Dr Blake Morton

Biography	Formally trained in zoology and psychology, Dr Morton is a university lecturer specialising in animal psychology and wildlife conservation. Dr Morton's research primarily focuses on understanding the behaviour and problem-solving abilities of wild carnivores, particularly foxes, badgers, and pine martens in the United Kingdom through a programme he established in 2021 called the British Carnivore Project (BCP). The primary goals of BCP are to understand what factors drive behavioural adaptability in animals, and how this impacts human attitudes and behaviour towards nature in an ever-changing world. Dr Morton's research is published in world-leading journals for animal behaviour and cognition, and attracts major global media attention, such as the BBC, The Guardian, TIME, and National Geographic. His work has been funded by different grants, such as the UKRI’s Natural Environment Research Council, Wild Animal Initiative, and the prestigious Newton Fund. In 2022, he was awarded a ‘Research Excellence Award’ from the University of Hull. In addition to his research, Dr Morton is the founder and co-director of the recently-established Hull Animal Behaviour Centre, which is comprised of research programmes in the UK, mainland Europe, and North America. He is the founder and convenor of the Behaviour & Ecology Research Group at the University of Hull, which was establish in 2023 in light of his growing track record for research on wildlife psychology and conservation. Since 2023, he has served as an associate editor for Royal Society Publishing and as a member of the Scientific Advisory Group of the UK’s national Badger Trust. For further information about Dr Morton, visit: https://www.blakemorton.co.uk/ For further information about The British Carnivore Project, visit: https://www.blakemorton.co.uk/case-studies/
Research Interests	animal behaviour, cognition, and wildlife conservation
Teaching and Learning	Dr Morton has a postgraduate certificate in higher education practice and over twelve years of experience teaching university students, five of which have been as a full-time lecturer. He is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and was awarded an Honorary Lectureship at the University of Stirling in 2018. Over the years, he has written, developed, and managed modules on a range of topics related to animal behaviour and psychology. At the University of Hull, he oversees the BSc Psychology research dissertation programme and teaches a final-year undergraduate module entitled 'People & Nature'. Dr Morton has a passion for teaching and routinely incorporates his own research experiences with wild primates, cetaceans, and carnivores into his lectures to help students engage with theoretical material on a deeper and more applied level.
Scopus Author ID	55579624000
PhD Supervision Availability	Yes
PhD Topics	Dr Morton welcomes applications from students interested in animal behaviour, cognition, and wildlife conservation, including research on human-nature connections. Dr Morton also offers research internships and placement opportunities for students, so please contact him directly (b.morton@hull.ac.uk) to find out more. Current PhD Projects: -- G. Freer (2024 - Present). Are we making urban wildlife sick? -- K. Sutter (2024 - Present). Animal psychology, public attitudes, and human-driven climate change in wild British carnivores. -- D. Jones (2023 - Present). Linking behavioural syndromes to public attitudes and behaviour towards wild mammalian carnivores. -- K. Adaway (2022 - Present). Behavioural responses to environmental changes in wild mammalian carnivores: A multidisciplinary perspective. Examples of Past and Current MSc Projects: -- S. Mitchell (2023). Public feeding of wildlife in the UK. -- E. Cooper (2023). Canine cognition and behaviour. -- A. Dawodu (2022). Novel feeding competition between wild red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) and other British carnivores.