Thomas Hesselberg
Thomas is a zoologist who has studied spiders, insects and worms for more than 15 years in both temperate and tropical climates. In addition to his teaching for OUDCE, he is a lecturer in biological sciences at St. Anne's College.
Courses
Why do plants have names like 'all-heal', 'woundwort' and 'eyebright'? We'll look at the historical and present use of plants in herbal and mainstream medicine, and see how plant-based chemicals act on the body to alleviate the symptoms of disease.
Questions arise surrounding the application of genomics and its benefit to society. How can it be useful to our health? What are the ethics of data usage and consent? What are the policies beyond genomics projects?
Chewing, barking, jumping up, aggression; our one-day course will explore the most common behaviour problems seen in pet dogs. What is normal versus abnormal behaviour? We'll explore a range of approaches and treatments used to resolve these issues.
Why do animals behave the way they do? In this course we will look at the full range of behaviours found in the animal kingdom, from simple escape behaviours to complex tool use and their evolution.
An overview of what cancer is and why the disease has proved so difficult to treat; discover why each patient's disease is different and how imaging helps tailor treatment to the individual, while understanding how radiotherapy and clinical trials work.
While people value animals as a source of income, food or medicine, communities living with wildlife may consider it a nuisance or threat. This course explores the intricate relationship between humans and animals from a conservation biology perspective.
With increased human activity, travel and trade, comes an increase in the spread of non-native species and wildlife diseases. What impact do they have on global biodiversity? How can we conserve wildlife in such dynamic times?
For thousands of years people have tried to cure and prevent disease. Some treatments seem to work well, and some not at all - but how do we know? We will briefly explore how clinical trials try to answer the question: does it work?
Do animals lie? Yes, they do! Deception, fraud, the ability to distort information and recognise false signals are vital in nature. Explore these themes, and learn how biological strategies of deception were used to protect the 2012 London Olympic Games.
Nature supports an impressive diversity of animal species. Learn how these are grouped in an evolutionary framework and explore fascinating physiological, morphological and behavoiural adaptations across the animal kingdom.
Why do animals behave the way they do? In this course we will look at the full range of behaviours found in the animal kingdom, from simple escape behaviours to complex tool use and their evolution.
Do genes have an artistic pattern? We address some of the beautiful structures of genes in their 3D shapes and how they translate into function. We first introduce basics about genes then look at a gallery of different genes and their functions.
Join us for a multidisciplinary day in praise of the beech and the birch: as habitat, in legend and history, in practical use, as characters in poetry and prose. Join us for shingles, love tokens, orchids, witches' brooms, chairs, Robbie Burns and more.