Rate My Professor Theresa Jones

Professor Theresa Jones holds the position of Professor in Evolution & Animal Behaviour in the School of BioSciences within the Faculty of Science at the University of Melbourne. A behavioural and evolutionary ecologist, she investigates how biotic and abiotic stressors affect animal behaviour and physiology, with a particular emphasis on the impacts of artificial light at night (ALAN) on wildlife. Jones earned her undergraduate degree from Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine in the UK and her PhD from the Institute of Zoology in the UK. She leads the Urban Light Lab, where her research explores ALAN's effects on sleep, mating behaviour, immune responses, development, and community structure across more than 20 species in five countries, including a focus on the black field cricket Teleogryllus commodus. Her earlier work examined sexual selection, chemical communication in mate choice, and lekking behaviour in sandflies and beetles. Jones collaborates with stakeholders to develop mitigation strategies for light pollution and has contributed to state and national guidelines in Australia.

Jones's scholarly contributions have had substantial impact in evolutionary ecology and urban biology. Her most cited publication, 'The role of chemical communication in mate choice' (Biological Reviews, 2007), has garnered over 690 citations. Other key works include 'Artificial light at night as a driver of evolution across urban-rural landscapes' (Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 2018), 'Impacts of artificial light at night on sleep: A review and prospectus' (Journal of Experimental Zoology Part A, 2018), 'Sleep ecophysiology: integrating neuroscience and ecology' (Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 2016), and 'Gender differences in conference presentations: a consequence of self-selection?' (PeerJ, 2014). Funded by the Australian Research Council, her projects address ALAN's ecological consequences. She is a member of the Network for Ecological Research on Artificial Light and the Australasian Dark Sky Alliance, advocates for gender equality in STEM, and engages the public through Pursuit articles on urban wildlife, light pollution, and nocturnal insects. Jones teaches subjects such as Animal Structure and Function and supervises PhD students in related fields.