Staff Profile

Dr Roy Sanderson’s interests are in modelling complex ecological systems, using multivariate statistical models, simulation techniques, across a wide range of spatio-temporal scales. This includes both plant and invertebrate species, genomics and proteomics data, as well as population modelling of individual species. The latter has included object-based discrete-event models of invertebrates at the landscape scale, agent-based models and Bayesian methods. Robust models allow one to develop new hypotheses, and undertake virtual experiments ‘in silico’ that would be impracticable or even impossible ‘in vivo”s. Recent projects include modelling Campylobacter infections – human, diet, and environmental and landscape-scale modelling, invertebrate communities responses to fuel-wood willow-coppice and meta-analysis of anti-oxidant compositon of organic and conventional foods, application of deep-learning artificial intelligence methods.  Roy is Degree Programme Director for MSc Wildlife Management and MSc Conservation and Ecosystem Management

Area of Expertise

Modelling of complex biological systems

Modelling, Evidence and Policy Research Group 

Current PhD students

Kate Halstead (2021-present) Monitoring of oak tree woodland health

Hazel Cooley (2020-present) Honeybee disease and behaviours

Tom Crocker (2018-present) Modelling diseases of vegetable brassicas and oilseed rape

Recent PhD students

Yaiza Gutierrez (2022) Septoria modelling in wheat

Liam Butler (2020) Multi-scale modelling of vegetation communities

Siti Md Saad (2019) Brown rat population behaviour in agricultural landscapes

Eli Patterson (2018) Arthropod communities in conventional and organic agriculture

David Golicha (2018) Farm-livelihoods and agriculture in Marsabit, Kenya

Undergraduate

Research Skills (MST1204)

Geology and Geographic Information Systems Field Course (CEG1604)

Field identification skills (BIO2003)

Quantitative methods for biologists (BIO2020)

Biological Modelling (BIO3049)

Research Projects (BIO3199)

Postgraduate

Management and visualisation of data in ecology (BIO8068)

Geographic information systems and remote sensing (BIO8069)

Meta-analysis and decision support for ecology and conservation (BIO8075)

Quantitative Ecological Research Methods (NES8010)

• Gupta G, Grainger M, Dunn JC, Sanderson ROY, McGowan PJK. Conservation of Galliformes in the Greater Himalaya: Is there a need for a higher-quality evidence-base?. Bird Conservation International 2022, 32(3), 360-369.
• Nickbakhsh S, Hughes J, Christofidis N, et al, The COVID-19 Genomics UK Consortium, (COG-UK). Genomic epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 in a university outbreak setting and implications for public health planning. Scientific Reports 2022, 12, 11735.
• Butler L, Sanderson RA. National-scale predictions of plant assemblages via community distribution models: Leveraging published data to guide future surveys. Journal of Applied Ecology 2022, Epub ahead of print.
• Willett BJ, Grove J, MacLean OA, et al, PITCH Consortium, The COVID-19 Genomics UK (COG-UK) Consortium, Consortium members from Newcastle University, Duncan C, Payne R, Sanderson R, O'Brien S, Rushton S, Payne B, Waugh S, Taha Y. SARS-CoV-2 Omicron is an immune escape variant with an altered cell entry pathway. Nature Microbiology 2022, Epub ahead of print.
• Butler L, Sanderson RA. A rapid method for quantifying small-scale vegetation patch structure to complement conventional quadrat surveys. Applied Vegetation Science 2021, 24(3), e12610.
• Saad SM, Sanderson R, Robertson P, Lambert M. Effects of supplementary feed for game birds on activity of brown rats Rattus norvegicus on arable farms. Mammal Research 2021, 66, 163-171.
• Gupta G, Dunn J, Sanderson R, Fuller R, McGowan PJK. A simple method for assessing the completeness of a geographic range size estimate. Global Ecology and Conservation 2020, 21, e00788.
• Sanderson RA, Newton S, Selvidge J. Effects of vegetation cutting on invertebrate communities of high conservation value Calluna upland peatlands. Insect Conservation and Diversity 2020, 13(3), 239-249.
• Gowing JW, Golicha DD, Sanderson RA. Integrated crop-livestock farming offers a solution to soil fertility mining in semi-arid Kenya: evidence from Marsabit County. International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability 2020, 18(6), 492-504.
• Davis H, Stergiadis S, Chatzidimitriou E, Sanderson R, Leifert C, Butler G. Meeting Breeding Potential in Organic and Low-Input Dairy Farming. Frontiers in Veterinary Science 2020, 7, 544149.
• Poll AA, Lee J, Sanderson RA, Byrne E, Gatehouse JA, Sadanandom A, Gatehouse AM, Edwards MG. Septoria leaf blotch and reduced nitrogen availability alter WRKY transcription factor expression in a codependent manner. International Journal of Molecular Sciences 2020, 21(11), 4165.
• Zohoori FV, Maguire A, Martinez-Mier EA, Buzalaf MAR, Sanderson R, Eckert GJ. A Comparison of Simple Analytical Methods for Determination of Fluoride in Microlitre-Volume Plasma Samples. Caries Research 2019, 53(3), 275-283.
• Rushton SP, Sanderson RA, Diggle PJ, Shirley MDF, Blain AP, Lake I, Maas JA, Reid WDK, Hardstaff J, Williams N, Jones NR, Rigby D, Stachan NJC, Forbes KJ, Hunter PR, Humphrey TJ, O'Brien SJ. Climate, human behaviour or environment: individual-based modelling of Campylobacter seasonality and strategies to reduce disease burden. Journal of Translational Medicine 2019, 17, 34.
• O'Brien SJ, Sanderson RA, Rushton SP. Control of norovirus infection. Current Opinion in Gastroenterology 2019, 35(1), 14-19.
• Zohoori FV, Omid N, Sanderson RA, Valentine RA, Maguire A. Fluoride retention in infants living in fluoridated and non-fluoridated areas: Effects of weaning. British Journal of Nutrition 2019, 121(1), 74-81.
• Logan SA, Phuekvilai P, Sanderson R, Wolff K. Reproductive and population genetic characteristics of leading-edge and central populations of two temperate forest tree species and implications for range expansion. Forest Ecology and Management 2019, 433, 475-486.
• Patterson ESP, Sanderson RA, Eyre MD. Soil tillage reduces arthropod biodiversity and has lag effects within organic and conventional crop rotations. Journal of Applied Entomology 2019, 143(4), 430-440.
• Rushton SP, Sanderson RA, Reid WDK, Shirley MDF, Harris JP, Hunter PR, O'Brien SJ. Transmission routes of rare seasonal diseases: the case of norovirus infections. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 2019, 374(1776), 20180267.
• Bull AT, Idris H, Sanderson R, Asenjo J, Andrews B, Goodfellow M. High altitude, hyper-arid soils of the Central-Andes harbor mega-diverse communities of actinobacteria. Extremophiles 2018, 22(1), 47-57.
• Evans C, Sanderson R. Long-Term Fertiliser Regimes have both Direct and Indirect Effects on Arthropod Community Composition and Feeding Guilds. Journal of Applied Entomology 2018, 142(1-2), 230-240.
• Goodfellow M, Nouioui I, Sanderson R, Xie F, Bull AT. Rare taxa and dark microbial matter: novel bioactive actinobacteria abound in Atacama Desert soils. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek 2018, 111(8), 1315-1332.
• Sanderson RA, Maas JA, Blain AP, Gorton R, Ward J, O'Brien SJ, Hunter PR, Rushton SP. Spatio-temporal models to determine association between Campylobacter cases and environment. International Journal of Epidemiology 2018, 47(1), 202-216.
• Idris H, Goodfellow M, Sanderson R, Asenjo JA, Bull AT. Actinobacterial Rare Biospheres and Dark Matter Revealed in Habitats of the Chilean Atacama Desert. Scientific Reports 2017, 7(1), 8373.
• Srednicka-Tober D, Baranski M, Seal CJ, Sanderson R, Benbrook C, Steinshamn H, Gromadzka-Ostrowska J, Rembialkowska E, Skwarlo-Sonta K, Eyre M, Cozzi G, Larsen MK, Jordon T, Niggli U, Sakowski T, Calder PC, Burdge GC, Sotiraki S, Stefanakis A, Yolcu H, Stergiadis S, Chatzidimitriou E, Butler G, Stewart G, Leifert C. Composition differences between organic and conventional meat: a systematic literature review and meta-analysis. British Journal of Nutrition 2016, 115(6), 994-1011.
• Eyre MD, Sanderson RA, McMillan SD, Critchley CNR. Crop cover the principal influence on non-crop ground beetle (Coleoptera, Carabidae) activity and assemblages at the farm scale in a long-term assessment. Bulletin of Entomological Research 2016, 106(2), 242-248.
• Srednicka-Tober D, Baranski M, Seal CJ, Sanderson R, Benbrook C, Steinshamn H, Gromadzka-Ostrowska J, Rembialkowska E, Skwarlo-Sonta K, Eyre M, Cozzi G, Larsen MK, Jordon T, Niggli U, Sakowski T, Calder PC, Burdge GC, Sotiraki S, Stefanakis A, Stergiadis S, Yolcu H, Chatzidimitriou E, Butler G, Stewart G, Leifert C. Higher PUFA and n-3 PUFA, conjugated linoleic acid, α-tocopherol and iron, but lower iodine and selenium concentrations in organic milk: a systematic literature review and meta- and redundancy analyses. British Journal of Nutrition 2016, 115(6), 1043-1060.
• Srednicka-Tober D, Baranski M, Seal C, Sanderson R, Stewart G, Benbrook C, Rembialkovska E, Niggli U, Volakakis N, Leifert C. Higher antioxidant and lower cadmium concentrations and lower incidence of pesticide residues in organically grown crops: a systematic literature review and meta-analyses. In: 12th European Nutrition Conference (FENS). 2015, Berlin, Germany: Karger.
• Kimanzi JK, Sanderson RA, Rushton SP, Mugo MJ. Spatial distribution of snares in Ruma National Park, Kenya, with implications for management of the roan antelope Hippotragus equinus langheldi and other wildlife. Oryx 2015, 49(02), 295-302.
• Sanderson RA, Goffe LA, Leifert C. Time-series models to quantify short-term effects of meteorological conditions on bumblebee forager activity in agricultural landscapes. Agricultural and Forest Entomology 2015, 17(3), 270–276.
• Kimanzi J, Sanderson R, Rushton S. Habitat suitability modelling and implications for management of roan antelopes in Kenya. African Journal of Ecology 2014, 52(1), 111-121.
• Baranski M, Srednicka-Tober D, Volakakis N, Seal C, Sanderson R, Stewart GB, Benbrook C, Biavati B, Markellou E, Giotis C, Gromadzka-Ostrowska J, Rembialkowska E, Skwarlo-Sonta K, Tahvonen R, Janovska D, Niggli U, Nicot P, Leifert C. Higher antioxidant and lower cadmium concentrations and lower incidence of pesticide residues in organically grown crops: a systematic literature review and meta-analyses. British Journal of Nutrition 2014, 112(5), 794-811.
• Brandt K, Srednicka-Tober D, Baranski M, Sanderson R, Leifert C, Seal CJ. Methods for Comparing Data across Differently Designed Agronomic Studies: Examples of Different Meta-analysis Methods Used to Compare Relative Composition of Plant Foods Grown Using Organic or Conventional Production Methods and a Protocol for a Systematic Review. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 2013, 61(30), 7173-7180.
• Brandt K, Leifert C, Sanderson R, Seal CJ. Agroecosystem management and nutritional quality of plant foods: The case of organic fruits and vegetables. Critical Reviews in Plant Sciences 2011, 30(1-2), 177-197.
• Cooper J, Sanderson R, Cakmak I, Ozturk L, Shotton P, Carmichael A, Haghighi RS, Tetard-Jones C, Volakakis N, Eyre M, Leifert C. Effect of Organic and Conventional Crop Rotation, Fertilization, and Crop Protection Practices on Metal Contents in Wheat (Triticum aestivum). Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 2011, 59(9), 4715-4724.
• Goulson D, Lepais O, O'Connor S, Osborne JL, Sanderson RA, Cussans J, Goffe L, Darvill B. Effects of land use at a landscape scale on bumblebee nest density and survival. Journal of Applied Ecology 2010, 47(6), 1207-1215.
• Lepais O, Darvill B, O'Connor S, Osborne JL, Sanderson RA, Cussans J, Goffe L, Goulson D. Estimation of bumblebee queen dispersal distances using sibship reconstruction method. Molecular Ecology 2010, 19(4), 819-831.
• Lagisz M, Wolff K, Sanderson RA, Laskowski R. Genetic population structure of the ground beetle, Pterostichus oblongopunctatus, inhabiting a fragmented and polluted landscape: evidence for sex-biased dispersal. Journal of Insect Science 2010, 10, 105.
• Cussans J, Goulson D, Sanderson R, Goffe L, Darvill B, Osborne JL. Two Bee-Pollinated Plant Species Show Higher Seed Production when Grown in Gardens Compared to Arable Farmland. PLoS One 2010, 5(7), e11753.
• Knight ME, Osborne JL, Sanderson RA, Hale RJ, Martin AP, Goulson D. Bumblebee nest density and the scale of available forage in arable landscapes. Insect Conservation and Diversity 2009, 2(2), 116-124.
• Butler G, Collomb M, Rehberger B, Sanderson R, Eyre M, Leifert C. Conjugated linoleic acid isomer concentrations in milk from high- and low-input management dairy systems. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 2009, 89(4), 697-705.
• Eyre MD, Sanderson RA, Shotton PN, Leifert C. Investigating the effects of crop type, fertility management and crop protection on the activity of beneficial invertebrates in an extensive farm management comparison trial. Annals of Applied Biology 2009, 155(2), 267-276.
• Osborne JL, Martin AP, Carreck NL, Swain JL, Knight ME, Goulson D, Hale RJ, Sanderson RA. Bumblebee flight distances in relation to the forage landscape. Journal of Animal Ecology 2008, 77(2), 406-415.
• Butler G, Nielsen JH, Slots T, Seal C, Eyre MD, Sanderson R, Leifert C. Fatty acid and fat-soluble antioxidant concentrations in milk from high- and low-input conventional and organic systems: seasonal variation. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 2008, 88(8), 1431-1441.
• Pless-Mulloli T, Glinianaia SV, Rankin J, Pearce MS, Rushton S, Ghosh R, Lurz P, Sanderson R, Shirley M, Diggle P, Fanshawe T, Charlton M, Parker L. Maternal exposure to air pollution and perinatal outcomes: methodological approaches to exposure assessment and preliminary findings of the UK particulate matter and perinatal events research (PAMPER) study. European Epimarker 2008, 12(2), 1-12.
• Fanshawe TR, Diggle PJ, Rushton SP, Sanderson RA, Lurz PWW, Glinianaia SV, Pearce MS, Parker L, Charlton M, Pless-Mulloli T. Modelling spatio-temporal variation in exposure to particulate matter: a two-stage approach. Environmetrics 2008, 19(6), 549-566.
• Bertolino S, Lurz P, Sanderson RA, Rushton SP. Predicting the spread of the American grey squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) in Europe: A call for a co-ordinated European approach. Biological Conservation 2008, 141(10), 2564-2575.
• Osborne JL, Martin AP, Shortall CR, Todd AD, Goulson D, Knight ME, Hale RJ, Sanderson RA. Quantifying and comparing bumblebee nest densities in gardens and countryside habitats. Journal of Applied Ecology 2008, 45(3), 784-792.
• Kirkham FW, Tallowin JRB, Sanderson RA, Bhogal A, Chambers BJ, Stevens DP. The impact of organic and inorganic fertilizers and lime on the species-richness and plant functional characteristics of hay meadow communities. Biological Conservation 2008, 141(5), 1411-1427.
• Pless-Mulloli T, Diggle P, Rushton S, Lurz P, Glinianaia S, Sanderson R. Dynamic modeling of space-time variation of black smoke in an industrial urban setting. In: Epidemiology: 19th Annual Conference of the International Society for Environmental Epidemiology. 2007, Mexico City, Mexico: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
• Martin AP, Carreck NL, Swain JL, Goulson D, Knight ME, Hale RJ, Sanderson RA, Osborne JL. A modular system for trapping and mass-marking bumblebees: Applications for studying food choice and foraging range. Apidologie 2006, 37(3), 341-350.
• Rhind P, Stevens D, Sanderson R. A review and floristic analysis of lichen-rich grey dune vegetation in Britain. Biology and Environment 2006, 106(3), 301-310.
• Greaves RK, Sanderson RA, Rushton SP. Predicting species occurrence using information-theoretic approaches and significance testing: An example of dormouse distribution in Cumbria, UK. Biological Conservation 2006, 130(2), 239-250.
• Buchanan GM, Grant MC, Sanderson RA, Pearce-Higgins JW. The contribution of invertebrate taxa to moorland bird diets and the potential implications of land-use management. Ibis 2006, 148(4), 615-628.
• Knight ME, Martin AP, Bishop S, Osborne JL, Hale RJ, Sanderson RA, Goulson D. An interspecific comparison of foraging range and nest density of four bumblebee (Bombus) species. Molecular Ecology 2005, 14(6), 1811-1820.
• Eyre MD, Woodward JC, Sanderson RA. Assessing the relationship between grassland Auchenorrhyncha (Homoptera) and land cover. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 2005, 109(3-4), 187-191.
• Sanderson RA, Eyre MD, Rushton SP. Distribution of selected macroinvertebrates in a mosaic of temporary and permanent freshwater ponds as explained by autologistic models. Ecography 2005, 28(3), 355-362.
• Sanderson RA, Eyre MD, Rushton SP. The influence of stream invertebrate composition at neighbouring sites on local assemblage composition. Freshwater Biology 2005, 50(2), 221-231.
• Sanderson RA, Tucker K, Rushton SP, Martin EB. Modelling bird distributions - a combined GIS and Bayesian rule-based approach. Landscape Ecology, 12, No 2, 77-93 1997.
• Sanderson RA, Rushton S, Luff M, Fuller R. Modelling the spatial dynamics of ground beetles (Carabidae) within landscapes. Annales Zoologici Fennici, 33, 233-241 1996.
• Rushton, S. P., Sanderson, R.A., Luff, M.L. & Fuller, R. (1996). Modelling the spatial dynamics of ground beetles (Carabidae) within landscapes. Annales Zoologi Fennici 1996, 33, 233-241.