Dr Tim Harvey-Samuel

Tim completed his BSc. and MSc. at Imperial College where he studied Biological Sciences and Applied Ecology, respectively. During this period he developed a passion for environmental and conservation issues and how these can be explored through the understanding and appropriate management of ecosystems.

After a year spent volunteering on rainforest management programmes in South-East Asia, Tim began a PhD at the University of Oxford where, in conjunction with OXITEC Ltd, he developed and trialled a transgenic female-specific autocidal strategy for control of the diamondback moth. This research contributed to the growing body of evidence indicating that GM insects can provide an environmentally friendly, insecticide-free alternative to current pest management practices. Subsequent to his PhD, Tim spent a year in the western pacific helping to conduct research on the ecological impacts of species invasions on tropical island forest communities.

At The Pirbright Institute Tim is engaged in research exploring how insect neuropeptides may be useful in designing a new wave of environmentally-friendly pest management tools. Specifically, he is using transgenic insect models to investigate the extent to which expression of these signalling molecules outside of their normal tissues and/or time-frames may lead to useful phenotypes for controlling agricultural pests and invasive species.