Evolutionary Medicine

Welcome to the Dugdale Research Group

We are interested in the evolution of within- and between-individual differences in behavioural and life-history traits. Our focus is the evolution of senescence. One of the most profound challenges we all face is that we deteriorate with age – a process known as senescence. Individuals clearly senesce differently, but our understanding of how and why individuals senesce in such different ways remains limited. Our research takes a comprehensive and integrative approach to investigate why individual variation in senescence evolved and is maintained. This will generate vital knowledge on how individuals can live longer, healthier lives.