Red X iconGreen tick iconYellow tick icon

Robert Poulin

Tel +64 3 479 7983
Email robert.poulin@otago.ac.nz

Teaching

Research interests

Ant affected by a parasite 186
Parasitic incursion on an ant.

Professor Poulin's research interests extend across parasitism, ecology, evolution and marine ecosystems:

  • Evolutionary ecology of parasites
  • Effect of parasites on communities and ecosystems
  • Manipulation of host phenotype by parasites

Learn more about this research:
Evolutionary and Ecological Parasitology research group website

Robert is also a member of the Coastal People: Southern Skies collaboration that connects communities with world-leading, cross-discipline research to rebuild coastal ecosystems.
Coastal People: Southern Skies

Postgraduate projects

Thaumamermis zealandica in its amphipod host 186
Thaumamermis zealandica in its amphipod host.

  • Parasitism of molluscs and community structure in marine intertidal ecosystems
  • Impact of parasitism on coastal crustacean species
  • Evolution of abbreviated life cycles in parasitic trematodes
  • Manipulation of invertebrate behaviour by parasites, including the physiological mechanisms involved
  • Molecular genetics of helminth parasite

Publications

Poulin, R., Presswell, B., & Li, C.-H. (2026). Seeing the branches for the leaves: insight into parasite biodiversity from the discovery rates of genera rather than species. International Journal for Parasitology. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2026.104944 Journal - Research Article

Bennett, J., Li, C.-H., Sures, B., Poulin, R., & Selbach, C. (2026). A framework to integrate parasites into micro- and nanoplastic pollution research. Trends in Parasitology. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1016/j.pt.2026.07.013 Journal - Research Other

Hasegawa, R., de Angeli Dutra, D., Presswell, B., Bennett, J., McDougall, C., Buschang, K. E., Chai, X., & Poulin, R. (2026). Does bigger mean sicker? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the intraspecific relationship between host body size and parasite infection across vertebrate taxa. Oikos. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1002/oik.11823 Journal - Research Article

Hasegawa, R., Walter, C. B., & Poulin, R. (2026). Do parasite effects on fish body condition depend on host size and external temperature? A meta-analytic approach. Journal of Zoology. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1111/jzo.70148 Journal - Research Article

Buschang, K., Lagrue, C., Poulin, R., & Bennett, J. (2026). Comparison of detection rates of Toxoplasma gondii among five host tissues and two primer sets in three bird species. Journal of Wildlife Diseases, 62(3), 633-643. doi: 10.7589/JWD-D-25-00189 Journal - Research Article

Back to top