Hazel is a NERC-funded DPhil student in the Department of Biology, supervised by Professor Lindsay Turnbull and Professor Kathy Willis. Her research explores how light pollution affects plants, with a particular focus on flowering and the timing of traits that attract pollinators.
Plants rely on natural light cycles to coordinate processes such as flower opening, scent release, and nectar production – all essential for successful pollination. Artificial light at night can disrupt these rhythms, potentially reducing plant reproductive success and interfering with interactions between plants and pollinators.
To investigate these effects, Hazel will combine lab-based experiments, fieldwork and ecological genetics, using White Campion (Silene latifolia) as a model species. By understanding how artificial light at night influences floral traits and pollination, her research will contribute to evidence-based strategies for restoring and protecting pollination services in light-polluted environments.
Before starting her DPhil, Hazel worked as a research technician and research assistant in ecology and botany labs in Oxford and Dublin. She holds an MSc in Biodiversity and Conservation from Trinity College Dublin and a BSc in Biological Sciences from Maynooth University.
Hazel believes the best lessons come from careful observation and would always recommend taking a moment to stop and smell the roses.
