Donation funds DPhil studentship in Wildlife Monitoring

Lyme disease is a bacterial illness that can cause fever, fatigue, joint pain, and skin rash, as well as more serious joint and nervous system complications, and is the most common vector-borne disease in the United States. The disease is spread by ticks who are present in forests and woodlands. The Oxford Robotics Institute, supported by the Breitman Family Foundation, aim to develop remotely deployable monitoring stations to track the presence and activity of ticks through common hosts such as mice and other rodents. The 3.5 year DPhil studentship is funded by a generous donation from the Breitman Family Foundation.

The gift will enable a promising student to pursue in-depth research aimed at tackling this pressing challenge, as part of the SafeHike - Remote Monitoring of Small Mammals for Conservation and Public Health project. The successful applicant will begin their studies in October and be supervised by Professor Maurice Fallon, Professor of Robotics and Royal Society University Research Fellow, who leads the Dynamic Robot Systems Group (Perception). The group’s research focuses on mapping, 3D perception and navigation and has a particular focus on forestry and biodiversity. Every field trial in a forest requires consideration of ticks and tick-borne encephalitis (TBE).

The studentship will improve understanding of tick risk and translate this knowledge into practical, responsible tools that support safer engagement with natural environments. The research will develop sensing technologies and physical systems, such as sensorised animal traps, to enable data-driven analysis of when and where ticks are active. This will include image processing using both conventional and thermal cameras, with the goal of deploying prototype sensors in a real-world testbed and enabling spatial modelling of parasite activity across large areas.

Randy Breitman from the Breitman Family Foundation says, “Tick-borne diseases are a growing global public health epidemic, including Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, babesiosis, ehrlichiosis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and Powassan virus. Ticks are now found on every continent except Antarctica, exposing hundreds of millions of people worldwide. In the United States alone, nearly half a million people are diagnosed and treated for Lyme disease each year, with tick-borne infections continuing to rise. As tick populations expand, they increasingly shape how people interact with nature - affecting families, workers, pets, livestock, and overall quality of life. Through this studentship, the Breitman Family Foundation is proud to support research at the intersection of robotics, ecology, and data science to better characterize risk and translate that understanding into practical, responsible tools that help communities engage with natural spaces more confidently."

Professor Fallon adds, “We have carried out regular field trials in our forestry robotics research. The threat of ticks and the diseases they carry makes effects our freedom to explore and enjoy our parks and forests. It’s exciting to be able to study this issue and to develop technology which will help monitor and educate about this risk."

The DPhil studentship is now accepting applicants with a 3 March 2026 deadline. Further details on how to apply can be found here.