Dr. Ailsa Mclean

Professor

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Biography

Ailsa McLean is a Royal Society University Research Fellow at the University of Oxford, specializing in the ecological and evolutionary roles of symbiotic microorganisms in animals, particularly insects. Her research focuses on how microbial symbionts enhance an insect's resistance to natural enemies and explores the complex interactions that occur within natural communities. By examining protective symbiosis in ecological contexts, she investigates how ecological communities are structured by microbes and how symbiotic communities influence external ecology. McLean employs both laboratory and field experiments on insect model systems, primarily aphids, to address questions regarding the specialization and potential speciation of insects driven by symbiont function and species variability. Her work contributes to a deeper understanding of natural ecology and its implications for the evolution of symbiotic interactions.

Research Interests

Requirements for University of Oxford

Master Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3.7
IELTS
Listening
Required:7
Reading
Required:7
Writing
Required:7
Speaking
Required:7
Overall
Required:7.5
TOEFL
Listening
Required:22
Reading
Required:24
Writing
Required:24
Speaking
Required:25
Total
Required:110
Prerequisites
Bachelor's degree in Politics, International Relations, Economics, History, Law, Philosophy or Sociology
Application Checklist
  • Three academic references
  • Official transcripts
  • CV/Resume
  • Statement of Purpose (1,000 words)
  • Two academic essays (2,000 words each)
Specialization Notes

Department of Politics and International Relations - Higher Level English requirement.