Skip to main content

Staff Profile

Dr Simon Maddock

Senior Lecturer in Ecology and Evolution

Background

I am an organismal biologist, specialising in the ecology, evolution and conservation of reptiles and amphibians.


Positions held

  • Senior Lecturer in Ecology and Evolution. Newcastle University, UK
  • Scientific Associate. Natural History Museum, London
  • Associate Member. Island Biodiversity and Conservation Centre, University of Seychelles
  • Board Member. Amphibian Genomics Consortium
  • Regional co-chair. IUCN Amphibian Specialist Group
  • Member. IUCN Snake Specialist Group
  • Member. IUCN Skink Specialist Group



Brief CV

  • 2024 - present: Senior Lecturer in Ecology and Evolution. Newcastle University
  • 2023 - 2024: Lecturer in Ecology and Evolution. Newcastle University
  • 2018 - 2019: Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education. University of Wolverhampton
  • 2017 - 2023: Lecturer/Senior Lecturer in Conservation Genetics. University of Wolverhampton
  • 2011 - 2016: PhD. Natural History Museum, London & University College London
  • 2007 - 2011: MZool. University of Wales, Bangor
Research

Research themes

  • Conservation.
  • Biogeographic patterns driving diversification.
  • Systematics and taxonomy.
  • Establishing minimally invasive methods for collecting and isolating DNA.
  • How habitat and environmental change impacts diversity.


Postdoctoral researchers

  • Dr Deepak Veerappan: NERC-NSF funded project on "Origins and expansion of endemic biodiversity in western Melanesia and their relation to tectonic evolution" (2023 – present). https://sites.google.com/view/deepakveerappan/home


Research Assistants

  • Lucy Struthers: jointly working with North Pennines National Landscape on the project on the project "Genetic diversity and connectivity of adders (Vipera berus) in the North Pennines" (2024 – present).
  • Samuel Betts: jointly working with North Pennines National Landscape on the project on the project "Genetic diversity and connectivity of adders (Vipera berus) in the North Pennines" (2024 – present).
  • Rebecca Morris: NERC-NSF funded project on "Origins and expansion of endemic biodiversity in western Melanesia and their relation to tectonic evolution" (2023 – 2025).


PhD students

  • David Nixon "Conservation of adders on the Inner Hebrides, Scotland" (2025 – present) [co-supervisor Dr Roy Sanderson (Newcastle University)..
  • Ellen Sharkey "Impacts of climate change on Seychelles caecilian amphibians" (2024 – present) [co-supervisors Dr Louise Mair (Newcastle University) & Dr Gerard Rocamora (case partner at Island Biodiversity and Conservation Centre, University of Seychelles)].
  • Sampurna Roychoudry "Using genomics to evolve our understanding of the phylogeographic history of the Galapagos giant tortoise radiation" (2024 – present) [co-supervisors Dr Evelyn Jensen (Newcastle University) & Prof Kathryn Elmer (University of Glasgow)].
  • Saunak Pal "Phylogenetic relationships and biogeography of the sphenomorphin skinks" (2023 – present) [co-supervisors Dr Fred Kraus (University of Michigan) & Dr Evelyn Jensen (Newcastle University). https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Saunak-Pal
  • Nicole Grimason "Trends in population size of Rana temporaria in the UK" (2023 – present) [co-supervisors Dr Natasha Kruger (University of Wolverhampton) & Dr Chris Young (University of Wolverhampton)]. https://researchers.wlv.ac.uk/N.Grimason
  • Dr Rémi Martin "Back to the future? Unravelling historic, current and potential future declines of the common toad, Bufo bufo, in the UK" (2019 – 2024) [co-supervisors Dr John Wilkinson (Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Trust) & Dr Robert Jehle (Salford University)]. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Remi-Martin
  • Dr Morgan Hughes "The Assemblages, Fitness and Movements of Bats (Chiroptera, Vespertilionidae and Rhinolophidae) in the Urban Matrix" (2018 – 2023) [co-supervisor Dr Chris Young (University of Wolverhampton)]. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Morgan-Hughes


Masters students

  • Tom Childs (current). How do heavy metals impact common frog (Rana temporaria) development?
  • Ellie Davison (2024). Is there a link between amphibian chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis) and low genetic diversity in common toad (Bufo bufo) populations in Britain?
  • Kyle Armstrong (2024). Slow worm (Anguis fragilis) use in allotments in northeast England.
  • Aurora O’Brien (2022). Diversity and biogeography of the New Guinea slender-toed geckos (Gekkonidae: Nactus).
  • Nicole Grimason (2022). Phylogeographic patterns of the common frog in the UK.
  • Stephanie Cartwright (2022). Diversity patterns in four Ecuadorian amphibian and reptile species.
  • Annie Gwilt (2021). Phylogeography and species delimitation of the New Guinea small-eyed snake Micropechis ikaheka.
  • Sophia Barton (2021). Can environmental dna (eDNA) be used as a non-invasive monitoring technique for caecilian amphibians from Praslin, Seychelles?
  • Sarah Battye (2020). Biogeography, life history and conservation of caecilians.
  • Ed O’Malley (2019). Transcriptomics of Seychelles caecilians.


Teaching

Module Leader

  • NES1302 Ecology and Conservation
  • NES2312 Field-based Ecology: designing experiments, and residential field course


Contributed Teaching

  • NES2314 Vertebrate Biology
  • NES3313 Africa Field Course: Conservation and Ecology
  • NES1504 Academic and Professional Skills for the Biosciences
  • Research project supervision for BSc, MBiol, MSc and MRes
Publications