Doctor James Makinson
I am a behavioural ecologist interested in the foraging ecology and communication behaviour of social Hymenoptera such as honey bees, bumblebees and stingless bees. At the start of 2019 I commenced employment at HIE as a postdoctoral research fellow studying stingless bee biology and pollination services. My area of focus is the foraging behaviour of stingless bees on tropical crops such as macadamia, avocado, lychee and mango. I am particularly interested in monitoring the foraging behaviour of Australian stingless bees using telemetry and hive monitoring technology.
Prior to my current position I was jointly based at Queen Mary University of London and Rothamsted Research, where I used harmonic radar technology to track the flight paths of honey bees and bumblebees. During my PhD I studied collective behaviour in European and Asian honey bees, decoding the waggle dance communication system to understand how relocating honey bee swarms co-ordinate group departure. Through my work I have organised and conducted numerous field trips in Australia, Thailand, the UK and Spain.
Areas of research/teaching expertise
Behaviour, animal communication, collective decision-making, pollination, foraging ecology.
Awards and recognition
- Anne Sleep Award, 2017
- 1st place, FameLab Australia 2014 NSW state heat
- Sydney University Science Communication Prize, 2012
- Centre of Mathematical Biology (CMB) top-up award, 2011-2013
- Australian Postgraduate Award (APA), 2009-2013
Grants
Supporting the health and expansion of the Australian stingless bee industry
Co-Researchers: James Cook, Markus Riegler, Robert Spooner-Hart , Sally Power, Amy-Marie Gilpin
Partner/Funding Body: Horticulture Innovation Australia
Period: 2023-2028
How will climate change impact mango cultivars and their pollinators?
Co-Researcher: James Cook
Partner/funding body: Australia-India Council
Period: 2022-2025
Crop and varietal data to better understand the importance of pollination
Co-Researchers: James Cook, Markus Riegler, Ben Moore, Sally Power and James Makinson
Partner/Funding Body: Horticulture Innovation Australia [via Plant and Food Research, New Zealand]
Period: 2022-2026
- Envision Studentship PhD scholarship, from 2018-2020
- Percy Sladen Memorial Fund Grant, 2015
- Postgraduate Research Support Scheme (PRSS), 2013
- Postgraduate Research Support Scheme (PRSS), 2012
- IUSSI student travel grant, 2012
- ASSAB Student Grant, 2011
- IUSSI student travel grant, 2011
- Endeavour Research Fellowship, 2010-2011
- Postgraduate Research Support Scheme (PRSS), 2010
People
- Professor Matthias Boer
- Associate Professor Yolima Carrillo
- Associate Professor Chris Cazzonelli
- Professor Brendan Choat
- Professor James Cook (Theme Leader - Plants Animals and Interactions)
- Doctor Eleonora Egidi
- Professor David Ellsworth
- Doctor Manuel Esperon
- Doctor Adam Frew
- Associate Professor Rachael Gallagher
- Professor Oula Ghannoum
- Doctor Christopher Gordon
- Professor Scott Johnson
- Associate Professor Catriona Macdonald
- Doctor James Makinson
- Doctor Jessica Meade
- Distinguished Professor Belinda Medlyn (Theme Leader - Ecosystem Function and Integration)
- Associate Professor Ben Moore
- Professor Uffe Nielsen (Theme Leader - Soil Biology and Genomics)
- Associate Professor Rachael Nolan
- Associate Professor Alexie Papanicolaou
- Professor Elise Pendall
- Associate Professor Jonathan Plett
- Professor Jeff Powell
- Professor Sally Power
- Doctor Renée Marchin Prokopavicius
- Professor Markus Riegler
- Associate Professor Paul Rymer
- Doctor Demi Sargent
- Associate Professor Robert Sharwood
- Distinguished Professor Brajesh Singh
- Professor Ben Smith (Director of Research)
- Distinguished Professor David Tissue
- Professor Mark Tjoelker (Interim Director)
- Doctor Bin Wang
- Doctor Jun-Tao Wang
- Professor Justin Welbergen
- Distinguished Professor Ian Wright (Chief Scientist)
Honorary and Adjunct Appointments
