Dr. Steven White

My main area of research is mathematical modelling of population dynamics, ecology and evolution. Specific areas of interest include:

• Modelling invasive species
• Modelling the spread of Xylella fastidiosa
• Insect vector population dynamics including mosquitoes and midges
• Lepidoptera population cycles and their interactions with their natural enemies
• Within-host virus dynamics
• Mosquito population control using sterile insect techniques (SIT) and transgenic technologies
• Host-parasite ecology and evolution
• Lepidopteran population monitoring in Orkney.

My latest papers are listed on NORA (also see below).

The final report of the EFSA project "Inventory and review of quantitative models for spread of plant pests for use in pest risk assessment for the EU territory" can be found here.

The book on the EDEN and EDENext project can be found here.

I am the CEH lead for Quantitative and Modelling Skills in Ecology and Evolution (QMEE) CDT, and co-director of the Imperial Science and Solutions for a Changing Planet (SSCP) DTP.

PhD Project Offered for 2021 Intake: 

Modelling the Effects of Climate Change on Mosquito-Borne Diseases with the Imperial College SSCP DTP.

Employment:

• 2008-present Theoretical Ecologist at the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Wallingford. Research areas include modelling host-pathogen ecology and evolution at multiple scales, plant dispersal ecology, gall wasp population dynamics and mosquito control.
• 2005-2008 Postdoctoral research assistant at the Institute of Integrative and Comparative Biology, University of Leeds.
• 2004-2005 Postdoctoral research assistant at the Centre for Mathematical Biology, Mathematical Institute, University of Oxford.
• 2003-2004 Mathematics lecturer at the University of Bath.

Visiting positions:

• 2008 - 2018: Centre for Mathematical Biology, University of Oxford.
• 2005 - 2008: Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia.
• 2004 - 2005: CEH Oxford. Visiting Fellow.

Postdocs & Students:

• Flavia Occhibove (2019-present): Postdoc on Xylella spread modelling
• Daniel Smith (2019-present): PhD student on trait-based approaches to understanding mosquito distributions
• Nancy Walker (2019-present): PhD student on modelling within-host Xylella dynamics
• Dominic Brass (2018-present): PhD student on modelling mosquito population dynamics and phenotypic plasticity
• Laura Merritt (2017-present): PhD student on predicting species responses to climate change using spread models
• Dominic Brass (2016): Undergraduate internship on broadening the use of integro-difference equations in ecology
• David Ewing (2013-2017): PhD student on modelling mosquito populations under climate change
• Klara Wanelik (2013-2016): PhD student on the effects of tick vectors on social seabirds
• Mark Gilbert (2012-2016): PhD student on modelling species invasions in fragmented landscapes
• Hannah Woodall (2011): MSc student on modelling harvesting of fungal pathogens
• Suzie Doig (2010-2012): PhD student on coevolution of phenology in host-parasite systems
• Ian Townsend (2010-2014): PhD student on gall wasp population dynamics and invasion