monitoring program. I further explored this topic during my bachelor’s thesis at Cal Poly Humboldt, investigating the effects of endemic tick (Argas monolakensis) parasitism on California gull chick weight.

After completing my bachelor’s degree, I gained extensive field experience through various ecological research positions, including work as a biologist in the Lake Tahoe Basin conducting avian point counts and nest searches. I then completed my master’s thesis at the University of Innsbruck, where I examined gene flow and seasonal genetic structure in great tits (Parus major) and blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus) within Innsbruck and the surrounding region.

My PhD research, conducted within the Applied Animal Ecology group, focuses on understanding how supplemental feeding influences wild bird health and the transmission of pathogens. This work aims to understand how human activities, even well-intentioned ones, affect ecological and disease dynamics in wild populations, with implications for conservation in a rapidly changing, human-influenced world.

My research interests:

 

• Disease ecology
• Population and landscape genetics
• Molecular biology
• Urban ecology
• Conservation biology
• Human-wildlife interactions

My project