Professor Charles Tyler

Charles is a reproductive physiologist and environmental biologist. His research spans investigations into the mechanisms of endocrine disrupting chemicals and nanoparticle ecotoxicology to assessing population level effects of environmental contaminants in wildlife, principally fish. Much of his research includes applying genetic and genomic techniques to understand the basis of physiological processes and the mechanisms through which they are disrupted by environmental contaminants. He has a deep passion for wildlife and his research projects also include studies on the natural ecology of insects, fish, and birds.

Charles was Director of Research (2003-2009) and he now leads the Environmental Biology research theme and act as Deputy Head for Biosciences. He is also an Academic Lead for the College of Life and Environmental Sciences and he plays roles also in leading various strategic research partnerships with external partners including AstraZeneca and Cefas.

Greg Paull

Aquatic Facilities Manager (Streatham Campus) & NACWO

Dr Gregory Paull is the founding manager and senior NACWO (Named Animal Care and Welfare Officer) of the Aquatic Resources Centre (ARC), a large interdisciplinary £12M facility on Streatham campus. Greg led the design and implementation of the facility in 2011 and oversees a team of experienced husbandry staff to help manage this Centre as well as a number of smaller aquatic facilities on the Exeter campus. The ARC is a rapidly expanding research and teaching facility comprising over 600m2 of working area (including 27 wet and dry lab set ups) which currently supports approximately 20 academic research groups.

The ARC houses a wide range of freshwater and marine species, each relevant to a series of specific research questions including: improving our understanding of biological systems; how pollution entering the environment affects aquatic organisms; monitoring current and predicting future global impacts of climate change and studying aspects of human health including drug development. The ARC, is supported by several laboratory rooms with specialist equipment together with a dedicated water treatment plant (300m2) that provides high quality water that can be tailored to the species studied or research need.

In addition to his facility management and operational skills Greg has a successful research track record in reproductive biology of aquatic animals (including growth, stress, immune function and reproductive condition), as well as numerous ecotoxicology studies using zebrafish and roach.

Greg is also very active in trying to promote improved husbandry and welfare practices for laboratory maintained fish, most notably in zebrafish and more recently in killifish and is co supervisor of PhD work in this area. In 2008, Greg was awarded a Winston Churchill Memorial Trust Travelling Fellowship to study zebrafish (Danio rerio; the most widely used fish species in scientific research) in the wild (Bangladesh), bringing back ideas of how aspects of their natural ecology could be used to improve the housing of these fish which are typically kept in sterile laboratory settings. He was most recently invited by Professor Frank Van Veen and Professor Eduarda Santos to participate in important fieldwork in the Kalimantari Lestari Project Workshop in Palangka Raya, Borneo. This 2022 project involved a highly interdisciplinary effort investigating drivers and impacts of drought and peatland fires in Indonesian Borneo and implications for building resilience through sustainable development including the valuable native species (snakehead) as a possible alternative livelihood/clean food source supply.

Greg is currently a Co-I on two NC3Rs grants; the first with Professor Rod Wilson, investigating the role of water chemistry in zebrafish welfare and reproducibility of research studies and the second with Dr Lucy Hawkes and Dr Matthew Witt, using highly innovative techniques in the field to refine the tagging of pelagic fish and sharks, most recently to deploy bluefin tuna and basking sharks off the UK coasts with sensor devices to monitor post-release welfare. A further NC3R grant for Arabian Killifish was recently secured in a joint effort with University of Exeter researchers Dr Tetsuhiro Kudoh, Dr Rhys Farrer and Dr Mark Ramsdale.

Greg regularly contributes to guidelines/policies developing best practice for working with a range of species maintained at the University and has links with the international research aquaria community, fish husbandry-related industries, and animal welfare organisations and has been a regular contributor at some of the leading zebrafish husbandry workshops for several years. Greg’s contribution to improving husbandry, along with his skilled team, directly contributes to the success of research within the ARC, one notable example recently included overseeing the changes in husbandry practices for a novel fish species (Arabian Killifish) that improved its performance and potential as a model species which can be used more successfully for research applications (including the NC3Rs grant noted above).

Greg previously worked at Cefas (fish histopath and molecular diagnostics disease labs) and studied at Queen Mary, London, Plymouth University and University of Exeter.

When not looking after aquatic creatures and researchers in the ARC Greg can be found engaged in sport (challenging new Uni students at football, badminton and hockey), outdoor / wildlife expeditions and socialising.

Paul Tyson

Deputy Aquatic Facilities Manager & NACWO

Paul has a broad back ground in aquatic operations management ranging from public aquariums to fish health. Starting at his local Sealife center when just 14 years old he heas worked as Curator at several UK aquariums. He now manages the University's Aquatic Recourses Center, provides support to varied research groups and ensures the welfare of 30-40 species of aquatic animals and the associated Life Support Systems.

Outside of work he is a keen photographer, junior football coach and loves climbing mountains, especially in the snow!