Dr Alison Karley

James Hutton Institute

Agroecologist with expertise in plant production and ecology, focussing on improved pest biocontrol under reduced inputs and a changing climate.

Dr Karley's focus is identifying traits that allow arable plants to perform optimally with reduced inputs, developed through co-innovation projects with industry partners. This is complemented by research examining how plant and insect herbivore traits interact to affect insect pest success and biocontrol. Her research is used to inform management practices to optimise the biodiversity, sustainability and resilience of agricultural systems to environmental stress. AJK co-ordinates the Horizon 2020- funded project DIVERSify and is a partner in the Horizon 2020 MSC-ITN project MiRA. She has been PI and Co- PI on many collaborative projects funded by Innovate UK, UK levy boards, Defra, BBSRC and industry sources, and played a lead role in securing Scottish Government funding (2006-2011 and 2011-2016). She is a Visiting Lecturer at the University of St Andrews, has more than 50 peer-reviewed research publications and is an Associate Editor for the journal Ecological Entomology.