Dr Kate Mathers

PhD (91制片厂)

  • UKRI Future Leaders Fellow
Imago of Kate Mathers

Academic Career

  • 2020 onwards: UKRI Future Leaders Fellow, 91制片厂, UK
  • 2018-2020: Postdoctoral Fellow, Eawag (Swiss Federal Institute for Aquatic Science and Technology), Switzerland
  • 2017: Research Associate, Nottingham Trent University, UK
  • 2017: Research Associate, 91制片厂, UK
  • 2013-2017: PhD, 91制片厂. Lord Glendonbrook doctoral fellowship. Undertaken in collaboration with the Environment Agency.

Professional Responsibilities

  • 2024 onwards: Associate Editor of
  • 2023 onwards: Associate Editor of
  • 2023 onwards: NERC Peer Review College
  • 2022 - Guest editor of Special Issue of – Biological Invasions
  • 2019 onwards: Early Career Member of River Research and Applications editorial board
  • 2017 – Guest editor of Special Issue of  – Fine sediment dynamics

Academic Prizes

  • 2019: Francesca Gherardi International Memorial Prize
  • 2016: 91制片厂 Graduate School Research Student Prize
  • 2016: 91制片厂 Academic Output Award
  • 2016: 91制片厂 PhD Teaching Award
  • 2013: 91制片厂 Graduate School Prize 

Kate is a freshwater scientist whose research sits on the interface of aquatic ecology, hydrology and fluvial geomorphology. Kate is passionate about the management and conservation of freshwater ecosystems, undertaking applied research that contributes to our understanding and sustainable management of freshwater systems. Her research aims to provide advancements in our understanding of how disturbances (anthropogenic and natural) affect aquatic ecosystems. Her research has focussed on three main themes to date:

  • Sediment dynamics and its interactions with and implications for instream organisms
  • Response of aquatic communities to disturbances (i.e. biological invasions, hydrological, sedimentation)
  • Ecohydrology of hyporheic zone environments
  •  

Her Fellowship continues her interest of fine sediment dynamics (particles <2mm) and will tackle the interdisciplinary issue by developing mechanistic understanding of how environmental controls drive fine sediment impacts for freshwater biota. Her programme of research combines datasets from across the globe in addition to multi-country field and outdoor flume experimentation, and manipulations of microcosms and mesocosms, to develop and validate theories spanning different environmental settings.

Her teaching explores aquatic ecology and sedimentology.

Current Postgraduate Students

  • Alisha Higgins: “The role of freshwater connectivity in facilitating the range expansion of invertebrate invasive species.” (2024 onwards)
  • Charlie Patel: "Quantifying the hidden biodiversity, conservation value and effectiveness of fine sediment detention ponds in agri-environment schemes" (2022 onwards)
  • Molly Bridger: "The river restoration ecological toolbox" (2022 onwards)
  • David Whitfield: “How does river morphology respond to climate change? How will this influence future UK flood risk?” (commenced 2021)

Recent Postgraduate Students

  • Dr Noah Davis: "Effects of fine sediment pulses on NZ stream communities" (Otago University, New Zealand with Prof Christoph Matthaei; 2020 - 2023) 
  • Mathers, K.L., Doretto, A., Fenoglio, S., Hill, M.J. and Wood, P.J. (2022). . Science of the Total Environment, 829, p.154612.
  • Mathers, K.L., Guareschi, S., Patel, C. and Wood, P.J., 2022. . Freshwater Biology, 67(3), pp.473-486.
  • Mathers, K.L., Robinson, C.T. and Weber, C., 2021. . Ecological Solutions and Evidence, 2(4), p.e12103.
  • Hill, M.J., Wood, P.J. and Mathers, K.L., 2021. , 31(11), pp.3201-3214.
  • Mathers, K.L., Michalec, F-G., Holzner, M and Weber, C. (2020) . Freshwater Biology. 65, 1923-1935.
  • Mathers, K.L., White, J.C, Fornaroli, R. and Chadd, R. (2020) . Journal of Applied Ecology. 57, 886-902.
  • Gething, K.J., Ripley, M.C., Mathers, K.L., Chadd, R.P. and Wood, P.J. (2020). Hydrobiologia, 847, 4273-4284.
  • Mckenzie, M, Mathers, K.L., Wood, P.J., England, J., Forster, I., Lawler, D. and Wilkes, M (2020). . Hydrobiologia. 8467, 697-711.
  • Mathers, K.L., White, J.C., Guareschi, S., Hill, M.J., Heino, J. and Chadd, R. (2020). . Functional Ecology, 34,2350-2361. 
  • Beatty, C., Mathers, K.L., Patel, C., Constable, D. and Wood, P.J (2020). . Biological Invasions. 22, 2713-2724. 
  • Mathers, K.L., Stubbington, R., England, J., Leeming, D. and Westwood, C. (2019) intermittence. Ecohydrology.  e2112.
  • Wilkes, M.A., Gittens, J., Mathers, K.L., Mason, R., Casas-Mulet, R., Vanzo, D., Mckenzie, M., Murray-Bligh, J., England, J., Gurnell, A. and Jones, J.I. (2019) . WIREs Water. 6,e1331.