portrait photo of Christian Drerup

Dr Christian Drerup

Subject: Biology, Plant Sciences and Zoology, Biology

Department: Biology

Academic position: Fellow by Examination in Biological Sciences

Background:

I will join Magdalen College as a Fellow by Examination in Biology in April 2026 after finishing a Postdoctoral Research Associate position at Durham University.

I completed my PhD in Zoology at the University of Cambridge, after receiving a M.Sc. in Marine Biology from the University of Algarve (Portugal) and a B.Sc. in Biology from the University of Kiel (Germany).

Research:

To make informed decision and increase their fitness, animals rely on detecting, localising, and extracting information from their environment through their sensory systems. My research specialises in understanding how animals perceive sensory information in their environment, how this information is processed and translated into behavioural traits and strategies, and how animals exploit perceptual constraints in the visual systems of other animals for their own survival. I am particularly interested in the ‘visual arms race’ between predators and prey, i.e. which adaptations animals have evolved to detect predators and prey, especially in perceptually challenging environments, and how animals use visual camouflage techniques to remain undetected and avoid predation.

Selected Publications: