Dr Beth Preston
Lecturer in Wildlife Ecology
Department: Pathobiology & Population Sciences
Campus: Hawkshead
Beth is a lecturer in wildlife ecology, she is currently deputy pathway leader for the MSci Biological Sciences (Wildlife Health Sciences). Her main interests are in behavioural ecology and wildlife conservation, including how to apply behavioural research to a conservation setting.
Career
2022 - present: Lecturer in Wildlife Ecology, RVC
2021-2022: Stipendiary Lecturer in Biology, St Hilda's College, University of Oxford
2020-2022: Stipendiary Lecturer/Acting College Tutor, Worcester College, University of Oxford
2020-2022: Researcher, WildCRU, University of Oxford
Qualifications
2022: PGCert in Higher Education, Royal Veterinary College
2022: Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
2019: PhD in Behavioural Ecology, University of Exeter
2019: Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
2015: MRes in Wildlife Conservation, University of Southampton
2014: BA in Biological Sciences, University of Oxford
My post-doctoral research investigated disease impacts in the endangered Ethiopian wolf, including population dynamics. My PhD research explored the impacts of inter-group conflict in wild banded mongooses on their social and movement behaviours.
Beth's main interests are in behavioural ecology and wildlife conservation, including how to apply behavioural research to a conservation setting. Her post-doctoral research investigated disease impacts in the endangered Ethiopian wolf, including population dynamics. Ethiopian wolves suffer from rabies and canine distemper outbreaks, which impact their poplation size and recovery. Her PhD research explored the impacts of inter-group conflict in wild banded mongooses on their social and movement behaviours. Her fieldwork was in Uganda and involved behavioural experiments and observations in the wild. Future work aims to explore how animal behavioural research can assist conservation management in the UK and around the world.
Marino J, Preston E*, Abute M, Hussein A, Regassa F, Deressa A, et al. (2024) Concurrent Rabies and Canine Distemper Outbreaks and Infection in Endangered Ethiopian Wolves. Emerging Infectious Diseases. 30(12):2567-5276. https://doi.org/10.3201/eid3012.240432 *Equally contributing first author
Sandoval-Serés, E., Foley, J., Preston, E. Edris, E. & Marino, J. (2023) Time allocation to balance group living trade-offs in Ethiopian wolves. Behavioural Ecology and Sociobiology 77, 122. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-023-03398-4
Preston, E., Thompson, F., Kyabulima, S., Croft, D. & Cant, M. (2021) The dynamics of social cohesion in response to simulated intergroup conflict in banded mongooses. Ecology and Evolution. 11 (24), 18662-18675
Green, P., Preston, E., Nichol, M., Croft, D., Thompson, F. & Cant, M. (2021) Testing the conflict-cohesion hypothesis: metrics of social cohesion during simulated territorial intrusions in banded mongooses (Mungos mungo). Ethology, DOI: 10.1111/eth.13204
Preston, E., Thompson, F., Ellis, S., Kyabulima, S., Croft, D. & Cant, M. (2020) Network-level consequences of outgroup threats in banded mongooses: Grooming and aggression between the sexes. J Anim Ecol.; 90: 153– 167. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2656.13323
Preston, E., Johnson, J., MacDonald, D. & Loveridge, A. (2019) Hunting success of lions affected by the moon’s phase in a wooded habitat. African Journal of Ecology; 57:586–594. https://doi.org/10.1111/aje.12624
Davidson, Z., Dupuis-Desormeaux, M., Dheer, A., Pratt, L., Preston, E., Gilicho, S., Mwololo, M., Chege, G., MacDonald, S. & Doncaster, P. (2019) Borrowing from Peter to pay Paul: Managing Threatened Predators of Endangered, Declining Prey Species. PeerJ.
Beth is currently the deputy pathway leader for the BSc/MSci in Biological Sciences (Wildlife Health Sciences). At a modular level, Beth runs a Biodiversity Action Plan Dissertation module for our third year undergraduate science students, and a new module for third years: Ecology: Individuals, Populations and Communities. She also contributes to wildlife related teaching in years 2 and 3 of the Biosciences courses.