About the Speaker
Jeremy J. Piggott
Dr Jeremy J. Piggott completed his doctoral studies in 2013 at the University of Otago (New Zealand) under the supervision of Prof. Colin Townsend and Assoc. Prof. Christoph Matthaei. He went on to hold prestigious research fellowships at the National University of Singapore (Singapore), Kyoto University (Japan), Imperial College London (UK) and Peking University (China) before his appointment as Assistant Professor in Aquatic Biology at Trinity College Dublin in 2017. He is a recipient of the inaugural Irish Research Council Laureate Award and early-career awards from the International Society of Limnology (SIL), New Zealand Freshwater Sciences Society (NZFSS) and the University of Otago, respectively, as well as the 2017 NZ River Story Award ‘celebrating the contribution of individuals, groups, businesses and communities working together to make a difference to the health of New Zealand’s rivers and streams’. He has authored 25 publications (>900 citations, h-index 13, i10-index 14), independently obtained >€ 1m in research funding and currently supervises six PhD students (two Primary, four Secondary), plus a funded Post Doc and Research Assistant. Dr Piggott currently serves as Vice President of the International Society of Limnology (SIL), Lead Author for the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), Honorary Lecturer at the University of Otago (New Zealand), Associate Editor of the journals Limnology and Ecological Research. Book Editor for the EU funded AQUACOSM project (H2020-INFRAIA), Management Committee of EU COST Action DNAqua-NET and Organizing Committee Chair of the SETAC 2020 Meeting in Dublin. He is also Managing Director of ExStream Systems Ltd NZ – a research spin-out company producing mesocosm research installations in the UK, China, Japan, Germany, Ireland and NZ.
My research focuses on several topical themes in fundamental and applied ecology, including the determinants of biodiversity structure and function from genes to ecosystems, the combined influence of multiple anthropogenic stressors on communities and ecosystems, and the management and conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem services in the face of global change. I perform my research predominantly in streams and rivers, combining 'natural' field experiments with manipulative experiments performed at a range of scales, from whole streams, through stream-side channels to small mesocosms. By advancing knowledge and connecting science to policy, my research seeks to improve the management, conservation and restoration of aquatic ecosystems in the face of global change.
Topics for personal discussion
- Staying in the game – being competitive as an early-career academic
- "living in different countries",
- "moving home with a large family",