Saints Spotlight: Dr Carmel McDougall
Dr Carmel McDougall is a Lecturer in Marine Biology at the Scottish Oceans Institute (SOI). In this month’s Saints Spotlight, she describes the recently published work of her research group in investigating the ecology of previously undocumented tropical and subtropical oyster reefs in Australia, and her involvement in the School of Biology’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion committee.
How did your St Andrews story start?
I first came to St Andrews as a final-year PhD student. My supervisor, Professor David Ferrier, relocated here from the University of Oxford and I tagged along! This gave me a taste of the town, the research culture at St Andrews, and of Scotland (as much as I could see of it on a very limited student budget!). These impressions stayed with me as I moved back home to Australia, working first as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Queensland before becoming a lecturer at Griffith University. When a lectureship was advertised at the Scottish Oceans Institute at St Andrews I jumped at the opportunity, and here I am!
What are your current priorities in your role at the University?
I have a teaching and research role; therefore, my time is split between running my research group and teaching in the areas of invertebrate zoology and evolutionary developmental biology. I’m also the placement coordinator for the Integrated Masters programmes in Marine Biology/Biology.
As well as this I am co-director of the School of Biology’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion committee, leading an incredible group of colleagues to drive constant improvements to the culture of our School (and the University). A current focus is the renewal of the School’s Athena Swan Gold award.
What is the focus of your research at St Andrews?
My research group uses comparative and functional genomics and experimental studies to provide practical outcomes for sustainable aquaculture and marine conservation. Our most recent publication investigates the ecology of previously undocumented tropical and subtropical oyster reefs in Australia. This is particularly exciting as oyster reefs have been classified as ‘functionally extinct’ in many parts of the globe.
We show that these reefs are built by an oyster species that was not previously known to be reef-building, demonstrating the importance of integrating molecular techniques and taxonomy into ecological studies. Our research has also shown that several Indo-Pacific oyster species have significant commercial potential for aquaculture – a finding that has recently been translated to hatchery trials for two of these oyster species.
We also explore fundamental evolutionary questions in marine invertebrates (particularly molluscs). I have recently been awarded funding by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) to study allorecognition (or the lack of it) in bivalves, and to investigate whether this explains the repeated evolution of transmissible cancers in different bivalve species.
Tell us about your proudest achievement.
Seeing the members of my research group graduate and watching what they do next. Research projects (and PhDs in particular) can be very challenging and it’s incredibly rewarding to see all the hard work come to fruition.
Where is your favourite spot in St Andrews?
Along the rocky shores (East Sands, Castle Sands), basically, wherever I can explore rock pools!