Australian Research Council Future Fellow, and Deputy Head of the Department of Biological Sciences at Macquarie University.

He is a neuroethologist, which is a discipline of neuroscience studying the neural mechanisms of natural animal behaviour. Most of his research focuses on insects, especially honey bees. Honey bees are especially illuminating for behavioural research. They display social structures, communication systems and cognitive abilities that rival those of many mammals and yet their brain is a tiny fraction of the size: a bee brain is 500 times smaller than even a mouse!

Insect brains are small but they are not simple. The bee brain has a complex modular structure with more than 800,000 neurons densely packed into it. The small size of the insect brain makes them easier to comprehend through experimental study however. We have advanced techniques to visualise, manipulate map and record from the insect brain. For these reasons, neuroethologists have made important contributions to our understanding of fundamental behavioural systems such as vision, olfaction, navigation and learning and memory through studies of insects. His research continues this tradition examining what can be learned about the mechanisms of cognition, social behaviour and even consciousness through studies of the remarkable insect brain.

He also conducts research to improve honey bee health and welfare. He is studying how bees and bee colonies are impacted by pesticide and disease stressors, and how we might best intervene to help colonies under stress.