Rate My Professor Robert Poulin

Professor Robert Poulin is Professor of Zoology in the Department of Zoology at the University of Otago, where he has been a faculty member since arriving from Canada in 1992. He leads the Evolutionary and Ecological Parasitology research group, focusing on broad questions in parasite ecology and evolution across various host and parasite taxa using experimental, genetic, and meta-analytical approaches. His research interests encompass parasitism, ecology, evolution, and marine ecosystems, particularly the evolutionary ecology of parasites, the effects of parasites on communities and ecosystems, and manipulation of host phenotypes by parasites. Key branches of his programme include forces shaping parasite evolution such as life history traits, host specificity, behavioural manipulation, and transmission complexity; the role of parasites in freshwater and coastal marine ecosystems, influencing diversity, productivity, food web stability, and interactions with climate change; and large-scale patterns of parasite biodiversity and biogeography. Poulin teaches courses including BIOL 112 Animal Biology, ECOL 111 Ecology and Conservation of Diversity, ZOOL 315 Behavioural Evolutionary Ecology, and ZOOL 415 Parasitology.

Poulin is a world leader in parasite ecology and evolution, having authored or co-authored six books, including the internationally recognized Evolutionary Ecology of Parasites (second edition, Princeton University Press, 2007), 25 book chapters, and approximately 450 peer-reviewed journal articles. Highly cited works include Parasites in food webs: the ultimate missing links (2008, 1164 citations), The diversity of parasites (2000, 940 citations), and Parasite manipulation of host behavior: an update and frequently asked questions (2010, 681 citations). His contributions have advanced understanding of parasite-host interactions, ecosystem dynamics, and evolutionary processes. Major awards include the University of Otago Distinguished Research Medal (2013), Fellowship of the New Zealand Royal Society (2001), New Zealand Association of Scientists Research Medal (2001), James Cook Research Fellowship (2002), Robert Arnold Wardle Award (2007), Hutton Medal (2011), and Fellow of the Australian Society for Parasitology (2024).