About Me
Growing up in the UK countryside I was constantly surrounded by nature, this sparked my interest in Biology which grew the more I learned. My curiosity regarding neuroscience was fed further during High School where I opted to conduct an elective written project on neurodegenerative diseases. Around the same time, I gained my first ecological experience during my Year 12 summer holidays where I worked with a German Aquatic Ecology firm, conducting fish surveys and river monitoring. During my undergraduate degree studying at the University of Nottingham I took up diving and had my first open water dive in the middle of winter in Northern England with frozen ground and frost all around. Nonetheless, all I remember is how exciting it was to be submerged in a world where we still have so much to learn. These experiences confirmed that biological research was what I wanted to spend my life doing.
Beyond University I have worked as a research assistant and fisheries consultant around the world. This has given me global experience studying population genetics and species behaviour on a range of native and invasive species; highlights include investigating feeding behaviour oceanic Manta Rays in the Gulf of Mexico and invasive lionfish in the Mediterranean Sea.
Research Directions
Joining the Marine Sensory Ecology group I have been able to combine my passions of neuroscience, genetics, behaviour and marine biology into one project. I am currently investigating the visual system of seahorses with an aim to inform conservation measures. Specifically, I am investigating gene expression, histology of the retina and top-down cellular organisation, spectral sensitivities, and physical neural connectivity in the retina.
Education/Career
2017: BSc (Hons, First Class) in Biology, The University of Nottingham, UK
2018: MRes in Ecology, The University of Nottingham, UK
Present: PhD, The University of Queensland, Australia
Publications
Heyworth, S.M., Bell, J., Wade, C.M., Cavalcante, G.H., Robinson, N.A., Young, E., Glass, J. and Feary, D.A. (2021). Genetic connectivity of seamount populations of bluenose warehou (Hyperoglyphe antarctica). Frontiers in Marine Science, 8: 640504. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2021.640504
D’Agostino, D., Jimenez, C., Reader, T., Hadjioannou, L., Heyworth, S., Aplikioti, M., Argyrou, M. and Feary, D.A. (2020). Behavioural traits and feeding ecology of Mediterranean lionfish and native species naiveté to lionfish predation. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 638: 123-135. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps13256
sensoryecologyuq.com 