I earned my first degree in Environmental Studies and Geography from the University of Liverpool. I began lecturing in Biology and Environmental Studies at Liverpool Hope University in 1993 and was appointed to senior lecturer in 2005. I enrolled for a PhD at the University of Liverpool in 2009. MyPhD is entitled 'A behavioural and phylogenetic survey of the Nightjar, Caprimulgus europaeus, and its allies'. My work has been published in a leading internationally peer-reviewed journal, and has also been presented at conferences. I serve as a reviewer on behalf of the Journal of Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution and the Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research. My major research interest concerns the phylogenetics of the Caprimulgiformes and in particular the Caprimulgidae. My main focus is on the evolution of feeding structures and behaviours and dichromatism. I also have an active interest in bioscience pedagogy and student retention.