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Professor Richard (Dez) Delahay
National Wildlife Management Centre
Animal & Plant Health Agency
Sand Hutton
York
YO41 1LZ
Telephone 01453 861400/07786 186885
E-mail dez.delahay@apha.gsi.gov.uk
Summary
- Established track record of research and publication in wildlife ecology, specialising in the epidemiology and management of infectious disease in wildlife.
- 114 peer-reviewed publications.
- Successful record of securing high levels of science funding.
- Established record of provision of policy advice to government departments.
- History of successful collaborative research with government agencies and academic partners.
- Successful science communicator with regular contributions to national and international meetings.
Professional experience
1996–present. Senior Scientist, National Wildlife Management Centre, Animal & Plant Health Agency.
- Science lead on research related to epidemiology and management of TB in badgers
- Principal current areas of research interest include:
- Host behaviour and the epidemiology and management of TB in wildlife
- Optimal deployment of field diagnostics for TB
- Responses of wildlife populations to disease management interventions
- Vaccination as a strategy for the control of TB in badgers
- Whole genome sequencing of Mycobacterium bovis in badger populations
- Energetics of TB infection in badgers
- Provision of advice to Ministers and senior officials in Defra and devolved administrations
- Home Office project licence and Natural England licence holder
1995–1996. Post-doctoral research assistant, Institute of Terrestrial Ecology (ITE).
- Field investigations of red and grey squirrel distribution
- Ecology and epidemiology of helminth parasitism in free-living domestic, feral and wild cats
1995. Scientific Officer, Forestry Authority & ITE.
- Reproductive biology of Sika deer
1994–1995. Assistant Scientific Officer, ITE.
- Ecology and management of uplands for red grouse
Education
- PhD. 1995 The epidemiology and pathology of threadworm infections in red grouse. Aberdeen University.
- BSc. 1990 (1st Class Hons.) Environmental Science. Plymouth University
Positions held
| 2012-present | Honorary visiting Professor, University of Exeter. |
| 2012-present | Visiting lecturer and member of expert panel, ANTIGONE European network on global epidemics |
| 2011-present | Visiting scientist, Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust |
| 2007-present | Visiting lecturer, Wildlife Health MSc, Royal Veterinary College |
| 2007–present | Honorary Fellow, Department of Veterinary Pathology, Liverpool University |
| 2005-present | Member of Editorial Board, Mammal Review |
| 2005-2010 | Visiting lecturer, Wildlife Biology Diploma, Bristol University |
| 2004-present | Member of Defra Vaccine Programmes Advisory Group |
| 2003-2009 | Member of Board of European Wildlife Disease Association (EWDA) |
| 2008 | Member of scientific & organising committees, EWDA conference, Croatia |
| 2007 | Principal organiser, Wildlife Disease Ecology & Management conference, York |
PhD students
| Clare Benton | Spatio-temporal dynamics of TB infection in badgers (Exeter University) |
| Beatrice Downing | Social networks and disease management in birds (Exeter University) |
| Chris Beirne | (2015) Senescence in a badger population (Exeter University) |
| Neil Walker | (2014) Statistical models of TB infection in badgers (Bristol University) |
| David McClune | (2014) Energetics, behaviour and disease in badgers (Queens University, Belfast) |
| Andrew Robertson | (2012) Evolutionary ecology of foraging in a social mammal (Exeter University) |
| Alex Tomlinson | (2012) Life-history correlates of TB infection in badgers (Liverpool University) |
| John Davison | (2007) Ecology of urban badgers (University of Sussex) |
| Bryony Tolhurst | (2006) Badger behaviour and TB transmission (University of Sussex) |
| Richard Young | (2005) Intra-guild predation in mammal populations (University of Southampton) |
| Tim Hounsome | (2005) Impact of badgers on ground nesting birds (Aberdeen University) |
| Ben Garnett | (2002) Behavioural aspects of TB infection in badgers (University of Sussex) |
Selected relevant publications (2007+)
Delahay, R. J., Smith, G. C. & Hutchings, M. R. (2008). Management of Disease in Wild Mammals. Springer Tokyo. pp284.
Robertson, A., McDonald, R. A., Delahay, R. J., Kelly, S. & Bearhop, S. (2014). Individual foraging specialisation in a social mammal: the European badger (Meles meles). Oecologia doi 10.1007/s00442-014-3019-2.
Trewby, I. D., […] & Delahay, R. J. (2014). Impacts of removing badgers on localised counts of hedgehogs. PLoS ONE 9 (4), e95477. Doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0095477.
Gortazar, C., […], Delahay, R. J., et al. (2014). Crossing the Interspecies Barrier: Opening the Door to Zoonotic Pathogens. PLoS Pathogens 10(6), e1004129.
McDonald, J. L., Smith, G. C., McDonald, R. A., Delahay, R. J. & Hodgson, D. (2014). Mortality trajectory analysis reveals the drivers of sex-specific epidemiology in natural wildlife-disease interactions. Proceedings of the Royal Society Series B.281:20140526.
Beirne, C., Delahay, R., Hares, M. & Young, A. (2014). Age-related declines and disease-associated variation in immune cell telomere length in a wild mammal. PLoS ONE 9(9): e108964. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0108964.
Tomlinson, A. J., […], Delahay, R. J., et al. (2013). Heterogeneity in the risk of Mycobacterium bovis infection in European badger (Meles meles) cubs. Epidemiology & Infection 141, 1458-1466. doi: 10.1017/S095026881300040X.
Drewe, J. A., […], Delahay, R. J., et al. (2013). Patterns of direct and indirect contact among cattle and badgers naturally infected with tuberculosis: heterogeneity in individual behaviour and tuberculosis transmission risks. Epidemiology & Infection 141, 1467-1475. doi: 10.1017/S0950268813000691.
Delahay, R. J. et al. (2013). Long-term temporal trends and estimated transmission rates for Mycobacterium bovis infection in an undisturbed high density badger (Meles meles) population. Epidemiology & Infection 141, 1445–1456. doi:10.1017/S0950268813000721
Weber, N., Carter, S. P., Dall, S. R. X., Delahay, R. J., McDonald, J. L., Bearhop, S. & McDonald, R. A. (2013). Badger social networks correlate with tuberculosis infection. Current Biology 23(20), R1-R2.
Judge, J., Wilson, G. J., Macarthur, R., Delahay, R. J. & McDonald, R. A. (2013). Density and abundance of badger social groups in England and Wales in 2011-2013. Scientific Reports 4, 3809. doi: 10.1038/srep03809.
Graham, J., Smith, G., Delahay, R. J., Bailey, T.C., McDonald, R. & Hodgson, D. (2013). Multistate modelling reveals sex-dependent transmission progression and severity of tuberculosis in wild badgers. Epidemiology & Infection 141, 1429-1436.
Weber, N., […], Delahay, R. J., et al. (2013). Denning behaviour in the European badger (Meles meles) correlates with bovine tuberculosis infection status. Behavioural Ecology & Sociobiology 67, 471–479.
Balseiro, A., […], Delahay, R. J., et al. (2013). Spatial relationships between Eurasian badgers (Meles meles) and cattle infected with Mycobacterium bovis in Northern Spain. Veterinary Microbiology 197(3), 739-745. doi: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2013.03.017.
Carter, S.P., […] Delahay, R.J., et al. (2012) BCG vaccination reduces risk of tuberculosis infection in vaccinated badgers and unvaccinated badger cubs. PLOS ONE. 7: e49833.
Gortázar, C., Delahay, R., McDonald, R., Boadella, M., Wilson, G., Gavier-Widen, D. & Acevedo, P. (2012). The status of tuberculosis in European wildlife. Mammal Review 42, 193-206.
Mill, A. C., […] Delahay, R. J. & McDonald, R. A. (2012). Farm-scale risk factors for bovine tuberculosis incidence in cattle herds during the Randomised Badger Culling Trial. Epidemiology & Infection 140, 219-230.
Drewe, J. A., […] & Delahay, R. J. (2012). Performance of proximity loggers in recording intra- and inter-species interactions: a laboratory and field-based validation study. PLOS ONE. 7: e39068.
Jenkins, H. E., Cox, D. R. & Delahay, R. J. (2012). Direction of association between bite wounds and Mycobacterium bovis infection in badgers: implications for transmission. PLOS ONE 7, e45584.
Palphramand, K. L., Walker, N., McDonald, R. A. & Delahay, R. J. (2011). Evaluating seasonal bait delivery to badgers using rhodamine B. European Journal of Wildlife Research 57(1), 35-43.
Travis, E. R., […] Delahay, R. J., et al. (2011). An Inter-laboratory Validation of a Real Time PCR assay to measure host excretion of bacterial pathogens. PLOS ONE 6: e27369.
Riordan, P., Delahay, R.J., et al. (2011). Culling-induced changes in badger (Meles meles) behaviour, social organisation and the epidemiology of bovine tuberculosis. PLOS ONE 6: e28904.
Drewe, J. A., Tomlinson, A., Walker, N. J. & Delahay, R. J. (2010). Diagnostic accuracy and optimal use of three tests for tuberculosis in live badgers. PLOS ONE 5: e11196.
Chambers, M. A., Rogers, F., Delahay, R. J., et al. (2010). Bacillus Calmette-Guérin vaccination reduces the severity and progression of tuberculosis in badgers. Proceedings of the Royal Society. B. 278, 1913-1920. doi:10.1098/rspb.2010.1953
Delahay, R. J., et al. (2007). Bovine tuberculosis infection in wild mammals in South West England: A survey of prevalence and a semi-quantitative assessment of the relative risks to cattle. Veterinary Journal 173(2), 287-301.
Vicente, J., Delahay, R. J., Walker, N. & Cheeseman, C. L. (2007). Social organization and movement influence the incidence of bovine tuberculosis in an undisturbed high density badger Meles meles population. Journal of Animal Ecology 76, 348-360.
Carter, S. P., Delahay, R. J., et al. (2007). Culling-induced social perturbation in Eurasian badgers Meles meles and the management of TB in cattle: an analysis of a critical problem in applied ecology. Proceedings of the Royal Society (Series B) 274, 2769-2777.