Humans of BioSciences: Devi Stuart-Fox

Meet Professor Devi Stuart-Fox, leader of the Biology of Light and Colour group, exploring how animals create and see colour, from shimmering lizards to vibrant birds. Inspired by a love of the bush and nature’s patterns, Devi studies what colour might reveal about evolution. Outside science, Devi’s happiest in the veggie garden, cooking or camping.

What do you do in the School?

I joined the School as a lecturer in 2007 and became a Professor in 2020. I lead a research group on the biology of light and colour. We study colours in nature – how they are produced and perceived in different animal groups (lizards, insects, birds, spiders), and their biological function. We tackle questions at different scales of biological organisation – from nanometre-scale structures that produce colour in animals to global patterns of colour diversity. I also teach into subjects in the areas of evolutionary biology, animal behaviour and field ecology and I am chair of examiners for PhD theses.

Why do you do what you do?

I love the bush. And I love colours in nature. Intellectually I have always been drawn to evolutionary biology as a way to explain life’s amazing diversity. So, my scientific questions are driven by curiosity and grounded in both evolutionary theory and natural history. I hope to contribute to our understanding of interesting biological phenomena, some of which may have technological applications in bioinspired materials.

My personal motivations for doing what I do have changed throughout my career. Initially I was strongly motivated by travel and adventure. My PhD and postdoc enabled me to travel and do fieldwork in many parts of the world. Once I started an ongoing position, I was motivated to achieve professionally and scientifically. And as I became more senior, I could create opportunities for others. Being able to support, train and sponsor others is now my strongest motivation and greatest source of job satisfaction.

What’s the most challenging thing about your job?

Saying no! There are so many opportunities to start new research projects and collaborations, and to contribute to the university and to my profession. In this job, we make choices every day to say yes or no to requests and opportunities. Sometimes, it is hard to get the balance right.

What was the most pivotal point in your career to date?

I don’t think there has been a single pivotal point in my career. I think that careers are constantly shaped by chance, circumstances and the people we intersect with – more than we may often acknowledge. When I look back at my career, many formative experiences happened by chance, but I seized opportunities. For example, during my PhD I taught on a one month field course run by the Wildlife Conservation Society in a remote part of Papua New Guinea. This was just chance – my friend knew the organisers and learnt that one of the course instructors was sick and they were looking for someone to teach on the course at short notice. I immediately put my hand up. I can think of so many examples like this in my life.

What do you enjoy doing outside of science?

I really like food – I enjoy growing food (our whole back yard is veggie garden), harvesting it, cooking (I am a feeder) and eating it. I also love hiking and camping.